The Adelantamiento of Florida: 1565-1568
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THE ADELANTAKTENTO OF FLORIDA: 1565-1568 By EUGENE LYON A DISSERTATION PRESENTED TO THE GRADUATE COUNCIL OF THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIRE-MENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA 1973 To Dot PREFACE This study arose out of a long interest in the founding of Spanish Florida by Pedro Menendez de Avil4s. The in- spiration for its particular emphasis came from the Geografia universal de. las Indias of Juan L6pe2 de Velasco (Madrid 1893). The section cJaout Florida is entitled "Description of the Provinces and Adelantamiento of Florida. " Of special significance was the following: This province is a government by itself, or an adelantamiento y subject until now to no Audiencia , even though through being so close to Hispaniola it is described together with its district. This passage led to the decision to analyze the Florida government of 1565-1568 as an adelantamiento . The seminal article by Roscoe R. Hill, "The Office of Adelemtado, " also came to the attention of the writer. This led to an archival search for the asientos emd capitulaciones of a number of Indies adelantados , and a comparison of these with the 1565 contract of Pedro Menendez de Avil^s. Analysis of the extent and use of adelantamiento dis- closed that a major element in sixteentii -century Spanish conquest was the support furnished by private enterprise. The expcuision fostered by Isabella emd Ferdinand, Charles V iv and Philip II was largely carried out by entrepreneurs, including all the attempts to conquer Florida except the De Luma and Villafane expeditions. Once this unifying theme was identified, it was neces- sary to explore a number of secondary points. Among these were the personal motivations of a "contractor in conquest," his expectations of psychic and material gain, and the sources of his fincincial support. Also important were his relationships with the municipal, juridical, religious, and commercial institutions of Castile. The research methodology chosen for the study was essentially to work from Spanish archival materials. In order best to utilize one academic year for study in Spain, amd avoid duplication with existing materials in Florida, the writer consulted the Spanish materials at the University of Florida. Copies of the John B. Stetson Collection microfilm reels for the years 1559 to 1607 were taken to Spain, to- gether with a copy of the William B. Griffen Index of that collection. The Jeannette Thurber Connor, Buckingham Smith, emd Woodbury Lowery Collections were surveyed. The indices of the Connor and Smith collections prepared by Manuel Vazquez, Dr. Paul E. Hoffmaui and James Mulholland were most helpful. At this point, the writer wishes to reaffirm the great and abiding value of the Spanish document collections at the P. K. Yonge Library of Florida History. In this study, the writer made especial use of the Stetson Collection, Cita- tions fjTom this collection have been made with the "new" leqajo identification numbers, rather than with the "old" ones with which the Stetson Collection is marked, to con- form with the numbering system in use in the Archive of the Indies since 1929. Dr. Paul E. Hoffman has created a con- version table from the "old" to "new" numbers which has been most useful for this purpose. Coordination of the work in the Archive of the Indies with the Florida materials proceeded more rapidly once the writer begem to understand the organization of the archive. He could then better appreciate how Miss Irene Wright, who sought out much of the documentation brought to Florida in this century, gathered her material. Aided substantially by Dr. Hoffman's conversion table, the writer could begin to see the eureas of her greater and lesser concentration. The Patronato Real , Contratacidn , Indiferente General and Gobiemo; Santo Domingo sections were generally well covered by Miss Wright. Additional work upon the inter- connected correspondence of the Crown and the Casa de Con - tratacion found in Contratacion and Indiferente General was done in Seville. It was found that the Justicia , Escribania de Camara and Contraduria sections had been very little utilized by Miss Wright in her investigations. It happened that these sections, devoted to legal cases or audits vi involving the Adelantado or his major lieutenants, were of particular utility in developing the "private" side of the conquest of Florida. After this determination was made, therefore, the major effort of the remaining months was expended in these areas of the A.G.I. One legajo , Escribania de Camara 1,024-A, proved to be the corpus of the main legal case carried on by Pedro Menen- dez cuid his heirs against the Crown over the conquest of Florida. Although incomplete, it is most rich in content, and appears to tie directly to the "feimily case" presented by the Solis de Meras, Barrientos, and Barcia works. It is also connected with the audits of Menendez' fiscal affairs found in A.G.I. Contaduria 454 and 548. A mere beginning was also made in a most promising archival area: The notaries' or protocolos records. The Archives de Protocolos of Seville, Cadiz and Madrid contain much material on the financial network which backed Pedro Menendez in Florida. This has been a most absorbing study, and the writer feels privileged indeed to have been involved in it. He has come to feel a degree of kinship with the magnificent euid yet very humcin figures who carried out the enterprise of Florida. He would like to give particular thanks and appre- ciation to Dr. Lyle McAlister, who has directed this research; his standards have been the most important single stimulus to carry out this work. His comments and suggestions have vii invariably proven cogent and frxiitful. He has continually steered the project into connection with the wider field of Latin-American History, emd his encyclopaedic bibliographic knowledge continues to enrich this student, aund all of his students. The Unfailing interest and encouragement of other pro- fessors at the University, notably Dr. John K. Mahon, Dr. Paul E. Smith, Dr. George D. Winius, cmd Dr. Cornelius Goslinga, has amplified the desire of the writer to become fcuniliar with primary archival materials. Dr. Francis Hayes did much, in his instruction, to revive an earlier interest in the purity and beauty of the Spanish language. To Dr. Goslinga and Dr. Antonio Oliveira-Marques should go special appreciation for systematic and patient instruction in paleography, the key to sixteenth-century documentation. With particular reference to Florida history, the writer is indebted to Mrs. Bessie DuBois of Jupiter, Florida, for her long and continual urging to work in that field. Over a period of twenty-five years, the writer has also been encouraged in countless ways by Dr. Samuel Proctor, who has been teacher and friend. The P. K. Yonge Library of Florida History at the University of Florida is truly a place of wonders. For two years, the writer found an academic home there. Its Librarian, Miss Elizabeth Alexander, has been unfailingly helpful. The wealth and accessibility of the material and viii the ordered but friendly atmosphere of the library owes much to her concern. Her assistant, Mrs. Ileene Dur^md, has also aided the writer mamy, many times. The writer is indeed grateful to the Center for Latin- American Studies and to the Department of History for the support of a Title VI National Defense Educational Associ- ation scholarship, which helped greatly to meet finemcial needs during the three years of study and research. Dr. William E. Carter became Director of the Center during this period. He has, together with Mrs. Vivian Nolan and other members of his staff, aided in every possible way to solve problems of enrollment cuid financial support which arose. At the Archive of the Indies in Seville, many people were of incomparable kindness and service. The Directora , Srta. Rosario Parra Cala, has been unfailingly kind. All of her staff, including the porteros , have shown real considera- tion. Dr. Louis-Andr^ Vigneras, Professor Emeritus of History at George Washington University, cLLded greatly in initiating the writer into the mysteries of the notaries' depositories. Srta. Maria Carmona de los Santos, the guardian of the Archive of Protocolos in Cadiz, was roost helpful. It is impossible to render due appreciation for the stimulating amd fruitful association which this writer has had with Dr. Paul E. Hoffman of Louisiana State University. Where he could easily have chosen to retain his knowledge. Dr. Hoffmcin has been most generous in shauring the volume of useful materials unearthed in his own archival research. ix His keen Insights and thought-provoking comments on matters relating to Pedro Menendez de Aviles have been and continue to be invalueJale. Finally, but not at all least worthy of mention, the «rriter would like to acknowledge his lasting obligation to his deaor euid patient wife, Dorothy, who has supported his every effort. Thamks also go to his daughter, Peggy, whose judgment of style he respects, and whose typing skill was most helpful, and to the whole family, who have cheer- fully cind thoughtfully met the absences emd sacrifices which go with a study of this kind. TABLE OF CONTENTS Page PREFACE iv ABSTRACT xiii CHAPTER I CONTRACTORS IN CONQUEST. , 1 NOTES 26 II PHILIP II, FLORIDA, AND PEDRO MEN^NDEZ DE AVILES . 34 NOTES 60 III FROM ASIENTO TO JOINT-VENTURE 69 NOTES 121 IV UNDERGIRDING THE EXPEDITIONS . 129 NOTES. 172 V SPANISH VICTORY AND FIRST FOUNDATION .... 182 NOTES 228 VI THE CONSEQUENCES OF VICTORY; NEW OUTREACH BEGINS 238 NOTES 282 VII THE STRUGGLE CONTINUES 293 NOTES 333 VIII THE ENTERPRISE RENEWED; CONCLUSIONS 339 NOTES 375 TABLE OP CONTENTS (CONTINUED) APPENDICES Page I 384 II 398 III 404 IV 406 V 407 BIBLIOGRAPHY 408 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH 426 xii Abstract of Dissertation Presented to the Graduate Council of the University of Florida in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy THE ADELANTAMIENTO OF FLORIDA: 1565-1568 By Eugene Lyon December, 1973 Chairman: L.