Last updated: September 17, 2023
Article
Pedro Menendez
In 1565 Pedro Menendez sailed with 10 ships and a thousand men from Spain to La Florida. His mission was to remove the French settlers and establish a colony in Florida. Menendez soon became Florida's first governor.
The Spanish initially sailed to Fort Caroline located in Northeast Florida, but the French sailed offshore to avoid conflict. The Spanish assumed the French forces were larger in number, and continued 40 miles south establishing St. Augustine on September 8th, 1565.
Was Menendez in the Canaveral National Seashore area?
In October of 1565, Menendez left St. Augustine to travel to Havana Cuba. It was on this trip that he and his men captured a group of Frenchmen, who fled earlier conflict, at their temporary fort at Cape Canaveral. He marched them south down the beach to the Ais First Natives who were located in the vicinity of mid to southern Cape Canaveral. There he left Captain Juan Velez, 200 soldiers and 50 French prisoners.
Menendez had intended to be in Cuba for only 20 days and left Captain Velez with 50 days of rations. He tried to send rations, but there were various obstacles. By the time rations were actually being sent it was too late and soldiers were beginning to rebel. By November 28 rations for the Ais and soldiers had run out. They were forced to survive on local resources such as fish, shellfish and cabbage palm berries. But foraging in the woods could only last so long with over 200 men cohabitating with the Ais who were also growing frustrated.
Relations began to deteriorate. A soldier named Escobar gathered 100 of the men and marched south abandoning their Cape Canaveral post. They stopped at an inlet too wide to cross which was probably St. Lucie Inlet.
The Captain sailed south to catch up with the remaining rebellious soldiers. He shouted to them from shore that he would bring supplies from Havana. Soon the Captain encountered Menendez on his way back from Havana. They decided to port in South Florida and claimed a new location on December 13th which was the day of St. Lucie and built a fort their naming it Santa Lucia.
Resources:
Canaveral National Seashore Historic Resource Study
The Florida Mutineers, 1566-67 : Tequesta : Number 34/1984, pages 44-61 (fiu.edu)
The Spanish initially sailed to Fort Caroline located in Northeast Florida, but the French sailed offshore to avoid conflict. The Spanish assumed the French forces were larger in number, and continued 40 miles south establishing St. Augustine on September 8th, 1565.
Was Menendez in the Canaveral National Seashore area?
In October of 1565, Menendez left St. Augustine to travel to Havana Cuba. It was on this trip that he and his men captured a group of Frenchmen, who fled earlier conflict, at their temporary fort at Cape Canaveral. He marched them south down the beach to the Ais First Natives who were located in the vicinity of mid to southern Cape Canaveral. There he left Captain Juan Velez, 200 soldiers and 50 French prisoners.
Menendez had intended to be in Cuba for only 20 days and left Captain Velez with 50 days of rations. He tried to send rations, but there were various obstacles. By the time rations were actually being sent it was too late and soldiers were beginning to rebel. By November 28 rations for the Ais and soldiers had run out. They were forced to survive on local resources such as fish, shellfish and cabbage palm berries. But foraging in the woods could only last so long with over 200 men cohabitating with the Ais who were also growing frustrated.
Relations began to deteriorate. A soldier named Escobar gathered 100 of the men and marched south abandoning their Cape Canaveral post. They stopped at an inlet too wide to cross which was probably St. Lucie Inlet.
The Captain sailed south to catch up with the remaining rebellious soldiers. He shouted to them from shore that he would bring supplies from Havana. Soon the Captain encountered Menendez on his way back from Havana. They decided to port in South Florida and claimed a new location on December 13th which was the day of St. Lucie and built a fort their naming it Santa Lucia.
Resources:
Canaveral National Seashore Historic Resource Study
The Florida Mutineers, 1566-67 : Tequesta : Number 34/1984, pages 44-61 (fiu.edu)