Escambe
Encyclopedia
Escambe was a Spanish
Franciscan
mission built in the 17th century in the Florida Panhandle
, three miles northwest of the present-day town of Tallahassee
, Florida
. It was part of Spain's effort to colonize
the region, and convert the Timucuan and Apalachee
Indians
to Christianity
. The mission lasted until 1704, when it was destroyed by a group of Creek Indians
and South Carolinians
.
The site where the original mission stood was added to the U.S.
National Register of Historic Places
on May 14, 1971.
San Damián de Cupaica was founded in 1639, the third Spanish mission in Apalachee Province
. San Damián survived James Moore's invasion
of Apalachee Province in January 1704, but was captured by Creek
warriors in June 1704. When the Spanish abandoned their headquarters in San Luis de Talimali later that year, leaving all of the Apalachee Province unprotected, residents of Cupaica joined other Apalachees, Chactatos
and Yemassees
in migrating to the area of Pensacola, Florida
.
A later mission named San Joseph de Escambe was established during the 1740s along the Escambia River north of Pensacola
, lending its name both to the river and later to Escambia County, Florida
. This late Escambe mission was inhabited by refugee Apalachee
Indians, including chief Juan Marcos Fant. The mission was burned in a Creek Indian raid on April 9, 1761, and its inhabitants resettled adjacent to modern Pensacola
before relocating to Veracruz, Mexico
along with the Spanish residents of Pensacola
in 1763.
Habsburg Spain
Habsburg Spain refers to the history of Spain over the 16th and 17th centuries , when Spain was ruled by the major branch of the Habsburg dynasty...
Franciscan
Franciscan
Most Franciscans are members of Roman Catholic religious orders founded by Saint Francis of Assisi. Besides Roman Catholic communities, there are also Old Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, ecumenical and Non-denominational Franciscan communities....
mission built in the 17th century in the Florida Panhandle
Florida Panhandle
The Florida Panhandle, an informal, unofficial term for the northwestern part of Florida, is a strip of land roughly 200 miles long and 50 to 100 miles wide , lying between Alabama on the north and the west, Georgia also on the north, and the Gulf of Mexico to the south. Its eastern boundary is...
, three miles northwest of the present-day town of Tallahassee
Tallahassee, Florida
Tallahassee is the capital of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat and only incorporated municipality in Leon County, and is the 128th largest city in the United States. Tallahassee became the capital of Florida, then the Florida Territory, in 1824. In 2010, the population recorded by...
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
. It was part of Spain's effort to colonize
Spanish colonization of the Americas
Colonial expansion under the Spanish Empire was initiated by the Spanish conquistadores and developed by the Monarchy of Spain through its administrators and missionaries. The motivations for colonial expansion were trade and the spread of the Christian faith through indigenous conversions...
the region, and convert the Timucuan and Apalachee
Apalachee
The Apalachee are a Native American people who historically lived in the Florida Panhandle, and now live primarily in the U.S. state of Louisiana. Their historical territory was known to the Spanish colonists as the Apalachee Province...
Indians
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
to Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
. The mission lasted until 1704, when it was destroyed by a group of Creek Indians
Creek people
The Muscogee , also known as the Creek or Creeks, are a Native American people traditionally from the southeastern United States. Mvskoke is their name in traditional spelling. The modern Muscogee live primarily in Oklahoma, Alabama, Georgia, and Florida...
and South Carolinians
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
.
The site where the original mission stood was added to the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
on May 14, 1971.
San Damián de Cupaica was founded in 1639, the third Spanish mission in Apalachee Province
Apalachee Province
Apalachee Province was the area in the Panhandle of the present-day U.S. state of Florida inhabited by the Native American peoples known as the Apalachee at the time of European contact. The southernmost extent of the Mississippian culture, the Apalachee lived in what is now Leon County, Wakulla...
. San Damián survived James Moore's invasion
Apalachee Massacre
The Apalachee massacre was a series of brutal raids by English colonists from the Province of Carolina and their Indian allies against a largely pacific population of Apalachee Indians in northern Spanish Florida that took place during Queen Anne's War in 1704...
of Apalachee Province in January 1704, but was captured by Creek
Creek people
The Muscogee , also known as the Creek or Creeks, are a Native American people traditionally from the southeastern United States. Mvskoke is their name in traditional spelling. The modern Muscogee live primarily in Oklahoma, Alabama, Georgia, and Florida...
warriors in June 1704. When the Spanish abandoned their headquarters in San Luis de Talimali later that year, leaving all of the Apalachee Province unprotected, residents of Cupaica joined other Apalachees, Chactatos
Chatot (tribe)
The Chatot were a Native American tribe who lived in the upper Apalachicola River and Chipola River basins in what is now Florida...
and Yemassees
Yamasee
The Yamasee were a multiethnic confederation of Native Americans that lived in the coastal region of present-day northern coastal Georgia near the Savannah River and later in northeastern Florida.-History:...
in migrating to the area of Pensacola, Florida
Pensacola, Florida
Pensacola is the westernmost city in the Florida Panhandle and the county seat of Escambia County, Florida, United States of America. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 56,255 and as of 2009, the estimated population was 53,752...
.
A later mission named San Joseph de Escambe was established during the 1740s along the Escambia River north of Pensacola
Pensacola
Pensacola is a city in the western part of the U.S. state of Florida.Pensacola may also refer to:* Pensacola people, a group of Native Americans* A number of places in the Florida:** Pensacola Bay** Pensacola Regional Airport...
, lending its name both to the river and later to Escambia County, Florida
Escambia County, Florida
Escambia County is the westernmost county in the U.S. state of Florida. The 2010 population was 297,619. The U.S. Census Bureau 2005 estimate for the county is 296,772. Its county seat is Pensacola.- History :...
. This late Escambe mission was inhabited by refugee Apalachee
Apalachee
The Apalachee are a Native American people who historically lived in the Florida Panhandle, and now live primarily in the U.S. state of Louisiana. Their historical territory was known to the Spanish colonists as the Apalachee Province...
Indians, including chief Juan Marcos Fant. The mission was burned in a Creek Indian raid on April 9, 1761, and its inhabitants resettled adjacent to modern Pensacola
Pensacola
Pensacola is a city in the western part of the U.S. state of Florida.Pensacola may also refer to:* Pensacola people, a group of Native Americans* A number of places in the Florida:** Pensacola Bay** Pensacola Regional Airport...
before relocating to Veracruz, Mexico
Veracruz, Veracruz
Veracruz, officially known as Heroica Veracruz, is a major port city and municipality on the Gulf of Mexico in the Mexican state of Veracruz. The city is located in the central part of the state. It is located along Federal Highway 140 from the state capital Xalapa, and is the state's most...
along with the Spanish residents of Pensacola
Pensacola
Pensacola is a city in the western part of the U.S. state of Florida.Pensacola may also refer to:* Pensacola people, a group of Native Americans* A number of places in the Florida:** Pensacola Bay** Pensacola Regional Airport...
in 1763.