Gonzalo Méndez de Canço
Encyclopedia
Gonzalo Méndez de Canço (or "de Cancio") (c. 1554 - March 31, 1622) was a Spanish
Admiral and the seventh Governor of Florida
(1596–1603), but he was best known for having introduced the cultivation of corn from Florida to Asturias, which turned out to be very important to that province.
, parish of San Esteban de Tapia, Asturias
, Spain
. He was the son of the celebrated couple, Diego de Canço (or "de Cancio") Donlebún and Maria Mendez de San Julián y Villaamil, descendants of a family of hidalgos. From his childhood nothing is known, but at 17 he was already serving with his own ships in the race for the Indies in the company of Captain General Pedro Sancho Osorio, relative. In his service to the king, he arrived at his own expense to build three shi's. The first was a ship called "The Apostle Santiago" serving protection missions for Spanish merchants going to or coming from Americas
. During one of these trips, returning from Mexico
to Europe
this ship was lost at the height of the islands of Madeira
. Not daunted by this he ordered the construction of a ship similar to the first one named as "Our Lady of Encontrela" in which he became captain
. He went to the mainland with this ship, but this also missed the entrance to the port of Nombre de Dios
(Panama
). The third ship was called "Virgin of the Conception" and was equipped with thirteen pieces of artillery and other munitions of war. Noboa Francisco Feijoo, Captain General
of the Tierra Firme fleet, he was appointed captain of infantry of the flagship of the Navy. On this trip Cancio showed his worth as a sailor and soldier. First, on 22 August of that year, he discovered a French vessel and captured it. The next day, amid a storm that lashed the ocean, he saved the gold and silver from one of the ships of the fleet which was going down. Francisco de Noboa will then amount to Cancio to admiral of the fleet from the islands Third to Spain.
In the following years he worked as captain of his own ships under orders from Alonso de Bazán, Francisco Osorio
and Pardo Coloma in missions both in Spain
and America. He served under the command of Alonso de Bazán and three times he was commissioned to make levies for the Navy in Galicia and Asturias
. In 1593 the king made him captain of infantry of the galleon or frigate and appointed him Captain General Francisco Coloma. In 1595 the king gave him a new appointment, the admiral of the fleet commanded by Pedro Tello. For his skills as a sailor and senior services to the Crown, the King appointed him in 1592 regular sea captain with thirty thousand farthings salary.
. All silver was unloaded and placed in the Morro fortress, sending a ship to Spain with the news. Immediately the King ordered General D. Pedro Tello de Guzman and Gonzalo Mendez de Cancio, who was appointed Admiral
(August 19, 1595), five to go to pick up the silver frigates. It was feared that the news reached the ears of the pirates and these would assault Puerto Rico
. As well would happen.
Shortly before reaching the islands of Guadeloupe
and Dominica
, 8 November, the fleet of Guzman and Cancio met two English pirate ships that will see the Spanish Armada
fled. While the general Guzman chasing one of the pirate ships, Admiral Alonso did the same with the other-the Francis-giving in a short time range. After several exchanges of gunfire, Cancio addresses the enemy ship, capturing it with around 26 English. They confessed to Admiral astur the whole pirate fleet of John Hawkins and Sir Francis Drake -27 ships with 2,500 men aboard, was sitting in Guadeloupe by watering and preparing for an assault landing craft Puerto Rico and grab the treasure.
Alarmed by the news, Cancio three or four gunshots fired warning to Guzman who was in pursuit of another English ship, to go as soon as possible to give notice to Puerto Rico, an island at which they arrived on 13 November.
Wasting no time, the governor organized the defense of the island. Only had 400 regular soldiers, 300 sailors from Sancho Pardo Osorio, the 500 that came with Bryce and Guzman and 300 armed civilians. These forces were divided by the most strategic points. A Méndez de Cancio is charged the fort of El Morro
, Santa Elena and Morrill.
On November 22 the pirate fleet appears off Point Escambrón where Bryce is at the forefront of Morrillo artillery. The first shots were produced with such good fortune that one of the bullets fired by Cancio shattered mizzenmast of Defiance, Drake's flagship. A second shot was in his cabin, killing several of his captains, who were meeting in assembly. Sir John Hawkins
died as a consequence of this action.
Francis Drake
was now the sole head of the pirate fleet. To protect against the missiles of the Asturian Admiral, Drake then ordered that the boats take shelter on the island of Cabras. Much of the following day dedicated hackers to probe the waters in search of the best places for landing. The inability to force the channel leading to the port and the city of San Juan moved to Drake to send 30 boats at 10 pm with 1,500 men. Its goal is to burn the five Spanish frigates lying in the harbor, setting fire to three ships. Two of these fires were quickly extinguished by crews of Spanish
, but the third frigate burned, illuminating the four sides of the harbor.
This prompted the plans Cancio, who from the Morro and then from the battery of Santa Elena, to your liking and shelled relentlessly English barges, making blow to several of them. The frigates with guns and soldiers with their muskets contributed equally in this task. In that fight night were destroyed nine barges and 400 dead pirates. The Spanish, meanwhile, had to deplore the arrest of three of them, killing some forty men and the loss of the frigate Magdalena.
Seeing that he could not take the island, Drake opted the next day by hoisting sails and let the waters of Puerto Rico, but the Spaniard still managed to plunge Almirante other four ships "and ourselves to hard difficulty, we saved", recognizes the England captain Thomas Maynard, chronicler of the expedition.
For the Spanish was a victory over the English pirates. To Francis Drake was a humiliating defeat. In his long life of misdeeds commanding pirate fleets, but was defeated twice when he tried to attack Spanish cities located in the Caribbean
, and twice Asturias
.
After the danger, and Guzman Cancio sailed on 20 December with the four frigates survivors and the two million pesos in silver, coming to Spain without incident.
appointed him Governor and Captain General
of Florida
. Preceding him, among others, were Pedro Menéndez de Avilés
and Pedro Menéndez de Márquez
. Cancio is the seventh Spaniard governor of Florida
.
Accompanied by his wife, Dona Magdalena de Luazes Lugo, and his son Antonio, Cancio Méndez moved in May 1597 to its new destination, arriving at St. Augustine
, capital of the colony, on 2 June. The location of St. Augustine
, don't like Cancio. The city stood on the sand, and was surrounded by marshlands. The place was barren and unproductive, making it difficult to develop agriculture and trade.
With vision, the governor, regarded as a person of strong character and ambitious projects, thought it prudent to establish another settlement elsewhere whose land was suitable for the development of agriculture, which would supply the capital of Florida
. From the information received, the best place to start the new colony was to Tama, a region located on the banks of the confluence of the Altamaha
and Ocumulgee
in the current state of Georgia. As was three hundred soldiers, he believed he could establish a colony Tama married soldiers and send expeditions into the area and contact New Mexico
.
To gather firsthand information on that vast region commissioned a soldier and two monks to visit Tama. On his return they notified her that the area was very fertile and rich, both plant and silver mining.
While Bryce was making plans for the colonization of Tama, an Native American
chief named Juanillo promoted in September 1597 an uprising against the Spanish. Some chiefs of the tribe, whose vast territory stretched from the Altamaha River
, (Georgia) to Port Royal
, (South Carolina
), were concerned about the spread of Christianity
. What bothered them most was that the Franciscan
missionaries forbade polygamy, divorce, dancing, games and tribal wars, which weakened as the Indians Juanillo making them lose their old courage and skill. Juanillo's hatred against missionaries was so great that on the morning of September 13, 1595 cold-blooded killer Corpa as he entered Tolomato mission. The next day Juanillo calls to other Native-American leaders in the area by getting expelled from their lands to the Spanish, all of them committing murder in the first end to the other missionaries who roamed the region. The rebellion became widespread in the province of Guale. Most of the missions in this area is attacked by Indians and five Franciscans were killed.
In early October came the news of the rebellion in St. Augustine
Gonzalo Méndez de Cancio, who was sick in bed, he organized a relief patrol directed personally. In Guale is only burned churches and missionaries killed and maimed. Bryce could not give the deserved punishment for being Indian rebels hiding in the mountains, having to content himself with burning their villages and raze their crops. On this trip could only get a prisoner who told him about the death of the religious.
Canço achieved in May 1598 to rescue the father, Francisco Dávila-only missionary survivor of the massacre of Juanillo, who was a slave in the town of Tulufina, not far from Tolomato. The rebellion ended when an expedition of the Spanish Indian allies, led by Chief Asao, assaults Juanillo camp killing him with 24 of its main supporters. The deaths came the calm to Florida.
In May 1600 a delegation of Indian chiefs occurred in St. Augustine
before the Governor swearing allegiance to the king of Spain. Cancio accepted the new submission in exchange for no more lifting up against the Spanish, among other conditions (Others sources, however, indicate that the rebellion caused by Méndez de Cancio was actually suppressed by his successor, a Basque named Pedro de Ibarra
, who treated with kindness and intelligence to the indígenas and managed to consolidate peace and progress). In 1603 the governor Spaniard visited the territory of the glial, checking the affection of the natives and taking new oaths of allegiance.
During his tenure, Cancio made four trips exploring his territory and subjecting the Indian chiefs of the provinces of Potano
, Timuena, Apalachee
, Cicale, Mosquitos and the chieftain of Yúfera, the chief of Ocona-bordered territory or province Tama region. Bryce also got the chief of Santa Elena
in South Carolina
to resubmit to the Spanish.
In a report completed in January 1600, the governor Spaniard finds that promoted the intensive cultivation of corn, providing tools and seeds to settlers and Indians and building a mill to grind the grain. Fostered the creation of farms and plantations. When the hospital destroyed by fire San Augustine, he built and equipped at his expense the Hospital of Santa Barbara. He also ordered construction in the province of San Pedro, Florida a large church for the Indians could attend the liturgies. His replacement as governor of Florida
prevented him from implementing his ambitious projects Tama.
In February 1603, the King appointed a new governor of Florida, Pedro de Ibarra
; Cancio then returned to their homeland. Two packets in his luggage contained maize seeds, giving a major boost to the cultivation of wheat in Asturias. The rest of his life was spent with Gonzalo Méndez de Canço in his house at Casariego, performing, among other roles, those of Mayor of Castropol and Captain of Militia. He died on March 31, 1622 in his birthplace.
Spanish people
The Spanish are citizens of the Kingdom of Spain. Within Spain, there are also a number of vigorous nationalisms and regionalisms, reflecting the country's complex history....
Admiral and the seventh Governor of 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...
(1596–1603), but he was best known for having introduced the cultivation of corn from Florida to Asturias, which turned out to be very important to that province.
Early life
Gonzalo Méndez de Canço y Donlebún was born in 1554 at Tapia de CasariegoTapia de Casariego
Tapia de Casariego is a municipality in the Autonomous Community of the Principality of Asturias, Spain. It is bordered on the north by the Cantabrian Sea, on the east by El Franco, on the south and west by Castropol. Tapia is also the name of one of the parishes inside the municipality. Its...
, parish of San Esteban de Tapia, Asturias
Asturias
The Principality of Asturias is an autonomous community of the Kingdom of Spain, coextensive with the former Kingdom of Asturias in the Middle Ages...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. He was the son of the celebrated couple, Diego de Canço (or "de Cancio") Donlebún and Maria Mendez de San Julián y Villaamil, descendants of a family of hidalgos. From his childhood nothing is known, but at 17 he was already serving with his own ships in the race for the Indies in the company of Captain General Pedro Sancho Osorio, relative. In his service to the king, he arrived at his own expense to build three shi's. The first was a ship called "The Apostle Santiago" serving protection missions for Spanish merchants going to or coming from Americas
Americas
The Americas, or America , are lands in the Western hemisphere, also known as the New World. In English, the plural form the Americas is often used to refer to the landmasses of North America and South America with their associated islands and regions, while the singular form America is primarily...
. During one of these trips, returning from Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
to Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
this ship was lost at the height of the islands of Madeira
Madeira
Madeira is a Portuguese archipelago that lies between and , just under 400 km north of Tenerife, Canary Islands, in the north Atlantic Ocean and an outermost region of the European Union...
. Not daunted by this he ordered the construction of a ship similar to the first one named as "Our Lady of Encontrela" in which he became captain
Captain (naval)
Captain is the name most often given in English-speaking navies to the rank corresponding to command of the largest ships. The NATO rank code is OF-5, equivalent to an army full colonel....
. He went to the mainland with this ship, but this also missed the entrance to the port of Nombre de Dios
Nombre de Dios
Nombre de Dios is a city on the Atlantic coast of Panama in the Colón Province.Founded as a Spanish colony in 1510 by Diego de Nicuesa, it was one of the first European settlements on the Isthmus of Panama. It is the oldest continually populated town in Panama and the America mainland...
(Panama
Panama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
). The third ship was called "Virgin of the Conception" and was equipped with thirteen pieces of artillery and other munitions of war. Noboa Francisco Feijoo, Captain General
Captain General
Captain general is a high military rank and a gubernatorial title.-History:This term Captain General started to appear in the 14th century, with the meaning of commander in chief of an army in the field, probably the first usage of the term General in military settings...
of the Tierra Firme fleet, he was appointed captain of infantry of the flagship of the Navy. On this trip Cancio showed his worth as a sailor and soldier. First, on 22 August of that year, he discovered a French vessel and captured it. The next day, amid a storm that lashed the ocean, he saved the gold and silver from one of the ships of the fleet which was going down. Francisco de Noboa will then amount to Cancio to admiral of the fleet from the islands Third to Spain.
In the following years he worked as captain of his own ships under orders from Alonso de Bazán, Francisco Osorio
Francisco Osorio
Francisco Ruben Osorio Gary is a welterweight boxer from Colombia, who won the bronze medal at the 1995 Pan American Games in Mar del Plata, Argentina. Nicknamed Flash he made his professional debut on March 21, 1997, when he was defeated by countryman Roberto Ortega.-References:...
and Pardo Coloma in missions both in Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
and America. He served under the command of Alonso de Bazán and three times he was commissioned to make levies for the Navy in Galicia and Asturias
Asturias
The Principality of Asturias is an autonomous community of the Kingdom of Spain, coextensive with the former Kingdom of Asturias in the Middle Ages...
. In 1593 the king made him captain of infantry of the galleon or frigate and appointed him Captain General Francisco Coloma. In 1595 the king gave him a new appointment, the admiral of the fleet commanded by Pedro Tello. For his skills as a sailor and senior services to the Crown, the King appointed him in 1592 regular sea captain with thirty thousand farthings salary.
Defeat of Sir Francis Drake
On May 10, 1595 he left Havana treasure fleet bound for Sevilla full of gold and silver. While crossing the channel of the Bahamas they were surprised by a storm which scattered the vessels. The captain, where he was General Asturian D. Sancho Pardo Osorio with three hundred men and two million ducats in silver, was isolated and treeless, and must anchor in Puerto RicoPuerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
. All silver was unloaded and placed in the Morro fortress, sending a ship to Spain with the news. Immediately the King ordered General D. Pedro Tello de Guzman and Gonzalo Mendez de Cancio, who was appointed Admiral
Admiral
Admiral is the rank, or part of the name of the ranks, of the highest naval officers. It is usually considered a full admiral and above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet . It is usually abbreviated to "Adm" or "ADM"...
(August 19, 1595), five to go to pick up the silver frigates. It was feared that the news reached the ears of the pirates and these would assault Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
. As well would happen.
Shortly before reaching the islands of Guadeloupe
Guadeloupe
Guadeloupe is an archipelago located in the Leeward Islands, in the Lesser Antilles, with a land area of 1,628 square kilometres and a population of 400,000. It is the first overseas region of France, consisting of a single overseas department. As with the other overseas departments, Guadeloupe...
and Dominica
Dominica
Dominica , officially the Commonwealth of Dominica, is an island nation in the Lesser Antilles region of the Caribbean Sea, south-southeast of Guadeloupe and northwest of Martinique. Its size is and the highest point in the country is Morne Diablotins, which has an elevation of . The Commonwealth...
, 8 November, the fleet of Guzman and Cancio met two English pirate ships that will see the Spanish Armada
Spanish Armada
This article refers to the Battle of Gravelines, for the modern navy of Spain, see Spanish NavyThe Spanish Armada was the Spanish fleet that sailed against England under the command of the Duke of Medina Sidonia in 1588, with the intention of overthrowing Elizabeth I of England to stop English...
fled. While the general Guzman chasing one of the pirate ships, Admiral Alonso did the same with the other-the Francis-giving in a short time range. After several exchanges of gunfire, Cancio addresses the enemy ship, capturing it with around 26 English. They confessed to Admiral astur the whole pirate fleet of John Hawkins and Sir Francis Drake -27 ships with 2,500 men aboard, was sitting in Guadeloupe by watering and preparing for an assault landing craft Puerto Rico and grab the treasure.
Alarmed by the news, Cancio three or four gunshots fired warning to Guzman who was in pursuit of another English ship, to go as soon as possible to give notice to Puerto Rico, an island at which they arrived on 13 November.
Wasting no time, the governor organized the defense of the island. Only had 400 regular soldiers, 300 sailors from Sancho Pardo Osorio, the 500 that came with Bryce and Guzman and 300 armed civilians. These forces were divided by the most strategic points. A Méndez de Cancio is charged the fort of El Morro
Fort San Felipe del Morro
Also known as Fort San Felipe del Morro or Morro Castle, is a 16th-century citadel located in San Juan, Puerto Rico.- Rundown :Lies on the northwestern-most point of the islet of San Juan, Puerto Rico...
, Santa Elena and Morrill.
On November 22 the pirate fleet appears off Point Escambrón where Bryce is at the forefront of Morrillo artillery. The first shots were produced with such good fortune that one of the bullets fired by Cancio shattered mizzenmast of Defiance, Drake's flagship. A second shot was in his cabin, killing several of his captains, who were meeting in assembly. Sir John Hawkins
John Hawkins
Admiral Sir John Hawkins was an English shipbuilder, naval administrator and commander, merchant, navigator, and slave trader. As treasurer and controller of the Royal Navy, he rebuilt older ships and helped design the faster ships that withstood the Spanish Armada in 1588...
died as a consequence of this action.
Francis Drake
Francis Drake
Sir Francis Drake, Vice Admiral was an English sea captain, privateer, navigator, slaver, and politician of the Elizabethan era. Elizabeth I of England awarded Drake a knighthood in 1581. He was second-in-command of the English fleet against the Spanish Armada in 1588. He also carried out the...
was now the sole head of the pirate fleet. To protect against the missiles of the Asturian Admiral, Drake then ordered that the boats take shelter on the island of Cabras. Much of the following day dedicated hackers to probe the waters in search of the best places for landing. The inability to force the channel leading to the port and the city of San Juan moved to Drake to send 30 boats at 10 pm with 1,500 men. Its goal is to burn the five Spanish frigates lying in the harbor, setting fire to three ships. Two of these fires were quickly extinguished by crews of Spanish
Spanish people
The Spanish are citizens of the Kingdom of Spain. Within Spain, there are also a number of vigorous nationalisms and regionalisms, reflecting the country's complex history....
, but the third frigate burned, illuminating the four sides of the harbor.
This prompted the plans Cancio, who from the Morro and then from the battery of Santa Elena, to your liking and shelled relentlessly English barges, making blow to several of them. The frigates with guns and soldiers with their muskets contributed equally in this task. In that fight night were destroyed nine barges and 400 dead pirates. The Spanish, meanwhile, had to deplore the arrest of three of them, killing some forty men and the loss of the frigate Magdalena.
Seeing that he could not take the island, Drake opted the next day by hoisting sails and let the waters of Puerto Rico, but the Spaniard still managed to plunge Almirante other four ships "and ourselves to hard difficulty, we saved", recognizes the England captain Thomas Maynard, chronicler of the expedition.
For the Spanish was a victory over the English pirates. To Francis Drake was a humiliating defeat. In his long life of misdeeds commanding pirate fleets, but was defeated twice when he tried to attack Spanish cities located in the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
, and twice Asturias
Asturias
The Principality of Asturias is an autonomous community of the Kingdom of Spain, coextensive with the former Kingdom of Asturias in the Middle Ages...
.
After the danger, and Guzman Cancio sailed on 20 December with the four frigates survivors and the two million pesos in silver, coming to Spain without incident.
Governor of Florida
As of March 22, 1596 opening a new stage in the life of Gonzalo Mendez de Canço. At that time Philip IIPhilip II of Spain
Philip II was King of Spain, Portugal, Naples, Sicily, and, while married to Mary I, King of England and Ireland. He was lord of the Seventeen Provinces from 1556 until 1581, holding various titles for the individual territories such as duke or count....
appointed him Governor and Captain General
Captain General
Captain general is a high military rank and a gubernatorial title.-History:This term Captain General started to appear in the 14th century, with the meaning of commander in chief of an army in the field, probably the first usage of the term General in military settings...
of 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...
. Preceding him, among others, were Pedro Menéndez de Avilés
Pedro Menéndez de Avilés
Pedro Menéndez de Avilés was a Spanish admiral and explorer, best remembered for founding St. Augustine, Florida in 1565. This was the first successful Spanish foothold in La Florida and remained the most significant city in the region for several hundred years. St...
and Pedro Menéndez de Márquez
Pedro Menéndez de Márquez
Pedro Menendez Márquez , Marqués de Avilés, was an explorer, Spanish conquistador and governor of Florida. He was a nephew of Pedro Menéndez de Avilés.- Biography :...
. Cancio is the seventh Spaniard governor of 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...
.
Accompanied by his wife, Dona Magdalena de Luazes Lugo, and his son Antonio, Cancio Méndez moved in May 1597 to its new destination, arriving at St. Augustine
St. Augustine, Florida
St. Augustine is a city in the northeast section of Florida and the county seat of St. Johns County, Florida, United States. Founded in 1565 by Spanish explorer and admiral Pedro Menéndez de Avilés, it is the oldest continuously occupied European-established city and port in the continental United...
, capital of the colony, on 2 June. The location of St. Augustine
St. Augustine, Florida
St. Augustine is a city in the northeast section of Florida and the county seat of St. Johns County, Florida, United States. Founded in 1565 by Spanish explorer and admiral Pedro Menéndez de Avilés, it is the oldest continuously occupied European-established city and port in the continental United...
, don't like Cancio. The city stood on the sand, and was surrounded by marshlands. The place was barren and unproductive, making it difficult to develop agriculture and trade.
With vision, the governor, regarded as a person of strong character and ambitious projects, thought it prudent to establish another settlement elsewhere whose land was suitable for the development of agriculture, which would supply the capital of 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...
. From the information received, the best place to start the new colony was to Tama, a region located on the banks of the confluence of the Altamaha
Altamaha River
The Altamaha River is a major river of the American state of Georgia. It flows generally eastward for 137 miles from its origin at the confluence of the Oconee River and Ocmulgee River towards the Atlantic Ocean, where it empties into the ocean near Brunswick, Georgia. There are no dams...
and Ocumulgee
Ocmulgee River
The Ocmulgee River is a tributary of the Altamaha River, approximately 255 mi long, in the U.S. state of Georgia...
in the current state of Georgia. As was three hundred soldiers, he believed he could establish a colony Tama married soldiers and send expeditions into the area and contact New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
.
To gather firsthand information on that vast region commissioned a soldier and two monks to visit Tama. On his return they notified her that the area was very fertile and rich, both plant and silver mining.
While Bryce was making plans for the colonization of Tama, an Native American
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
chief named Juanillo promoted in September 1597 an uprising against the Spanish. Some chiefs of the tribe, whose vast territory stretched from the Altamaha River
Altamaha River
The Altamaha River is a major river of the American state of Georgia. It flows generally eastward for 137 miles from its origin at the confluence of the Oconee River and Ocmulgee River towards the Atlantic Ocean, where it empties into the ocean near Brunswick, Georgia. There are no dams...
, (Georgia) to Port Royal
Port Royal, South Carolina
Port Royal is a town in Beaufort County, South Carolina, United States. Largely because of annexation of surrounding areas , the population of Port Royal rose from 3,950 in 2000 to 10,678 in 2010, a 170% increase. As defined by the U.S...
, (South Carolina
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...
), were concerned about the spread of 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...
. What bothered them most was that the 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....
missionaries forbade polygamy, divorce, dancing, games and tribal wars, which weakened as the Indians Juanillo making them lose their old courage and skill. Juanillo's hatred against missionaries was so great that on the morning of September 13, 1595 cold-blooded killer Corpa as he entered Tolomato mission. The next day Juanillo calls to other Native-American leaders in the area by getting expelled from their lands to the Spanish, all of them committing murder in the first end to the other missionaries who roamed the region. The rebellion became widespread in the province of Guale. Most of the missions in this area is attacked by Indians and five Franciscans were killed.
In early October came the news of the rebellion in St. Augustine
St. Augustine, Florida
St. Augustine is a city in the northeast section of Florida and the county seat of St. Johns County, Florida, United States. Founded in 1565 by Spanish explorer and admiral Pedro Menéndez de Avilés, it is the oldest continuously occupied European-established city and port in the continental United...
Gonzalo Méndez de Cancio, who was sick in bed, he organized a relief patrol directed personally. In Guale is only burned churches and missionaries killed and maimed. Bryce could not give the deserved punishment for being Indian rebels hiding in the mountains, having to content himself with burning their villages and raze their crops. On this trip could only get a prisoner who told him about the death of the religious.
Canço achieved in May 1598 to rescue the father, Francisco Dávila-only missionary survivor of the massacre of Juanillo, who was a slave in the town of Tulufina, not far from Tolomato. The rebellion ended when an expedition of the Spanish Indian allies, led by Chief Asao, assaults Juanillo camp killing him with 24 of its main supporters. The deaths came the calm to Florida.
In May 1600 a delegation of Indian chiefs occurred in St. Augustine
St. Augustine, Florida
St. Augustine is a city in the northeast section of Florida and the county seat of St. Johns County, Florida, United States. Founded in 1565 by Spanish explorer and admiral Pedro Menéndez de Avilés, it is the oldest continuously occupied European-established city and port in the continental United...
before the Governor swearing allegiance to the king of Spain. Cancio accepted the new submission in exchange for no more lifting up against the Spanish, among other conditions (Others sources, however, indicate that the rebellion caused by Méndez de Cancio was actually suppressed by his successor, a Basque named Pedro de Ibarra
Pedro de Ibarra (governor of La Florida)
- Governor of La Florida :Originally from the Basque Country, in 1549 he explored the region in Zamora. In 1603 he was appointed governor of Florida...
, who treated with kindness and intelligence to the indígenas and managed to consolidate peace and progress). In 1603 the governor Spaniard visited the territory of the glial, checking the affection of the natives and taking new oaths of allegiance.
During his tenure, Cancio made four trips exploring his territory and subjecting the Indian chiefs of the provinces of Potano
Potano
The Potano tribe lived in north-central Florida at the time of first European contact. Their territory included what is now Alachua County, the northern half of Marion County and the western part of Putnam County. This territory corresponds to that of the Alachua culture, which preceded the...
, Timuena, Apalachee
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...
, Cicale, Mosquitos and the chieftain of Yúfera, the chief of Ocona-bordered territory or province Tama region. Bryce also got the chief of Santa Elena
Santa Elena, la Florida
Santa Elena was a Spanish settlement founded by Pedro Menéndez de Avilés on what is now Parris Island, South Carolina. There had been a number of earlier attempts to establish colonies in the area by both the Spanish and the French, who had been inspired by earlier accounts of the plentiful land...
in South Carolina
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...
to resubmit to the Spanish.
In a report completed in January 1600, the governor Spaniard finds that promoted the intensive cultivation of corn, providing tools and seeds to settlers and Indians and building a mill to grind the grain. Fostered the creation of farms and plantations. When the hospital destroyed by fire San Augustine, he built and equipped at his expense the Hospital of Santa Barbara. He also ordered construction in the province of San Pedro, Florida a large church for the Indians could attend the liturgies. His replacement as governor of 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...
prevented him from implementing his ambitious projects Tama.
In February 1603, the King appointed a new governor of Florida, Pedro de Ibarra
Pedro de Ibarra (governor of La Florida)
- Governor of La Florida :Originally from the Basque Country, in 1549 he explored the region in Zamora. In 1603 he was appointed governor of Florida...
; Cancio then returned to their homeland. Two packets in his luggage contained maize seeds, giving a major boost to the cultivation of wheat in Asturias. The rest of his life was spent with Gonzalo Méndez de Canço in his house at Casariego, performing, among other roles, those of Mayor of Castropol and Captain of Militia. He died on March 31, 1622 in his birthplace.
External links
- http://www.augustine.com/history/menendez-founding.php
- http://www.donlebun.com/Donlebun-hgmcd.htm (In Spanish)