Viva Florida 500: #2 1513 - Ponce de Leon
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This cache was placed to celebrate the 500th anniversary of exploration & history in Florida on June 8th & 9th. Viva Florida 500 at Paynes Prairie Preserve: Event GC48857 Thank You to Prairie Cachers & stejenwell for hosting this event. Special Thanks to amtg, Call me dainty, CWagoner, CYAO, doggymama, Joshtrecker81, mintmoonpi, Obilon, Tango of TCE, & wobegon crew
1513: Ponce de Leon There is a strong possibility that Spanish visited the land of Florida before Ponce de Leon. In 1511 Italian Peter Martyr, from the Court of Fernando II of Aragon, published a map portraying existing lands and islands based on descriptions from navigators and captains who sailed the area. They described land and islands called “Isla de Beimeni” or “Island of Bimini” north of Cuba, that is considered to be modern day Florida and the Keys. Ponce de Leon was born into a wealthy family in 1460. He was a native of Valladolid Spain and part of Columbus’ crew on his second trip to the New World. In 1506-07 he took charge of conquering Puerto Rico with the King’s blessings. He became its Governor in 1509 and in 1512 he was deposed by Columbus’ son Diego Colon. On February 23, 1512 he received a royal contract from the King to search and find the Island of Bimini as a consolation for losing his governorship of Puerto Rico. Nowhere in this charter is it mentioned that he was searching for the Fountain of Youth. He sailed with three ships from western Puerto Rico on March 3, 1513 to what he thought was Bimini, but is now known as Florida. On April 2 he made landfall on the Florida shoreline near the Cape Canaveral / Melbourne Beach area. He anchored in 44 feet of water and went ashore. He thought he landed on an island, and called the land “La Florida” which translates to “Flowery Land” during the season of Easter, “Pascua Florida.” He took possession of the land in the King’s name and stayed six days. On April 8 he weighed anchor, intending to head south to circumnavigate the “island” but winds forced him northward and he went ashore where he was attacked by the natives. He then headed south and went ashore to resupply and was attacked again. Vowing not to be driven off, and to make his claim to the land, he had a cross erected on the land and called the place “La Cruz”. He sailed around the southern tip, then up the coast, naming areas as he went. De Leon’s expedition next anchored at San Carlos Bay which is southwest of today’s Fort Meyers, near what is now known as Sanibel Island. He was attacked by the Calusa Natives in their canoes with bows and arrows, resulting in the death of one Spaniard and four Natives. Ponce gave the island the name “Matanzas,” which means “slaughter. He left after nine days and headed South / Southwest and came across islands he called the “Dry Tortugas” and then headed back to Puerto Rico. In 1520 he received another contract from the King to colonize, build a fort, and start building missions. He left with two ships filled with 200 settlers, parish priests, horses, cattle, and domestic cows. He landed around San Carlos Bay again, wasn’t welcomed by the natives and came under constant attack. In one of the skirmishes, Ponce was wounded with arrows in his thigh, was disabled by pain and fever, and so decided to depart. He headed to Havana to get further treatment, but eventually died from his wounds in 1521.
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