With colonies already established along the coast of Mexico, Spain looked to expand northward
around the Gulf of Mexico. In 1559, Tristán de Luna y Arellano brought
more than 1500 people in 11 ships from Veracruz, Mexico, to establish
a colony on Pensacola Bay. Before they finished unloading, a hurricane
destroyed most of the ships and killed a number of colonists. By 1561,
the colony was abandoned.
GALLEON CARVING FROM SHIPWRECK AT EMANUEL POINT
Courtesy of Bureau of Archaeological Research, Florida Department of State
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In 1565, the French flagship Trinité went down in a violent storm as
it was preparing to attack Pedro Menéndez de Avilés and other
Spanish colonists on the northeast coast of Florida. The shipwreck
prevented the French assault on St. Augustine, a newly founded
Spanish settlement. This provided Spain time to secure a foothold
in Florida, and Spanish forces were able to destroy Fort Caroline
and drive out the French.
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THOMAS SILVER MAP OF ST. AUGUSTINE, 1740
Courtesy of P. K. Yonge Library, University of Florida
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