Fernandina Celebrates Viva Florida
500
September 27 and 28
This year we
celebrate the 500th anniversary of Juan Ponce de Leon voyage to
Florida in 1513. Though it is likely Ponce de Leon was not the first European
to visit Florida, his journey resulted in the name La Florida, and was the
first to be well documented. Contrary to popular myth, it was not the fountain
of youth that brought Ponce de Leon to Florida, but a royal contract which offered
to make him governor for life of any lands he discovered. Ponce de Leon had served as provincial
governor of Puerto Rico, before he was forced out of power by his rival Diego Colón, the illegitimate son Christopher
Columbus. King Ferdinand II of Aragon hoped to reward Ponce de Leon for his
service to the crown, while at the same time preventing Colón from gaining further
influence in the New World.
Ponce De
Leon funded the expedition himself, outfitting three ships and bringing with
him 200 men. Departing from Puerto Rico on March 4th of 1513, he
reached the East Coast of Florida in early April, landing somewhere between St.
Augustine and Melbourne Beach. After a few days on land, Ponce De Leon’s ships
headed south and ran into the Gulf Stream. Passing through the Florida Keys,
the expedition reached Florida’s West Coast on the 23rd of May.
The explorers quickly found themselves at odds
with the Native Americans they encountered, and several skirmishes broke out,
which resulted in casualties on both sides. It is reported that at least one of
the Natives they met already spoke Spanish. The Spanish took several captives,
and went on to explore the Dry Tortugas and Grand Bahama in the summer of
1513. From here, Ponce De Leon turned
back toward Hispaniola, returning to Puerto Rico in October, after an eight
month expedition.
Gray Edenfield
