In
1510, Spanish author, Garci Rodriguez de Montalvo publishes a book called Las
Sergas de Esplandian (The Exploits of Esplandian). In his introduction to the text, Montalvo explains
he has edited the first 3 books of a text that has been in circulation since
the 14th century.
In
the story, Esplandian, the son of Amadis, has many strange adventures, among
which is a meeting with the Amazons.
Know that, on
the right hand of the Indies, very near to the Terrestrial Paradise, there is
an island called California, which was peopled with black women, without any
men among them because they were accustomed to live after the fashion of
Amazons…In this island called California are many Griffins, on account of the
great savageness of the country and the immense quantity of the wild game
there….Now, in the time that these great men of the Pagans sailed (against
Constantinople) with those great fleets of which I have told you, there reigned
in this land of California a Queen, large of body, very beautiful, in the prime
of her years…Sergas-Chapter 157
Circulating
books of mysterious places, tales of exotic riches, success in navigating
around the continent of Africa and the recent blockage of the eastern trade
routes by the Ottoman Turks catapulted the European urgency to find alternative
routes; supplying the impetus for European expansion.
Conquistador - Juan
Ponce De Leon
On
November 19, 1493, Juan Ponce De Leon arrives in Puerto Rico as a member of
Christopher Columbus 2nd voyage.
The indigenous Taino culture dominated the island which was called
Boriken in their language, meaning “The Land of the Brave Lord.” Columbus, however, named the island San Juan
Bautista in honor of John the Baptist.
Returning
back to Hispanola, Ponce de Leon is instructed to quelch a Taino rebellion in
the Higuey province of what is now Santo Domingo. When the European settlers invaded Hispanola,
the eastern section belonged to the Caique Higuey or Kingdom of Taino
Indians. Their leaders included Caciques
Cotubanama and Cavaco, the female Caciqua Higuanama and other leaders. This area became the last to be conquered by
the Spanish. Juan de Esquivel first led
the conquest in 1503 on the orders of the newly appointed colony governor,
Nicolas de Ovando. His orders were
nothing less than annihilation of the indigenous peoples. Ponce de Leon joins the fight which is
recorded by Barolome de Las Casas who also participated in the Higuey massacre. The brave Taino warriors who surrendered
after a short time but heroic resistance meet a grave fate. Men, women and children were disemboweled
alive. Many were tortured by having
their hands and feet cut off as the Spanish feed their limbs to their hunting
dogs. Others were hanged or rounded up
to be knifed to death. By 1519 the Taino
of the Higuey region were enslaved and their numbers had declined sharply. The Spanish then brought in African slaves to
replace them as a much needed labor force.
Juan
Ponce de Leon’s cruelty was rewarded by elevating him to governor of that same
province. He was awarded land and Indian
slaves to work his farms. He prospered
as many ships stopped here to refill. He
marries and has three daughters. It is
also here he learns about the rivers of gold back on the island of Puerto Rico.
Ponce
de Leon applies for and receives a “royal grant” to explore the possibility of
exploiting the wealth of the land. On
August 8, 1508, Ponce de Leon founded Caparra, the first European settlement in
Puerto Rico.
Cacique
Agueybana (the Great Sun) chieftain of the Taino people greeted Ponce de Leon
when he arrived on the island. In 1508,
Ponce de Leon became the first appointed governor of Puerto Rico. His first order as governor was to force the
Tainos to work in the gold mines and to build fortifications. Many died as a result of their brutal
labor. In 1510, upon Agueybana’s death,
his brother Gueybana (the Brave), better known as Agueybana II showed his
people that the white men were not gods by drowning Diego Salcedo in the
river. The new chief then lead a fight
of resistance in 1511 in an effort to free his island of the foreign invaders.
Within a
year, Ponce de León had subdued a majority of the native population and gained
control over most of the island.
Two
years after receiving the governorship of Puerto Rico, the King of Spain revoked
his titles and gave it to Diego Columbus the son of Christopher Columbus. Political intrigue was the cause of this
abrupt change. Quickly Juan
Ponce de Leon obtained from Charles V on February 23, 1512, a patent
authorizing him to discover and people the Island of Bimini, giving
him jurisdiction over the island for life, and giving him the title of Adelantado. There are 17 key points in the charter.
him jurisdiction over the island for life, and giving him the title of Adelantado. There are 17 key points in the charter.
1. He
had three years to do the task and 12 months to initiate the expedition from
the day the contract was duly signed and registered by everyone concerned.
2. The
expenses of the expedition would be the responsibility of Ponce de Leon.
3. He
was allowed to recruit people from Spain and Espanola.
4. Ponce
de Leon had a priority in his claims of Bimini and the lands discovered if he
initiated the expedition within one year.
5. Ponce
de Leon should assume the executive and all the judicial functions in the new
territory.
6. He
should have the ownership of all the houses and estates that he will establish
with his own funds in these new lands.
7. The
construction and direction of forts is a royal prerogative and therefore not
under the jurisdiction of Ponce de Leon.
8. Ponce
de Leon shall receive for 12 years from the day of the discovery the
appropriate "tenth" of all the revenues and profits, with the
exception of those specified as royal properties.
9. The
distribution of the Indians to the Spanish lords should
be done by the Crown, but the Crown will give priority in the allotment of Indians
to those who have participated in the Ponce de Leon expedition.
10. Gold
and precious metals, plus other possible valuable commodities, shall be the
property of Ponce de Leon and his men, with the exception of the "tenth" during the first years to the
Crown; thereafter, the tax had to be a ninth for the second year, an eighth
during the third, seventh for the fourth, sixth for the fifth year, and from
then on, one fifth,
11. Ponce
de Leon should receive the governorship of all the discovered neighboring
islands of Bimini as long as these places are unknown and unassigned.
12. Ponce
de Le6n is given the title of Adelantado of Bimini and of the other lands that
he would discover.
13. The
exploitation and collection of gold, if there were some, would be the same as
done in Espanola or as ordered by the King.
14. Ponce
de Leon was forbidden to have in his expedition foreigners and people not resident in
Spain or Spanish dependencies and colonies.
15. Everyone
in the forthcoming expedition to Bimini before leaving must deposit before the
Royal
Officials of Espanola valid bonds.
Officials of Espanola valid bonds.
16. Any
frauds and other dishonesties must be reported to the Crown and its appropriate
officials and anyone who was negligent of dispatching such reports should be as
severely punished as those guilty of fraud.
17. Ponce
de Leon was required to mail detailed reports of his discoveries.
The King had signed the contract on February 23,
1512 but Ponce de Leon did not register the expeditionary force until January
29, 1513 at the port of Yuma in the province of Higuey on the island of Espanola. http://www.drbronsontours.com/ponce.htm
According
to the “500th Florida Discovery Council Round Table”, on March 3,
1513, Juan Ponce organized and commenced an expedition with a crew of 200,
including women and free blacks departing from Puerto Rico. Puerto Rico was the
historic first gateway to the discovery of Florida which opened the doors to
the advanced settlement of the USA. They
introduced Christianity, cattle, horses, sheep, the Spanish language and more
to the land of Florida that later became the United States of American, 107
years before the Pilgrims landed.
On April 12, 1513 Ponce de Leon
spotted land. He named the peninsula he
believed to be an island “La Florida” because his landing came during the time
of the Easter feast, or Pascua Florida. Captain
Juan Ponce de Leon ordered the first voyage to limit its exploration to the
coastline because they were unsuccessful in making contact with the local
inhabitants. In truth, the Calusa
warriors did not permit them to land meeting the Spanish 3 ships in their war canoes armed with with long bows. De Leon wisely chose to go back to
Puerto Rico, regroup and return better armed.
On his second voyage to Florida in 1521, Ponce de Leon tried to establish a
Spanish colony. The group consisted of
200 men, including priests, farmers and artisans, 50 horses and other domestic
animals, and farming equipment. Soon
after the landing, the Calusa warriors attacked the expedition defending their
chiefdom from foreign invaders. In the
battle that pursued Ponce de Leon was hit by a poison arrow. The expedition retreated back to Cuba where
he died from his wounds.
Link to the Florida Museum of Natural History:
You Tube Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=As01jVTvLVI
Taino Indians Counted Out of Existence
Mvto
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