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SPANISH AND THE AGE OF EXPLORATION
Spanish is not only interesting but also somewhat complex. For instance, the Age of Exploration was a time created from trade occurring with the Middle East, which was later perpetuated once Christopher Columbus made the discover of another hemisphere in 1492. As Spanish conquistadors filtered into lands occupied by the Indians, gold was discovered, which started a huge period of adventure and exploration.
During the Age of Exploration, many brave men swept across the Ocean, some discussed in this article. For starters, Juan Ponce de Leon is most famous for his discovery of what we now call Florida. Although this explorer was formally trained to be a public servant and soldier, he set sail with Christopher Columbus on his second voyage.
Faithfully serving Spain, Ponce de Leon was selected to enter and colonize Puerto Rico. However, after Christopher Columbus died, the Crown of Spain refused to give any power to his son, Diego Columbus. Determined to win, Diego finally won his rights after battling with the Madrid courts. At that time, Ponce de Leon was taken out of office, feeling betrayed. Not interested in working under the leadership of Diego, de Leon headed out to explore northern areas, as well as the upper Bahamas.
In 1513, Ponce de Leon began sailing in the direction of Florida, actually making a spiritual journey to restore his damaged name. His ship’s crew spotted land and landed near St. Augustine in six days. Arriving on land to find greenery and flowers, Ponce de Leon named the land Pescua Florida, which translates to “place of flowers”. Unfortunately, de Leon was not able to secure funding for a second trip to Florida for another eight years but by 1521, he and 500 men such as artisans, farmers, and priest settled in the beautiful land of south Florida.
Another explorer who made a name for himself during the Age of Exploration was Panfilo de Narvaez. Noted for being a long-serving Caribbean soldier, Narvaez was hired in 1520 by Spanish authorities to take over and control the explorations of another mane, Hernan Cortes. Unfortunately, Narvaez was captured and imprisoned for three years. However, after being released, he took a voyage to Madrid to seek a grant for colonizing the Gulf Coast.
Meeting Cabeza de Vaca, the grandson of the man who had taken control of the Canary Islands, the two men joined forces, setting sail in 1527. Traveling with five ships and 400 men, Narvaez and Vaca landed just to the north of Tampa Bay. Wanting to discover another Mexico, the two men captured Ucita, the Indian leader but without the prisoner sharing any information on where gold could be found, Ucita’s nose was cut off.
Vaca wanted to stay whereas Narvaez wanted to head back to Cuba, leaving the majority of his men to look for gold in the north. This move proved disastrous for the Spanish and Indian relation, something that did not heal for many years. Sadly, the legacy left by Narvaez was that of trickery, thievery, and violence. Returning to Florida, Narvaez continued to search for gold while others were battling the Indians. Eventually, one of Narvaez’s ships capsized in a storm, causing him to drown. Vaca survived along with a small crew, living in an Indian village for two years. In the summer of 1536, Vaca made it to Mexico City!
