Just How Important Is Santa Elena?

If you live in Beaufort County you have to be confused. Within the last two years you have been introduced to something that you never heard about before…Santa Elena. Newspaper articles have said this about Santa Elena. “It was the capital of the first European settlement in what is now the United States.” “The first governor, Pedro Menendez de Aviles, was a real life John Wayne.” “He was governor of the Spanish colony of La Florida, which was not the state. La Florida extended from Newfoundland to the Keys and from the Atlantic Ocean to at least the Mississippi River.” And you have probably also seen the highway billboard signs that say, “Before Jamestown, Before Plymouth Rock, there was Santa Elena.” I informed you in my last article that the top two sixteenth century colonial historians in this country recommend that we slightly change those billboard to read, “Before Jamestown. Before Plymouth Rock. And before St. Augustine, there was Santa Elena.”

That is a great deal of information to digest in a short period of time. And it is counter to everything that we have been taught. So, let’s address the question. Is the Santa Elena site, and the La Florida story, as important as, say, Jamestown or Plymouth Rock? Let me give you my insights into those questions.

Since 1494 Spain believed that it had full possession of all undiscovered lands west of a longitude specified by the Pope’s Treaty of Tordesillas. But in the 1520’s Spain discovered vast silver in Mexico. Moreover, both France and Spain believed that there was another important undiscovered asset – the interior riches of North America, or what is now the United States. And both France and Spain knew that there was one preferred entrance to the interior – Punta Santa Elena, or Port Royal Sound.

Spain’s enemy, France, responded. They had to find a way to get some of those newfound riches. France had two options. One, they could license pirates to attack Spain’s treasure ships where they were most vulnerable. Or, two, they could create settlements on Spanish claimed North America. Spain’s diplomats responded by trying to reach an agreement with France that all French vessels were prohibited from trading at Spanish American ports. Spain also wanted a treaty that would prohibit France from creating any settlement on Spanish American soil. By 1560 the diplomats failed to agree on a compromise treaty. France made its decision. It would continue to license privateers to attack Spain’s ships. And it would also create settlements in Spain’s La Florida. But where would France establish its first colony?

Port Royal Sound (or Punta Santa Elena) had a double value to Spain. Spain had to protect its Treasure Fleets. It recognized that its ships were most vulnerable when they passed the mouth of Port Royal Sound while returning back to Spain. But Spain also saw Port Royal Sound as the point where it would establish its first major settlement. Santa Elena was destined to be the seaport for discovering the interior of what would become the United States. However, France had similar thoughts.

By 1545 French licensed pirate ships (i.e. privateers) were actively ambushing Spanish ships in the Caribbean and off of Northern Spain.

This accelerated Spain’s interest in protecting the Treasure Fleet. It also reminded them that their preferred inland port of Punta Santa Elena, or Port Royal Sound, was not yet settled and protected.

By 1557 the Viceroy of Mexico (Spain called it New Spain) recommended an action that underscored Santa Elena’s importance to the Crown. Spain’s Mexican Viceroy, Don Luis de Velasco, was having increasing problems in his colony of New Spain (Mexico). His soldiers were becoming overworked and restless. The viceroyalty had experienced a devastating epidemic that killed approximately 60% of the Indian population. Much of their burden was shifted to the soldiers. And they became increasingly rebellious. Viceroy Velasco proposed that he create a secondary settlement along the Gulf side of La Florida. He framed-out their mission this way: We will create several settlements that can absorb our restless soldiers, provide a refuge for shipwrecked victims, and spread the conversion of the Indians. Furthermore, this new colony would prevent the French from validating their clam to this land. However, once King Philip saw the proposed plan, he demanded one big change. On December 29, 1559, he issued an order to the Viceroy that said, “As part of your plan you will establish a Spanish colony on the Punta Santa Elena (i.e., Port Royal Sound) without further delay. We have learned that Frenchmen might attempt to colonize La Florida under cover of voyages to the (Canadian) cod fisheries.”

Viceroy Velasco changed his mission statement. He now ordered Tristan de Luna to mount an expedition to settle the North American Gulf. As part of that plan he would create settlements at what is now Pensacola, Coosa (northwest Georgia) and Santa Elena. Then, the viceroy agreed to link these three settlements together. There would be a planned road from Pensacola to Santa Elena. That would allow Spain to move its treasure fleet bullion overland to Santa Elena. That inland road would help Spain bypass the French pirates and the fall hurricane threat.

The colony failed. A hurricane decimated the Viceroy’s fleet when he landed at Pensacola. His people found little food. By 1561 they had abandoned their attempt to establish a new colony and to link Pensacola with Santa Elena. As a footnote, the Pensacola Chamber of Commerce has promoted itself as “The First European Settlement.” However, no historian has ever stated that it was anything but a failed attempt. In fact, King Philip II of Spain called it a failed attempt.

Next issue: France implements the second part of its strategy to penetrate Spain’s claim on what is now the United States.

 

The St. Augustine Factor

By the Spring of 2013, everything we’d evaluated told us that Santa Elena, on Port Royal Sound, had all the attributes of Jamestown, VA. It also seemed to be a big enough tourism draw to make the county a major destination. Stu Rodman and I made independent estimates of what a Jamestown-style tourism site would mean for us in four years. We both came to the same conclusion. We could expect Santa Elena to generate an additional $200 to $400 million in annual revenue for Beaufort County. That would significantly improve the economic health of the County.

By the summer of 2013, I had met with a handful of businessmen and women who said, “Let’s expose Santa Elena to the sunlight.” The archaeologists and historians had done a great job with the research. Now it was our turn to get the project out of R & D (Research and Development). Two wise business leaders said, “Let’s go.” Dick Stewart, a prominent commercial developer in northern Beaufort County said, “It is time.” And behind the scenes Gary Kubic, the County Administrator, confirmed that Santa Elena could become the big block store of the county’s historical shopping center. Kubic surprised many of us with his in depth knowledge of consumer marketing and economic development.

The Santa Elena story started to go public in September, 2013. I called together a meeting of the top national 16^th century historians as well as two of the best archaeologists. Stu Rodman, Dick Stewart, and I represented the business community. This meeting was especially important because we could not start any public education or promotion unless we had a consensus on the importance of the Santa Elena story. The attending historians included Dr. Eugene Lyon, Dr. Paul Hoffman, Dr. Larry Rowland, and Dr. Stephen Wise. Representing the archaeological community was Dr. Chester De Pratter from the S.C. Institute of Archaeology and Kimberly Zawacki, the Parris Island Marine Corps archaeologist.

At the end of the meeting I asked each attendee to summarize their understanding of the importance of Santa Elena. Of all of the attendees, what Dr. Lyon and Dr. Hoffman said were most important. They were the nation’s top two 16^th century colonial historians. We went around the table. Dr. DePratter said, “Santa Elena is very important; but let’s not forget Charlesfort. It is the first attempted protestant settlement.” Dr. Rowland then responded, “Santa Elena is where America began!” Then, we came to Dr. Hoffman: “Santa Elena was the first major European settlement in what is now the United States. It came before Jamestown and it came before St. Augustine.” Finally, Dr. Lyon, the eminent historian, commented, “Santa Elena is a very important site.” That is all he said. I was dumbfounded. If anyone knew the huge importance of Santa Elena, it would be Dr. Lyon. He is considered the breakthrough author of the subject . . . but he said nothing.

After dismissing the meeting and thinking of Dr. Lyon’s lukewarm comment, I reminded myself of one fact: Dr. Lyon had been the Director of the Center of Historical Research for the St. Augustine Foundation for 14 years. His office was in St. Augustine. He had to feel great loyalty toward his St. Augustine associates who, for years, has been promoting the city as the oldest Spanish city in America. That reminder gave me some solace.

Then, in early January of 2014, Dr. Lyon gave me a call. “Daryl, would you mind visiting me later this month at my home in Vera Beach Florida. I have things I want to share with you.” I arrived at Dr. Lyon’s home on January 20. As soon as he answered the door, Dr. Lyon said, “Please sit next to me on the couch.” I did! Then, Gene turned to me and said, “Daryl, Santa Elena was the first major European settlement in what is now the United States. It came well before St. Augustine. St. Augustine, in fact, was an accident.”

All I could think of was what courage it took for him to say that. He knew that many of his old friends and associates might think him disloyal to them. But, in reality, he was not. In the future, if Santa Elena receives the attention it deserves, it will mean that even more people will visit Jamestown and St. Augustine . . . not fewer.