Where America Really Began

Transcription

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8
Part Six: Did America Really Start Here?
By Daryl Ferguson
D
r. Rowland made a rather extreme
statement. He said, “America started
here –not in Jamestown, Plymouth
Rock, or St. Augustine.” If America really began “here,” we will have certainly identified a gigantic asset for not just
South Carolina . . . but for our country. But
can we prove that America began here . . . in
Beaufort County? In South Carolina? I believe the answer is “yes.”
You and I first formed our ideas about
where America began in the classroom.
Later on we were influenced by the promotional material that was distributed by
Jamestown, Plymouth, MA and St. Augustine’s Chamber of Commerce. I took the
time to review several of the American history textbooks that our 7th and 8th grade
students read. To generalize, this is what
they say:
“The Spanish were the first to send a
number of explorers to America. They failed
at trying to establish settlements. The first
major settlement was an English settlement
at Jamestown in 1607. The second major
settlement was at Plymouth, MA, in 1620.
That is where the Pilgrims landed. The
Spanish did establish a secondary settlement at St. Augustine. It is the nation’s oldest continuously existing city.”
Fig. 1 Southern part of La Florida
This may sound correct. But it is not.
When I started to dig into this issue, Larry
Rowland suggested that I first understand
the economic and political situation that
the three major European powers were in
at the time. He said with firmness in his
voice, “When you understand how France,
Spain, and England were relating to each
other in Europe, you will then understand
how they entered America.” It made
sense. So I went back to school. This is
what I learned.
cluded half of today’s United States. This is an
early view of the map below. (Fig. 3)
Fig. 2 The world under the Treaty of Tordesillas
The map above (Fig. 1) was Europe
around the mid-1500s. When Spain’s King
Charles V died he left his son, Philip II,
with an empire that included Spain, the
Spanish Netherlands, Naples and the
American colonies. Spain’s economy, however, was based on conquering territory
and extracting valuable assets . . . like gold
from Peru and silver from Mexico. Spain
was not a trading country. It relied on the
Dutch in their Netherland’s “colony” to do
their trading. One would think that with
the 339,000 pounds of gold that Spain had
extracted from Central American mines
that Spain would be wealthy. It wasn’t. It
was on the edge of bankruptcy. Spain was
spending more than it took in. While it
was extracting gold and silver in Central
America, it was plagued with a protestant
rebellion in the Netherlands and a war
with the Turks in Italy. Meanwhile, English
and French privateers (i.e. commerce raiders) were attacking its ships in the Caribbean. Spain also saw itself as the standard
bearer for Catholicism. And, as the Spanish Inquisition showed, it was willing to
use a firm hand against any country that
gave any support to Protestants.
Spain believed that it had a good reason
to be the world zealot for Catholicism. In
1494, the Spanish Pope, Alexander VI, issued a degree which gave all unclaimed
world lands to either Portugal or Spain. The
Treaty of Tordesillas split the “New World”
between Spain and Portugal. (Fig. 2) The
line of demarcation gave most of North and
South America to Spain. Brazil was given to
Portugal. In King Phillip’s eyes, America
was his. King Philip only had one problem.
The French and English did not agree.
La Florida stretched from the Keys to
France’s Newfoundland. And it stretched from
the Atlantic to the Mississippi River. Remember, in 1492 no one knew what land existed
west of the Mississippi River. La Florida in-
Fig. 3 Map of southern portion of La Florida
The only problem was that the other
major European countries did not accept
the Pope’s mandate. Spain also had an
emotional tie with the unsettled America.
In 1526, Lucas Vasquez de Ayllon, a
wealthy Spanish lawyer from the colonial
capital of Santo Domingo (now the Dominican Republic), tried to establish a settlement in South Carolina. He called it San
Miguel de Gualdape. It failed after a few
months. In 1528 Panfilo de Narvaez landed
at Tampa Bay with 400 men. It failed. Hernando de Soto landed near Tampa Bay in
1539 with 600 men and ten ships. He wandered for three years through the Southeast. Then, in 1559 Tristan de Luna led
1,500 soldiers and settlers to Pensacola
Bay. A storm demolished his fleet. Spain
paid a big price for these “probes.” In the
mind of King Philip II, he already owned
America. It was just a matter of when he
could afford to mine his claim.
Daryl Ferguson's research on our relatively low risk for hurricanes, and his discovery of the state's weak regulation of homeowner's insurance, led the Charleston Post
and Courier to write the series Storm of Money. The Post and Courier and its investigative reporter, Tony Bartelme, were named the
runner up for the 2012 Pulitzer Prize.
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6
Part Seven: France Ignites a Powder Keg
By Daryl Ferguson
W
hen Jean Ribault landed at
Parris Island in 1562, France
was ruled by King Charles IX.
He was an emotionally weak
boy-king who could easily be
manipulated. He was only twelve years
old. However, his mother, Catherine
De’Medici and Admiral Gaspar Coligny
were part of the power behind the
throne. Oddly, the admiral was a Huguenot . . . and a leader of the French
Protestants. The king’s mother was a
Catholic. By 1550 the Protestant Reformation had been both a positive and
negative impact on France. The French
Huguenots (or protestant French) had
energized the middle class. Through
much of their efforts, France became a
significant trading partner throughout
Europe. Yet, it was despised by Spain’s
King Philip.
To King Phillip, France was a country of Catholic heretics. And he was reminded of that every time one of his
ships was attacked by a French Corsair .
. . or commerce raider.
Once the Charlesfort crew reached
Within France
France, Admiral Coligny gave them the
there were constant
supplies to return to revitalize the Parris
wars between the
Island settlement. However, when the reCatholic French Army
turning ships landed at the mouth of the
and the French ProtesSt. Johns River near Jacksonville, they
tants. By 1562 the powmade a different decision. They would
erful French Admiral
build a new fort there rather than rebuild
Coligny, had sold the
Charlesfort on Parris Island. They called it
king on the idea that
Fort Caroline.
France should plant its
By 1564 the French had abandoned
flag in America, on the
Charlesfort on Port Royal Sound and built
very land that Spain
Fort Caroline near Jacksonville. However,
claimed as its own . . .
Spain’s ambassadors to England and
La Florida.
France passed this message to King PhilAdmiral Coligny
lip. “France has built two settlements in
thought that his move
Spanish La Florida . . . one at Port Royal
would solve two probPort Royal Sound and Parris Island
Sound, the other at Jacksonville.” King
lems: It would give
In February of 1562, Jean Ribault set Phillip II was enraged. France had just igAmerica to France. And it would also give
the French Huguenots a place where they sail with two ships, and 150 men, to land nited the powder keg. Spain would take
could peacefully practice their faith. Fur- in Spain’s La Florida. What he didn’t action to immediately remove the French
thermore, France was very aware that the know was that it would be as difficult for and permanently settle La Florida. But
Spanish gold fleet would probably have to France to establish a colony in Spain’s La how do you fund the establishment of a
Florida as it would be for NASA to settle new colony when you are bankrupt?
pass near their forts.
The stage was set for either France or Mars. There was
Spain to make the first move. That country very little known
was France. It about the coastal
proved to be the American natives.
bait that drew Spain What seeds can
into America. In the sandy soil tolearly 1562 Admiral erate? What aniGaspar Coligny dis- mals can survive
After
patched orders for t he re?
his best captain, cruising the coast,
Jean Ribault, to cre- R ibau l t fou nd
ate settlements in Port Royal Sound
America . . . on on May 17. He
Spanish claimed called it, “One of
soil. At the time, the greatest and
Spain was not ready fayrest havens of
to pour resources the world.“ Ribinto funding a ma- aut’s men quickly
Fort Caroline by Jacques Le Moyne
jor settlement. e r e c t e d Fo r t
Spain was teetering Charlesfort.
Daryl Ferguson's research on our relaOnce the fort was built, Ribault set sail
on bankruptcy. But
tively
low risk for hurricanes, and his discovit would not take for France. But France was at war with the
much for Spain to Protestants. In the meantime the French ery of the state's weak regulation of homebe edged into the troops stationed at Fort Charlesfort were owner's insurance, led the Charleston Post
fight. France was starving for lack of food and direction. and Courier to write the series Storm of Monabout to make a They did not wait for Ribault to return. In- ey. The Post and Courier and its investigal a r g e t a c t i c a l stead they built a small ship that eventual- tive reporter, Tony Bartelme, were named the
mistake.
ly found Europe.
A Sea Fight with Barbary Corsairs by Lorenzo A. Castro
6
Part Eight: Spain Enters Port Royal Sound
By Daryl Ferguson
Y
ou and I have been taught that America started with the English landing
at Jamestown, Virginia in 1607. We
have also been taught that the next
major European settlement was
Plymouth Rock, settled in 1620, also by the
English. But the facts say otherwise. Last
December I shared with you how France’s
top admiral, Admiral Gaspar Coligny, talked his king, Charles IX, into planting the
French flag in Spain’s La Florida. Admiral
Coligny was a Huguenot, a French protestant. King Charles was a Catholic. And
France was in religious turmoil. Admiral
Coligny’s hope was that they would make
La Florida a refuge for the Huguenots. In
1562 Admiral Coligny’s best sea captain,
Jean Ribault, set sail with two ships, and 150
men, for Spain’s La Florida.
France just made a big tactical mistake.
In 1562 it chose to establish a settlement in
America on Parris Island. It really was not
Parris Island that they wanted. They wanted a settlement next to Port Royal Sound.
Port Royal Sound, of course, was the widest
and deepest harbor on La Florida’s Atlantic Coast. And Port Royal Sound was at the
“hinge” where the Spanish gold fleet had
to turn east to return to Spain. If you wanted a settlement at a point where it could
pick off the Spanish gold fleet, you would
settle at Port Royal Sound.
near St. Augustine,
Menendez killed
him and destroyed
his fleet. Spain’s
Menendez completed his first assignment . . . to remove France from
La Florida.
Menendez now
had an entire country, or colony, to
govern. It ran from
Massacre of the French at Ft. Carolina
the Florida Keys to
sources shipped to Spain and would also Newfoundland and from the Atlantic to
receive tax benefits, a huge estate, and the the Pacific Ocean. To govern this new
titles that go with running an entire colo- country he needed a complete settlement
ny. That leader, or Adelantado, as they that would also be the capital of La Florida.
called them, would have governmental He made the same decision that France
control of La Florida for two lives. King made. His choice was Parris Island on
Philip II knew of only one person who Port Royal Sound. His choice was the mecould do the job – his main Fleet Com- dieval Spanish town of Santa Elena.
mander, Pedro Menendez de Aviles.
Menendez’s contract required him to
do more than confirm Spain’s claim to La
Florida. It charged him with creating two
or three settlements. He was also asked to
find an inland route to Mexico. That would
give Spain a safer route to move bullion
from Mexico to Spain.
Admiral Menendez had much more to
do than establish settlements, he had to
explore and expand inland. He
Map of Port Royal Sound
was also charged
His strategy was this: Put a strong setwith converting
all Native Ameri- tlement, and fort, on Port Royal Sound. It
cans in the colony was a perfect location for Spain. It could
to the Catholic protect the very point where the Gold
faith. In return he Fleet was vulnerable . . . where the fleet
would get a cut of had to follow the Gulf Stream and turn east
the wealth that toward Spain. Santa Elena would become
would be shipped the first major European settlement in
Routes of the Spanish and Portuguese treasure fleets in the 16th century
America from 1569-1587. It would also be
back to Spain.
Pedro Menendez’s first task was to re- the capital of La Florida from 1571-1576.
Spain was near bankruptcy. However,
Thus, the first major European settleKing Philip had to find a way to finance a move the French from La Florida. The
multi-year effort to establish a permanent French had already abandoned Charlesfort ment in America was not in Jamestown,
settlement in La Florida. He had a plan. at Parris Island. In 1565 Menendez de- Virginia, Plymouth Mass or St. Augustine.
He would ink a “conquest contract” with a stroyed the French Fort of Fort Carolina It was Santa Elena located on Parris Island.
strong leader to settle La Florida at the ex- near Jacksonville. To do this he estab- Santa Elena was largely a military outpost
plorer’s expense. Under contract that ex- lished a military outpost and called it St. from 1566 to 1569. It became the first maplorer would receive a percent of the re- Augustine. Once Jean Ribault had landed jor European settlement in 1569. And it
became the first European colonial capital
in America in 1571. Dr. Rowland was right.
“America really did start here.”
Ft. Marcos on Santa Elena
As a historical tourism asset, what
does this mean to us? It means this: The
French settlement of Charlesfort on Parris Island was not a major historical settlement. It lasted only one year. But
Charlesfort was important because it
triggered Spain to permanently settle
North America. Even more important,
we now know that America did not start
at Jamestown, Virginia. It did not start
at Plymouth Rock. It started at Santa
Elena, located on Parris Island. Santa
Elena, in 1569, was the first major European settlement in America. It was
Spain’s first colonial capital in America.
In Spain’s eyes, by 1571, Santa Elena was
the capital of La Florida. And La Florida
included all the territory that European
explorers had identified as “America” at
the time. Spain’s La Florida ran from
Canada to the Keys and from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific. Think of this. In
Spain’s eyes in 1571, Santa Elena was the
capital of “America.” The only difference
is that Spain didn’t call it “America.”
They called it La Florida.
6
Part Nine: Where was Europe's
First Major Settlement in America?
By Daryl Ferguson
M
any Americans believe that the
first European settlement was St.
Augustine. The town claims to be
“The oldest continuous city in
America.” That is true. But it was
not the first planned European settlement.
What we discovered was that Spain established St. Augustine in 1565 to be a military
outpost to eliminate the French and relay
supplies to Santa Elena. While St. Augustine was a military outpost, it also had
some spouses of the soldiers . . . but it was
primarily a military garrison. Spain targeted Santa Elena to be its first colonial
capital and its first settlement in America.
ish military garrison. It had few civilian
settlers . . . if any. The Spanish planted
their flag on Santa Elena in 1566. It was
basically a military outpost until 1569
when it became a major settlement. Chester Depratter sent me Spain’s inventory of
settlers that lived on Santa Elena in 1569.
At that time 190 settlers lived on Santa
Elena. When Santa Elena was burned in
1576, some of the settlers temporarily
moved to St. Augustine before returning in
1577. In short, Santa Elena was the First
Major European Settlement in America. It
had 190 settlers by 1569. St. Augustine
was a military outpost until 1577. Then it
became a temporary
settlement. But by 1580
St. Augustine was still a
military garrison. It
had no settlers. Does
this surprise you? It
shocked us!
What was the first
European settlement in
America? Santa Elena
was a settlement 11
years before St. Augustine, 38 years before
Jamestown, and 51
years before the English pilgrims landed on
Plymouth Rock.
The Spanish garrison at St. Augustine
Chester DePratter is South Carolina’s
Director of Research for the Institute of Archaeology and Anthropology. He showed
me a copy of a letter that King Philip II received from his accountant in 1580. The
letter from Lazaro Sanchez de Mercado
gives this report of the St. Augustine operation as of March 6, 1580. “There are no
settlers here, but only the men of the garrison, who your Majesty pays. If there were,
the land is ready for settlement, for although it is a coast, there is a great abundance of mulberry trees for silk. The land
also raises sugar cane well.” Albert
Manucy reported in his book, “Sixteenth
Century St. Augustine,” that by 1580 Santa
Elena had sixty houses for settlers.
The facts speak for themselves. St. Augustine was established in 1565 as a Span-
FIRST MAJOR EUROPEAN
SETTLEMENTS IN AMERICA
•
•
•
•
1569: Santa Elena (Parris Island, SC)
1580: St. Augustine, Florida
1607: Jamestown, Va.
1620: Plymouth, Mass.
What is the history lesson that we are
teaching our middle school students? I
asked the Beaufort County School District
permission to review the history books
that our students use today. They loaned
me two of the history books that they ask
our students to read: “South Carolina –
The History of an American State” and
“Contemporary World History.” Neither
of these history books inform our students
of the role that Santa Elena played as the
nation’s first major settlement. Neither of
A scenario of home life on Santa Elena (courtesy John Berkey/National Geographic)
them noted that Santa Elena was the first
European colonial capital in America. But
the South Carolina history book did make
this statement on page 101 . . .
“During the 1600s, England established permanent settlements along the
coast of the New World. The first colony founded was in Virginia; the next
was in Massachusetts.”
This statement is dead wrong! And it
comes from a South Carolina history book.
The first colony founded in America was
not in Virginia. It was in South Carolina. It
was Santa Elena. It was a major settlement
by 1569. Jamestown, Virginia was settled
in 1607 . . . 38 years later!
7
capital of La Florida was was Spain’s first planned major settlemoved to St. Augustine ment and the capital of Spain’s La Floriafter the Indians burned da Colony for the first five years. St.
the first Santa Elena Augustine became the nation’s first
town in 1576. However, military garrison and the second major
the town of Santa Elena settlement.
• The third major settlement of
was rebuilt and resettled
America happened when Jamestown
in 1577.
• To eliminate the was settled in 1607.
• The fourth major settlement was
French fort at Fort Caroline, Menendez estab- Plymouth, Massachusetts. The English
lished St. Augustine as a Pilgrims landed there in 1620.
One thing is clear. Beaufort Counmilitary outpost in 1565.
In the process of driving ty’s Santa Elena is historically at least as
the French out of Fort important today as St. Augustine,
Caroline, Menendez Jamestown or Plymouth Rock. But the
killed France’s Jean Rib- problem is this: No one knows this othault and most of his e r t h a n a f e w h i s t o r i a n s a n d
crews. St. Augustine archeologists.
then became a supply
Daryl Ferguson's research on our relacenter to establish Santa
tively low risk for hurricanes, and his discovElena in 1566.
• To summarize, the ery of the state's weak regulation of homefirst major effort to settle owner's insurance, led the Charleston Post
America was Spain’s and Courier to write the series Storm of MonA depiction of a Spanish encounter with the local Native Americans (courtesy John Berkey/National Geographic) move to establish St. Au- ey. The Post and Courier and its investigagustine and Santa Elena tive reporter, Tony Bartelme, were named the
How should our children’s American
• Spain’s King Philip II saw these at about the same time. Santa Elena runner up for the 2012 Pulitzer Prize.
History books read? This is what they French forts as an invasion of his terrishould say:
tory, La Florida. The King believed his
• The first wave of planned settle- La Florida ran from the Keys to Newments started in 1562 when the French foundland and from the Atlantic to the
established Fort Charlesfort, on Parris Pacific.
Island, and Fort Carolina on the mouth
• King Philip responded by making
of the St. John’s River in 1564. This a conquest contract with Pedro MenenFrench wave was a relatively weak effort dez to immediately drive the French out
to establish a permanent French pres- of La Florida and to establish two to
ence in La Florida.
three settlements in his claimed colony.
• Menendez responded by planning to make
his first settlement Santa
Elena . . . on the same Parris Island location that the
French used. He chose
Parris Island because of
the strategic position of
Port Royal Sound. It was
the best harbor (in depth
and width) along the
Southern coastline. It was
also at the pivot point
where the Gold Fleets had
to turn toward Spain. It
was well positioned to
protect the fleet in its
most vulnerable position
for twenty one years.
• By 1571 Santa Elena
was the Capital of La Florida. In the eyes of Spain,
La Florida represented all
of the territory located in
The waves of European settlements arriving in the New World the lower 48 states. The The early Spanish brought Catholicism with them (courtesy John Berkey/National Geographic)
8
Part Ten: The Struggle to Survive
By Daryl Ferguson
A
s soon as Menendez destroyed the
French settlement near Jacksonville, he headed to Port Royal
Sound to build a military outpost
at Santa Elena. However, by 1569,
Santa Elena was a true settlement. It
mirrored a typical town in continental
Spain. The town included every trade
that one would find in Spain. It had a
tailor, blacksmith, carpenters, cooks, a
tavern owner, a pottery maker, money
lenders, traders, farmers, priests, and
soldiers. The town operated within a
social hierarchy the same as in postmedieval Spain. There were commoners (the troops, servants, farmers, fishermen, and day laborers). There was
also an evolving middle class (the master craftsmen; the professionals and
merchants). And there was the nobility
– the leaders of the civil government
and the commanders of the Fort.
The living conditions were similar to that
of a Spanish town. A commoner’s house was
small. It had one room with one window. The
walls were made with daub, a kind of mud
plaster that surrounded small vertical
branches. The roofs were covered with
thatch, just as they were in Spain. (Fig. 1)
The typical family would own one bed,
one trunk, a table, a few chairs, and some
kitchen utensils. That is it. Their home
would be on a 50’ X 100’ lot. The nobles
lived on a 100’ X 200’ lot. To give you an
idea of the difference in living conditions:
Pedro Menendez and his wife moved into
their Santa Elena home in July, 1571. The
household goods that their servants unpacked included embossed leather wall
hangings, beds with scarlet fringed canopies and lace and carmine taffeta coverlets.
They also unpacked fine bed and table linens, carpets, a red satin bed, seven saddles
and their tack. They also had to find room
for a pewter service for
36, candlesticks, a silver
ewer, kitchenware, and a
keg of flaxseed and
hempseed.
T he la t e A lb e r t
Manucy projected what
kind of house a noble
would have built on Santa
Elena or St. Augustine in
1571. This is a description
of the plot plan and the
house’s features:
“The plot plan would
show a two story home. It
would have two large
storerooms on the first
floor and stairs to the second floor. The second
floor would include a
kitchen, two or three bedrooms, and a living/dining room. A second floor
balcony would be attached to one side of the
second floor. The house
would open directly to
the street. The lot would
be totally fenced. Behind
Fig. 1 - Typical family home. (courtesy John Berkey/Nat.Geo.)
the house would be an ar-
bor, a well and flower garden. There would
also be an outside kitchen, kitchen hearth
and vegetable garden with a corn crib. A
chicken roost would be near the outside
kitchen. The lot might also include a
smokehouse behind the house. Inside the
fenced lot would also be a corral with a well
and a stable for horses.” (Fig. 2)
Before Santa Elena could fulfill any of
its goals to expand, it had to survive. Santa
Elena residents faced the same problem
that later existed in St. Augustine and
businessman. He had strong leadership
skills. When he met with the leaders of the
Native Americans along the coast, they immediately respected him. Pedro Menendez treated the Indians with respect and
honored most of their traditions. But that
was not the case for others in his command. Spain’s culture worked against
their very survival. By Spanish tradition,
people were largely placed into two
groups: nobles or commoners. There was
an evolving middle class of professionals.
But it was small. Thus, the Santa
Elena troops, who were not well
trained, approached the native
Americans as if they were serfs.
Their message was, “We will give
you protection if you agree to convert to Catholicism and pay us a
continuing tribute.” That tribute
would either be food, goods, or service. Initially, the tribes would
agree. But as the settlers became
hungry, they demanded food or just
stole it. That angered the Indians to
the point that it was not safe for the
settlers to go to the water to fish.
The flash point was 1576 when
Fig. 2 - A Manucy House, typical of Santa Elena
the Indians burned the entire
Jamestown. They had to have a continu- town. The town settlers immediately
ous supply of food . . . just to survive. How- moved to St. Augustine. And St. Augusever, the first troops and settlers looked tine became the new capital of La Florida
upon Santa Elena as if it were Spain. They after 1576. The Spanish rebuilt Santa
did not have the advantage of knowing Elena the next year –1577. This time
what prior settlers had grown on our sandy they covered some of the roofs with limeshores. So, they brought with them barley based cement. Now it would be more difand wheat seeds and grapevines. They ficult for the Indians to set Santa Elena
quickly withered. They also unloaded the on fire. It was still destined to be a major
types of animals that thrived in Spain – settlement for the next ten years.
Admiral Menendez saw England as
cows, sheep, goats, pigs and chickens. The
native bears and “wild cats” ate most of their most feared enemy. The English had
those animals. The pigs survived, but only already made probes in the mid-Atlantic
because they went into the woods. Santa and New England coastline. Moreover,
Elena, like St. Augustine, Jamestown, and they had the Navy and the bank account to
Plymouth, had to rely on one source to mount a serious attack on La Florida. In
keep them alive – the local Indians. They June of 1586, England’s Sir Francis Drake
knew what grew in the Lowcountry. It was took a fleet of ships and scourged the
corn, melons and squash. It was also fish, Spanish Caribbean and sacked Santo Domingo and Cartagena.
crabs, oysters, wild turkey, and deer.
St. Augustine was next. Drake burned
Governor Menendez had a ‘John
Wayne’ persona. He was a swashbuckling St. Augustine in early June and headed for
explorer, a risk taking entrepreneur, and a Santa Elena. But the admiral mistakenly
9
Massenet’s “Werther” Live in HD
J
onas Kaufmann, the most versatile
and exciting tenor in opera today,
stars in the title role of French
c o m p o s e r Ju l e s M a s s e n e t ’s
“Werther,” presented by The
Fig. 3 Church (courtesy John Berkey/Nat.Geo.)
overshot Santa Elena. Still, this raid showcased England’s sea power. Spain immediately issued orders to consolidate Santa
Elena into St. Augustine. It no longer had
the resources to protect both settlements.
What did Santa Elena look like at the
time? Chester DePratter, Director of Research for the South Carolina Institute of
Archaeology and Anthropology, told us
that they have only uncovered 2- 4% of
Santa Elena. Thus, the archaeologists have
only pinpointed several forts, the town plaza, and a few other buildings.
The town had three dominant structures: the church; the fort; and the town
plaza. The National Geographic Magazine printed an article in 1988 that showed
how the church may have looked. (Fig. 3)
The town was laid out exactly as they
would plot a town in continental Spain.
What is amazing is that this 16th century
town is now six inches under the ground
on Parris Island. Furthermore, it is considered the most pristine and untouched Colonial Spanish archaeology site in America. Tim Herrington is the head of cultural
and natural resources on Parris Island. Dr.
Stephen Wise is the base’s museum curator and cultural manager. In my opinion,
the preservation of Santa Elena is largely
due to their diligence, and that of their archaeologist, Kim Zawacki.
Met:Live in HD at USCB Center for the
Arts on Saturday, March 15 at 12:55 p.m.
What’s not to like? The handsome,
44-year-old, German-born singer takes
on the exceptionally challenging lead
role that only a few tenors can tackle.
So difficult was the role that Massenet
re-wrote the part so that it could be
sung by a lower voice if necessary, but
no need for Kaufmann. “Mr. Kaufmann
is ideal in the role. He sings with dark
colorings, melting warmth, virile intensity and powerful top notes,” wrote NY
Times opera critic, Anthony Tommasini. John Allison of the Telegraph observed that Kaufmann “… seizes the
role both musically and dramatically,
using his dark yet ringing tone to give
a performance of crazed, passionate intensity . . . ”
Based on a novel by Goethe, the
1887 opera is about a melancholy, selfabsorbed young poet who falls in love
with a woman betrothed to another
man. From the beginning it is clear that
things will end badly as Werther spirals
downward into desperation and
thoughts of suicide should Charlotte reject him. And, of course she does until
she has a change of heart after re-reading his love letters. Too bad – by then it
is too late because Werther has shot
himself and she arrives at his bedside
just in time for him to die in her arms.
Singing the role of Charlotte is
French mezzo-soprano Sophie Koch in
her Met debut. The new and exciting
production is directed and designed
by Richard
Eyre and Rob
Howell, the
same team
that created
the Met’s recent hit stagi ng o f “Ca r men.”
“Werther” is a
production that
is even more
compelling on
the Met’s big
screen because
cast members
visually fit their
roles so well,
and the subtle acting benefits from the
great close-ups. Conducting is one of
opera’s rising young maestros, Alain
Altinoglu.
Go to www.uscbcenterforthearts.
com or contact the box office at 843-5214145 for tickets: Adults $22, Olli members $18, all seats reserved. Also available at the door one hour prior to 12:55
p.m. curtain. USCB Center for the Arts,
801 Carteret St., Beaufort, SC.
8
Part Eleven: How Important is Santa Elena?
By Daryl Ferguson
S
anta Elena is as important as Jamestown, Plymouth, or St. Augustine. It
was the capital of Europe’s first colony
in America. It was the capital of La
Florida, a territory that ran from Canada to the Florida Keys and from the Atlantic
to the Mississippi River.
Somehow, our children believe that
America started from two independent
acts: the settlement of Jamestown, and then
Plymouth, Mass. But that is not what happened. The settlement of America started
in three related waves.
• 1492: Columbus arrived.
• 1513: Ponce de Leon claimed Florida.
• 1563: St. Augustine established in 1563
(Not true. It became a military garrison in 1565.)
• 1607: Jamestown established.
• 1620: Pilgrims land in Mass.
There is another reason why few
people in America know about Santa
Elena or the importance of the Spanish
settlement of America. The existing historical settlements are tourist attractions. And they focus completely on themselves. Jamestown
promotes the mess a g e “A m e r i c a
S t a r t e d H e r e .”
Plymouth Rock
touts, “The Pilgrims Landed
Here.” St. August i ne se nds t he
message, “We are
America’s oldest
continuous city.”
Thus, the most imA depiction of the Menendez Massacre perpetrated by Pedro de Avilés Menéndez portant messages
First, the French tried, in 1562 and 1564, are lost – America was founded in three
to establish settlements at Port Royal Sound waves; first the French, then the Span(ie, Charlesfort) and Jacksonville (ie, Fort ish, and then the English. These were
Caroline.) That triggered Spain to eradicate not independent acts. They were interthe French by 1565. They destroyed the related acts. And without doubt, the
French outposts and claimed La Florida for Spanish movement, which started with
Spain by establishing settlements in Santa Santa Elena and St. Augustine, was the
Elena and St. Augustine. Then, Spain was most significant early phase in the setpushed out by a stronger England . . . but tlement of America.
almost three hundred years later. In turn,
One of the most recognized scholars
the British settled in Jamestown, Plymouth, of early colonial Spanish history is Dr.
and Charleston.
Paul Hoffman of LSU. I asked Dr. HoffHere is the problem. The textbooks do man why the country’s text books start
not accurately explain how America started. with the establishment of Jamestown
I stopped at Beaufort’s main downtown li- rather than Santa Elena. His response
brary. I informed the librarian that I would was this: The English eventually won
like to see history books that they would rec- America from the Spanish. Thus, they
ommend for seventh or eighth graders. She wrote the first American history books.
went to the shelves and handed me three And they wrote the books from a political
books. None of them even mentioned Santa point of view like, ‘America started with
Elena. One book was representative of all of Jamestown.’ But real history has America
the library’s history books for middle school starting at St. Augustine and Santa Elena.
children. It was called, “Everything You Need St. Augustine was the first Spanish milito Know About American History,” by Ze- tary garrison in America. Santa Elena
man and Kelly. Pages 10 and 11 inform our was the first major settlement and colochildren how America was founded:
nial capital in America.
Spain’s medieval culture hampered its
success in America. However, its very vision and intellectual curiosity triggered
its willingness to explore unknown lands.
Spain became the envy of Europe in the
16th century. It had the explorers and the
entrepreneurs who had the vision. They
were willing to lead. And the common
Spaniard was willing to risk his or her life
to do one thing – give his children an opportunity to have a better future.
Again, Larry Rowland is right. You
cannot understand the early settlement of
America unless you understand how England, France, and Spain related to each
other in Europe. They were adversaries.
They did not want the “other” country to
have an advantage. Moreover, the Protestant Reformation had a huge impact on
the settlement of America. France led the
first planned landing on American shores
because it was in the middle of a Protestant rebellion. Because of this, France’s
middle class became energized. The
country developed a sea commerce that it
did not have before. This pushed the
French king to support a plan to create a
colony in Spain’s La Florida. Why? In
part to give the French Huguenots (i.e.
French Protestants) a home away from
home where they could worship in peace.
That triggered Spain to react. In spite
of being bankrupt, Spain uniquely funded
the settlement of its claim for La Florida.
What did Spain select as its first major
settlement? Santa Elena on Port Royal
Sound. Santa Elena also became Europe’s
first colonial capital in America. Finally,
England was watching this happen. They
wanted their share of America. The Pilgrims were not happy with the Church of
England that the Protestant Reformation,
and King Henry VIII, had created. All of
these landings on America were linked.
And the Protestant Reformation had a big
role in the motivation of each country to
settle in what is now America.
Spain’s Santa Elena eventually became a success story by 1580. It was beginning to export hard woods, fruits, and
vegetables. Santa Elena protected Spain’s
gold fleet at one of its most vulnerable locations for 21 years. It helped the Catholic Church establish over fifty missions
throughout the Southeast. It gave Europe
more knowledge of coastal and inland
America. And it helped the English by
teaching them that you will only succeed
if you make the Natives your friends and
partners . . . not your serfs.
6
Part Twelve: We Confirm Santa Elena’s Importance
By Daryl Ferguson
S
tu Rodman, Larry Rowland, and I had
done our homework. The nation’s
best colonial historians and archaeologists had confirmed most of our
claim. Santa Elena was a major European settlement – and it was probably the
first capital of Spain’s La Florida. However, these comments had been made on the
telephone. We needed to review our findings with these experts in person.
On September 27, 2013, we invited
the nation’s most knowledgeable Colonial
Spanish historians and archaeologists to
meet with us in Beaufort. Our goal was to
see if they agreed or disagreed with our
evaluation of where America really began. The group included Dr. Chester DePratter, Dr. Eugene Lyon, Dr. Paul E. Hoffman, Dr. Larry Rowland, Dr. Stephen
Wise, Dr. Stanley Bond, and Kimberly Zawacki. To a person this group of distinguished American historians and archaeologists stated that Santa Elena was a
major early settlement. But that was not
enough for us. Was it, in fact, the first major European settlement in America? And
was it the first colonial capital of La Florida? We needed to hear the answers from
Dr. Lyon and Dr. Hoffman. They are the
nation’s most recognized experts on Colonial Spanish history. Dr. Hoffman immediately said, “Yes, Santa Elena was the
first major settlement in America. And it
was also the first capital of La Florida.”
Dr. Lyon was more reserved. After all,
he’d spent much of his professional life
living and working in St. Augustine. Dr.
Lyon needed to check his research
papers.
This February Dr. Lyon invited me to
visit him. The first words out of his mouth
were, “Daryl, Santa Elena was the first
major European settlement in North
America. And it was also the first capital
of La Florida.” The nation’s foremost experts had confirmed our claim.
The story of Santa Elena has to be
told. The history books have to be
changed. The archaeology, which will expand on this history, has to be reopened.
And my grandchildren need to understand what it took for their “ancestors” to
just survive on our soil.
Dr. Chester DePratter is Director of Research for the South Carolina Institute of
Archaeology and Anthropology. Last August I asked him the one question that has
long puzzled me: “Why didn’t the State’s Institute of Archaeology and Anthropology
tell the world that they had discovered
America’s First Major European Settlement? Dr. DePratter lowered his voice like
any medical doctor would when he had to
inform a patient of his diagnosis. “Daryl,”
he said, “archaeologists and historians rarely think of such things. We are driven by
discovery. We may inform our fellow archaeologists or historians; but we are not
trained to tell the story to others.”
Excavation of the Northwest bastion of Fort San Felipe
(occupied 1566-1570) in 1982. Courtesy South
Carolina Institute of Archaeology and Anthropology,
U. of South Carolina
When Stanley South made a limited archaeological dig in 1979, he called his fellow
archaeologists and historians together. He
believed he had discovered the long lost
Santa Elena. His visiting associates agreed.
All the evidence pointed to the fact that this
was Santa Elena. But for all practical purposes, Stan South did not tell anyone else. He
did not inform the state tourism director or
any state developmental offices. Some of the
local papers did cover his story. But very few
national newspapers printed the story of the
discovery. There were no press releases that
reached the national publications. In short,
the only word that got out to the press was
through archaeologists talking to archaeologists or historians talking to historians. The
New York Times was contacted by one of
those archaeologists. They printed this story
near the back of their newspaper. Notice
how tentative some of the statements are:
SANTA ELENA , ONCE CAPITAL OF
SPANISH FLORIDA, FOUND
The site of the lost 16th century colony of
Santa Elena, once the capital of Spanish Florida, has apparently been found by the University of South Carolina archaeologists digging at the edge of a golf course on the Parris
Island Marine Base. The archaeologists led
by Dr. Stanley South, uncovered quantities of
Spanish pottery and discovered the moat
and traces of two bastions of a fort known in
history as San Felipe II. This was one of three
forts protecting the settlement of Santa Elena, founded in 1566—just one year after St.
Augustine and 41 years before Jamestown in
Virginia—and abandoned in 1587.
In making the announcement here
Thursday, Dr. Robert Stephenson, director of
the university’s Institute of Archaeology and
Anthropology, said, “We have found what
certainly seems to be one of the major historical sites in the United States.” Further explanations, beginning in the fall, are expected to
yield confirming evidence of the site’s authenticity, and unearth remains of Santa Elena itself. At its peak the settlement had 60
homes and a population of 400. Historical
accounts indicate that the settlement was situated west of the fort. Dr. Paul Hoffman, LSU
historian and a specialist in Spanish activities in early America, remarked, “I have no
doubt that the town is there. How soon we
find it and other documenting evidence is
another question.”
In short, one of the most important historical discoveries of the twentieth century
went virtually unreported. The only thing reported was that they thought they’d discovered Santa Elena. In that initial tentative
press release, they did not claim that Santa
Elena was the first major European settlement in America. They didn’t make that
claim because they had not done the research to compare when the first settlers
landed at Santa Elena vs. those at St. Augustine and Jamestown. We did that research.
The Santa Elena archaeological site on
Parris Island also languished because there
was very little available money to do a continuing archaeological dig. The state’s Institute of Archaeology and Paleontology had to
rely on private donors. And few came forward. The Marine Corps did help now and
then, but their budget for such work has been
drastically reduced. Without archaeology,
there are no discoveries. There is no analysis
or confirmation. And that is why the discovery of Santa Elena went unreported.
Most Americans have never heard of
Santa Elena. They do not know that it was
the first major European settlement in America. They do not know that it was the first colonial capital in America. And they have no
idea of the contributions that the entire Spanish colonial movement made to the discovery of America.
In 1988 the National Geographic Magazine’s Senior Associate Editor, Joseph Judge,
heard of the 1979 discovery of Santa Elena
from an archaeologist. He visited the site
and wrote a fascinating article. He introduced his article by saying this: “This is not
only the story of how a king and his people
tried and failed to settle a wild new world.
Nor only the story of nations at war—Spanish, French, English, Guale, Chisca, Orista. It
is the story also of how knowledge is so hard
won, how men and women of our own time,
archaeologists and historians, piece together
the past, tiny bit by fragment by shard, until
what is revealed to our wondering eyes is a
portrait of ourselves.
The Spanish land at Santa Elena
In our next issue. Is this discovery of
county, regional, state, or national importance? Or is it of international importance?
6
Part Thirteen: Where Do We Go From Here?
By Daryl Ferguson
R
emember the story of the dog that
chased the bus? The “good news”
was that the dog was chasing the
bus. The “bad news” was that he
caught the bus. We were intent on
searching for tourism sites that had the potential of improving the third leg of our
economy – the tourism sector. But what
we discovered was much larger than a bus.
We discovered that America did not start
with the English at Jamestown. We also
discovered that America did not start with
independent actions by France, Spain, and
England. It started in a series of interrelated acts . . . like a movie . . . a fascinating
How should this new story of lost history be shared? That was the real question.
We knew from our collective experience
that we needed a team of seasoned and
experienced people to help us develop a
plan. We also needed people on this team
that had vision. This opportunity was not
just a Beaufort County opportunity. And it
wasn’t just a South Carolina opportunity.
It was an American story. In fact, it was an
international story.
It didn’t take us long. Last fall Stu Rodman, Dr. Larry Rowland, and I contacted a
very solid group of “thinkers and doers.”
They included Senator Tom Davis, P.J.
Excavations at the 8th tee on the Parris Island Golf Course, 1980. Courtesy South Carolina Institute of Archaeology and Anthropology, USC
movie. The French had made a move to
settle on Spanish-clamed La Florida. And
La Florida, in Spain’s eyes, included the
territory covered by the entire 48 lower
states. Yes, we were in shock at this discovery. The first major European settlement
was not St. Augustine or Jamestown. It
was Santa Elena on Port Royal Sound . . .
located on a remote part of Parris Island.
Furthermore, Santa Elena was the first colonial capital of La Florida. WOW! That
wasn’t just news to us. And it was certainly
more important than finding a potential
tourism asset. In our eyes, we had participated in discovering where America really
began . . . and how it began.
Browning (Publisher of the Charleston
Post and Courier), Dean Moss, Dick Stewart, Gary Kubic, and retired Lt. General,
Garry Parks. With input from this group
we reached out to the Department of Interior’s top Federal archaeologist, Dr. Stanley Bond. Dr. Bond, who is a native of
Beaufort, informed us that the Federal
government had just set a policy of uncovering all major Hispanic archaeological
sites. Their goal is to help the 54 million
American Hispanics understand that they
will discover some of their own heritage
by visiting these sites. The dominoes kept
falling. It was almost as if someone was
guiding us to an answer. To our surprise
Dr. William Kelso at Jamestowne
Dr. Bond informed us that the Secretary of
Interior had signed an agreement where
Spain would assist in supporting the discovery and interpretation of all Hispanic
archaeological sites. Initially, the Santa
Elena project looked somewhat unmanageable. Now it looked possible.
With input from this group, we outlined what we needed to do. First, we had
to organize a not-for-profit Santa Elena
Foundation. It would be our leadership
organization. We would also need a nonprofit status to work with the Marine
Corps. Second, The Santa Elena Foundation would have to recruit a few experts
that we could call on at any time for advice. They would be the Foundation’s Advisory Board. Third, we needed to file for a
permit to reopen archaeology on the Parris Island site.
And finally, we needed an “interpretation” center that would tell the real story
of how America was founded. And it
would certainly include the story of how
the Spanish were the first major settlers of
what is now America.
Today, the Santa Elena Foundation
exists and is actively working to tell the
“lost” story of how America was first
settled. The Board of Directors includes
Dr. Larry Rowland, Dick Stewart, Stu
Rodman, P.J. Browning, retired Marine
General Garry Parks and myself. Our
Advisory board includes Dr. Eugene
Lyon, Dr. Paul Hoffman, Dr. Chester DePratter, Dean Moss, Maggie Bertin (retired Smithsonian senior officer), Dr.
Mary Socci (archaeologist at Palmetto
Bluffs) and Dr. William Kelso. Dr. Kelso
needs special note.
Some have asked us if we
intend to showcase Santa Elena
at the expense of Historic
Jamestowne or St. Augustine.
The answer is absolutely NO!
We intend to show the entire
timeline of how America was
first settled. To make that happen Dr. William Kelso has
agreed to be on the Santa Elena
Foundation Advisory Board. He
is the Executive Director and
senior archaeologist of Historic
Jamestowne. Furthermore, Dr.
Eugene Lyon is also on our Advisory
Board. Gene was the former Executive Director of the St. Augustine Foundation.
Dr. Eugene Lyon, St. Augustine expert
A large opportunity is only exciting if
it can be led by people who are experienced at execution. The Santa Elena Foundation Board and Advisory Board are
made up of individuals who have a reputation of “making it happen.” We have the
leadership. Now we need to develop a
plan that will draw strong community support. And that plan must include reopening the archaeological site on Parris Island
without impeding the Marine’s mission.
6
Part Fourteen: The Parris Island Marine Corps and Santa Elena
By Daryl Ferguson
S
ince Dr. Stanley South first discovered Santa Elena in 1979, the Santa
Elena site has been uncovered at
least a dozen times. This stop-andgo archaeology was necessary because the South Carolina Institute of Archaeology had very little money to continue operations. However, Dr. South’s assistant, Dr. Chester DePratter continued the
good fight. He scrapped for every dollar so
that he could return and uncover the story
of Santa Elena. Nevertheless, today only
two percent of the Santa Elena site has
been uncovered.
The role of historians and archaeologists is fascinating. We really don’t have a
true history unless historians and archaeologists work together. Usually, the historian will uncover important facts from
documents held in a library or in private
hands. But those facts are often twisted.
The archaeologist uncovers reality. In
the case of Santa Elena there are many
unanswered questions. We know there
are two Santa Elena towns on Parris Island. The first one was burned by the Indians in 1576. The second town was created when the settlers returned and rebuilt
Santa Elena in 1577. Where is town number two? Does it overlap with town number one? Does the town follow Spain’s requirement for the design of a town? Did
the nobles live near the water? Where are
the four Spanish forts? Where is the
Spanish plaza? Spanish towns were organized around their Plaza. It was the social
center of the town. Is the Catholic Church
on the Plaza as in other Spanish towns?
How large was the church? A colonial
settler’s social status rose as he or she had
people under their control. Is there evidence that some of the commoners had
indentured Indians under their control?
How did the lifestyle of the new settlers
change after they left Spain?
The true history of Santa Elena will be
uncovered when we reopen Santa Elena
and slowly continue the archaeological
work. To do that we will file a permit to
reopen the site. We expect this permit to
be approved because we are carefully preparing a plan that will not impede the Marine Corps’ mission. In fact, we believe it
will enhance their mission.
To limit traffic to the base, we will
build the “interpretation” center off-base,
but within close proximity to the base.
The “interpretation” center will be much
more than an interesting museum. It will
be like walking through the 16th century
using a time machine. It will tell the entire story of how America was first settled.
Of course, we will emphasize the FrenchSpanish settlements and especially Santa
Elena. That “lost” history needs special
attention. It will be presented in a dynamic and exciting way. You will also be
able to witness the “dig” when you are
visiting the Santa Elena Interpretation
Center. We expect to have a video link
between the off-base Interpretation Center and the actual site. This will be set up
much like the NFL does to remotely
watch a football play. The visitor who is at
the “Interpretation” center will be able to
sit in and listen to the archaeologist describe what he is doing and why he is excavating at this very spot.
This will be no small project. The interpretation center alone will cost upward to
twenty million dollars. It will also take us at
least three years to construct once we have
purchased the property. In the meantime,
we need to inform the community of what is
coming if we are going to ask for their help.
We will do that by creating an “interim”
center. That “interim” location will tell everyone what is coming. It will certainly give
you a glimpse of the Santa Elena story. It
will update you on the archaeology that we
hope will be underway next year. And it will
keep you updated on our progress in completing the permanent center.
Interestingly, there are two strong links
between the Santa Elena story and the Parris
Island Marine Corps. The first link deals
with why the Spanish left Santa Elena after
twenty one years. In June of 1586 England’s
Admiral Drake and his fleet of 29 ships destroyed the Spanish Caribbean towns of Santa Domingo and Cartagena. Then the English fleet turned north and destroyed St. Augustine in June, 1587. Finally, they continued
north in search of Santa Elena. But when
they approached Port Royal Sound they had
moved too far out to sea to avoid the shallow
water off Tybee Island or Hilton Head.
trend. They are, in fact, trying to show
young Hispanics that they can have a future
in the Marine Corps. Most Hispanics come
from Mexico, Puerto Rico, and Cuba. Their
backgrounds are very diverse, but they have
a common heritage linked to Spain. What
many of them don’t realize is that they also
have a common heritage link to America.
And we know one thing – if people understand their heritage, and understand how
they are linked to the settlement of America, they usually have a much stronger feeling about America. What a great recruiting
opportunity for Parris Island. As part of
Vice Admiral Sir Francis Drake's ship The Golden Hind
They had overshot the harbor to Santa Elena. And the unfavorable winds made it impossible to reverse direction. However, this demonstration of English might was enough to
scare Spain into leaving Santa Elena and consolidating in St. Augustine. In other words,
Spain left Santa Elena after 21 years because
they realized that a mobile fighting force would
always beat a fixed fortification. And who later
settled on Parris Island? The finest mobile
fighting force in the world. What an irony.
The Marine Corps’ second link to Santa
Elena is the Hispanic population. Today
there are 54 million Hispanic Americans.
This is more than Spain’s entire population,
which is 40 million. Hispanics are growing
as a percentage of the total American population, and the Marine Corps is aware of this
their recruitment, they can go next door and
show the recruit Santa Elena . . . the first major colonial settlement in the United States.
We would be interested in your comments and questions on Where America Really Began. Please send them to: [email protected]. We will publish a sample in an
upcoming edition.

Where America Really Began

Transcription

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