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Pedro Menendez de Aviles
Spanish Sailor
& Colonist
 In 1549, Menendez de Aviles was commissioned by Charles V to rid the
coasts of Spain of pirates. A brutal, but effective fighter, he was
named the captain of the Indies fleet five years later.King Phillip II, concerned about Spain’s possessions in the New
World, later sent Menendez de Aviles to Florida in order to
establish a colony, in an attempt to prevent the French from
establishing their own colony in the area. The expedition landed in
St. Augustine in 1565, where they built the famous St. Augustine
Fort (Still standing today). Shortly thereafter, Menendez de Aviles
and his men attacked the French colony of Fort Caroline, and
massacred the inhabitants.Menendez de Aviles was appointed as governor of Cuba in 1567. He
developed a convoy system to protect the Spanish treasure ships
returning to Spain. He explored the Atlantic coast in 1568 and 1570,
and built forts as far north as Helena, an Island off the coast of
modern-day South Carolina. He also sent an expeditionary party up
Chesapeake Bay and the Rappahannock River. He was recalled by his
King to Spain to organize a force against the English, but died
there before this new adventure began. |
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