Tequesta

Ponce de Leon’s ships continue down the coast hugging the shore to avoid the strong head current.

By May 4 the fleet reaches and names Biscayne Bay and takes on water at an island they name Santa Marta (now Key Biscayne) and explore the Tequesta Miami mound town at the mouth of the Miami River.

The Tequesta do not engage the Spanish; they evacuate into the coastal woodlands.

On May 15, they leave Biscayne Bay and …

…sail along the Florida Keys, the tiny islands that stretch about one hundred and eighty-five miles (three hundred kilometers) into the Gulf of Mexico, looking for a passage to head north and explore the west coast of the Florida peninsula.

From a distance the Keys, because their contours are so twisted and tortured, remind Ponce de León of men who are suffering, so he names them Los Martires (the Martyrs).

Eventually they find a gap in the reefs and …

…sail "to the north and other times to the northeast" until they reach the Florida mainland on May 23.

They encounter the Calusa, who refuse to trade and drive off the Spanish ships by surrounding them with warriors in sea canoes armed with long bows.

Again, the exact site of their landfall is controversial.

The vicinity of Charlotte Harbor is the most commonly identified spot, while some assert a landing further north at Tampa Bay or even Pensacola.

Other historians have argued the distances were too great to cover in the available time and the more likely location was Cape Romano or Cape Sable.

Here Ponce de León anchors for several days to take on water and repair the ships.

They are approached by Calusa, who might have been initially interested in trading but relations soon turn hostile.

Several skirmishes follow with casualties on both sides and the Spaniards take eight natives captive, including one to become a translator.

There is another encounter on June near Sanibel Island with the Calusa in war canoes, with the Spanish reportedly sinking a fourth of them.

They set sail again on June 14, looking for a chain of islands in the west that had been described by their captives.

The expedition reaches the Dry Tortugas, a group of eight small islands in the Gulf of Mexico located about seventy miles one hundred and ten kilometers) west of Key West, on June 21, and captures giant sea turtles, Caribbean monk seals, and thousands of seabirds.

The Spanish expedition sails southwest from the Dry Tortugas in an apparent attempt to circle around Cuba and return home to Puerto Rico.

Failing to take into account the powerful currents pushing them eastward, they strike the northeast shore of Cuba and are initially confused about their location.

Once they regain their bearings, …

…the fleet retraces their route east along the Florida Keys and around the Florida peninsula, reaching Grand Bahama on July 8.

They are surprised to come across another Spanish ship, piloted by Diego Miruelo, who is either on a slaving voyage or had been sent by Diego Colón to spy on Ponce de León.

Shortly thereafter Miruelo's ship is wrecked in a storm and Ponce de León rescues the stranded crew.

From here the little fleet disbands.

Ponce de León tasks the Santa Maria with further exploration while he returns home with the rest of crew.

Ponce de León reaches Puerto Rico on October 19 after having been away for almost eight months.

The other ship, after further explorations, will return safely on February 20, 1514.

Ponce de León had found Puerto Rico in turmoil upon his return to the island.

A party of Caribs from a neighboring island had attacked the settlement of Caparra, killed several Spaniards and burned it to the ground.

Ponce de León's own house had been destroyed and his family narrowly escaped.

Colón had used the attack as a pretext for renewing hostilities against the local Taíno tribes.

The explorer suspects that Colón is working to further undermine his position on the island and perhaps even to take his claims for the newly discovered Florida.Ponce de León decides he should return to Spain and personally report the results of his recent expedition.

Ponce de León’s Recognition and New Orders from King Ferdinand (1514–1515)

After leaving Puerto Rico in April 1514, Juan Ponce de León was warmly received by King Ferdinand II of Aragon upon his arrival at court in Valladolid. His successful expeditions in the Caribbean and discovery of Florida (1513) earned him royal favor and new responsibilities, marking him as one of Spain’s most significant early conquistadors.

Honors and Recognition in Spain (1514)

• Ponce de León was knighted by Ferdinand, becoming the first conquistador to receive this distinction.
• He was also granted a personal coat of arms, an unprecedented honor for a Spanish explorer.
• His achievements were formally documented at the Casa de Contratación in Seville, the central clearinghouse for Spanish exploration and colonial administration.

The Role of the Casa de Contratación

• The Casa de Contratación recorded Ponce de León’s discoveries, adding them to the Padrón Real, the official master map of Spanish navigation.
• This map was constantly updated and served as the basis for official charts provided to Spanish captains and pilots, ensuring that future voyages benefited from past discoveries.

New Royal Contract: Settlement and Governance of Bimini and Florida

• While in Spain, Ponce de León received a new contract confirming his rights to settle and govern Bimini and Florida, which at the time was still believed to be an island.
• His contract included standard provisions for:
  • Sharing gold and valuable resources with the Spanish Crown.
  • Reading the Requerimiento—a legal document justifying Spanish conquest—to the indigenous inhabitants prior to their subjugation.
  • This was one of the first royal orders explicitly mandating the use of the Requerimiento, which soon became a standard procedure in Spanish conquests.

Commission to Subdue the Caribs (1515)

• Ponce de León was also ordered to organize an armada for a campaign against the Carib people, who were raiding Spanish settlements in the Caribbean.
• Three ships were purchased for the expedition, which were repaired and stocked with provisions before departure.

Departure from Spain (May 14, 1515)

• On May 14, 1515, Ponce de León set sail from Spain with his small fleet, bound for the Caribbean.
• His mission was twofold:
  1. To attack and subdue the Caribs.
  2. To prepare for further expeditions to Florida and Bimini, strengthening Spain’s presence in North America.

Conclusion: Ponce de León’s Growing Role in Spanish Expansion

• By 1515, Ponce de León had secured royal backing, recognition, and new responsibilities.
• His title and coat of arms distinguished him as a key figure in Spain’s colonial expansion.
• His new orders expanded his mission, from conquering Florida to crushing Carib resistance in the Caribbean.
• As he sailed back to the New World, Ponce de León was entering the next phase of his career, solidifying his legacy as one of the most influential Spanish explorers of the early 16th century.