Fort San Juan (Joara) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Fort San Juan
A portion of a 1584 map by Geronimo Chaves depicting the site of "Xuala" where, in 1567, Juan Pardo established Fort San Juan.
Location	Morganton, North Carolina
Built	1567
Demolished	1568
Owner	Privately owned
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Fort San Juan was a Spanish fort built in the late 1500s. It was created by a Spanish explorer named Juan Pardo in a Native American village called Joara. This area is now Burke County, North Carolina.

The fort was an outpost for Pardo's journey into the middle of what the Spanish called "la Florida" (which included much of the southeastern United States). Fort San Juan was the most important of six forts Pardo built. These forts were meant to help Spain control more land in North America.

Fort San Juan was the first European settlement in North Carolina. It was also the first in the interior of what is now the United States. It was built 18 years before the first English settlement at Roanoke Island. In 1568, Native Americans from Joara and nearby areas destroyed this fort and the five others. Almost all the Spanish soldiers were killed.

After the fort was destroyed, its exact spot was lost for a long time. For many years, archaeologists have been working to find it. They found items that suggested a Spanish settlement. In 2013, archaeologists from the University of Michigan, Tulane University, and Warren Wilson College announced a big discovery. They found proof of a defensive moat and other remains. This was definite evidence of Fort San Juan.

Exploring the New World: Pardo's Journey

In 1566, a Spanish fleet led by Pedro Menéndez de Avilés set up a base called Santa Elena. This was on what is now Parris Island in South Carolina. Santa Elena was planned as the main spot for Spanish trips into North America.

Avilés told explorer Juan Pardo to explore the land. Pardo's goal was to find an overland route to Spain's silver mines in Zacatecas, Mexico. This area was part of the Viceroyalty of New Spain.

Pardo's group left Santa Elena in December 1566. They followed the Congaree and Wateree rivers. They reached the Native American city of Cofitachequi. This city had been visited 26 years earlier by Hernando de Soto. The group kept going along the Wateree River. In 1567, they arrived at the Native American city of Joara. Spanish maps later spelled it "Xuala".

By 1567, people of the Mississippian culture had lived in Joara for a long time. They had been there steadily since the 1400s.

Building Fort San Juan

Pardo's group had to stop at Joara for a while. Heavy snowfall in the Blue Ridge Mountains made it impossible to continue their journey. During their two-week stay, Pardo's men built Fort San Juan. It was built like a blockhouse, which is a strong, small fort. They might have also built a palisade (a fence of strong posts) and a moat (a ditch filled with water).

Further Explorations from the Fort

After two weeks, Pardo left 30 Spanish soldiers at Fort San Juan. They were led by Hernando Moyano de Morales. Pardo and the rest of his men went east. They explored away from the Catawba River, towards where Salisbury is today.

While exploring, Pardo heard that Santa Elena was in danger from a French group. Pardo quickly returned to Santa Elena. This left Moyano and his men without support at Fort San Juan. Pardo reached Santa Elena on March 7, 1567.

Meanwhile, Moyano went on his own trip through the mountains. He went towards the Chiaha village of Maniatique. This village was near what is now Saltville, Virginia. Moyano attacked the village.

Pardo was then told to go back to Fort San Juan. He also needed to find a path to Zacatecas. When he reached Joara on September 24, 1567, Pardo heard that Moyano was being attacked by Native Americans at Chiaha. Pardo arrived at that town on October 7, 1567. He rescued Moyano and his men. They all returned to Fort San Juan on November 6, 1567.

The Fort's Destruction

After resting and getting more supplies at Fort San Juan for two weeks, Pardo and his men started their trip back to Santa Elena. They left 31 soldiers at the fort. On their way back to the coast, Pardo built a few more forts. These included one called Santiago and another called Santo Tomás.

Pardo arrived at Santa Elena on March 2, 1568. He never returned to the interior of the continent. We don't know exactly what happened to the Spanish soldiers at Fort San Juan. But we do know that in May 1568, a group of Native Americans surrounded the fort. They tricked the soldiers into coming out and then killed them. Only one soldier, Juan de Badejoz, claimed to have escaped and hidden in the woods. After the fort was destroyed, the people of Joara built a special mound over the site.

Finding the Fort: Archaeology

For a long time, people argued about where Joara was located. But in 2013, several archaeologists announced a big discovery. These included Robin Beck from the University of Michigan, David Moore from Warren Wilson College, and Chris Rodning from Tulane University. They found evidence at the "Berry Site." This archaeological site showed the remains of a large Native American settlement in Burke County, North Carolina. They said this site definitely contained a part of Joara.

Before this, experts thought Joara might have been near the Qualla Boundary in Swain County, North Carolina. Or it might have been somewhere else in the Appalachian foothills of North Carolina or Tennessee. This area was between Knoxville and the Catawba River.

Remembering Fort San Juan Today

Even though the fort's exact location wasn't known for sure at the time, North Carolina put up a historical marker in 2008. This marker in Morganton, North Carolina remembers the fort. This was based on findings from 2004 to 2006. These findings included Spanish trade goods and tools. The nonprofit Exploring Joara Foundation helps with digging work and teaching people about the site.

Further Reading

Clark, Larry Richard (2017). The Last Conquistadors of Southeast North America: Pedro Menendez and the Collapse of La Florida's Frontier. TimeSpan Press. ISBN: 978-1514119020

See also

In Spanish: Fuerte San Juan de Xuala para niños