San Juan del Puerto, Florida facts for kids
Quick facts for kids San Juan del Puerto |
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Historical marker about the mission
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| Location | Duval County, Florida, USA |
| Type | Florida Historic Site |
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Mission of San Juan del Puerto Archeological Site
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| Nearest city | Jacksonville, Florida |
| Area | 6.8 acres (2.8 ha) |
| Built | 1578 |
| NRHP reference No. | 86000595 |
| Added to NRHP | March 25, 1986 |
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San Juan del Puerto was a Spanish mission built a long time ago. It was founded before 1587 on Fort George Island in Florida. This area is now part of Jacksonville. The mission was started by Franciscan friars. Their goal was to serve the Saturiwa people. The Saturiwa were a group of the Timucua tribe. They lived near the mouth of the St. Johns River. This mission is very important for learning about the Timucua. It's where a friar named Francisco Pareja worked. He studied and wrote about the Timucua language.
Contents
History of the Mission
The Saturiwa people were a main group of the Mocama. The Mocama were Timucua-speaking people. They lived along the coast of what is now northern Florida and southeastern Georgia.
Early Days and Peace
The Saturiwa were friends with the French. The French had a fort called Fort Caroline nearby. Because of this, the Saturiwa were not friendly with the Spanish at first. The Spanish had kicked out the French colonists in 1565. But soon, the Saturiwa and Spanish made peace. The Misión San Juan was then built. It was located near the main town of the Saturiwa. This happened before the year 1587.
Important Missions
San Juan del Puerto became one of the three main missions. These missions were in an area the Spanish called the Mocama Province. The other two important missions were:
- San Pedro de Mocama: This mission was for the Tacatacuru people. It was located on Cumberland Island.
- Santa Maria de Sena: This mission was between the other two. It was on Amelia Island.
Father Pareja's Work
A friar named Francisco Pareja worked at San Juan del Puerto. He also worked at San Pedro de Mocama. Father Pareja created a way to write the Timucuan language. He taught some of the Mocama people how to read and write it. In 1612, he printed a special book. It was a catechism, which is a book of religious teachings. This book was written in both Spanish and Timucua. It was the first book ever printed in a native language of the Americas.
Later Years and Abandonment
After 1650, some people called Guale refugees came to the mission. They were from a group living north of the area. The Spanish left the mission around 1702. This happened partly because of attacks. Native American groups and their allies, the English colonists from South Carolina, launched raids. These attacks were part of a war called Queen Anne's War.
