San Miguel de Asile facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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San Miguel de Asile
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 Location in Florida
Location in the United States
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| Location | Jefferson County, Florida |
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| Nearest city | Lamont |
| NRHP reference No. | 74000644 |
| Added to NRHP | December 17, 1974 |
San Miguel de Asile was an old Spanish mission built a long time ago in the early 1600s. It was located in a part of Florida called the Florida Panhandle, close to a town named Lamont today. This mission was a big part of Spain's plan to explore and settle new lands in America. The Spanish also wanted to teach the native people, like the Timucua and Apalachee, about Christianity.
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San Miguel de Asile: A Spanish Mission
What Was a Mission?
A mission was a special place built by Spanish Franciscan priests. It was like a small community where priests lived and worked. Their main goal was to teach Christianity to the native people living in the area. Missions also helped Spain expand its control over new lands.
San Miguel de Asile was built to serve a group of Timucua people called the Yustaga. These people had their own leaders and lived in a chiefdom, which is a type of community led by a chief. The mission was a way for the Spanish to connect with and influence these native groups.
The Mission's End
San Miguel de Asile lasted for many years, but it was destroyed in the early 1700s. Historians believe it was likely attacked and ruined by Creek Indians and English settlers. This was a time when different groups were fighting for control of the land in Florida.
Discovering the Past
The place where the mission once stood is now an archaeological site. This means it's a place where scientists called archaeologists dig up old things to learn about the past. This site was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places on December 17, 1974. This list helps protect important historical places.
The site was first found and studied by a person named B. Calvin Jones between 1968 and 1972. He thought it was definitely San Miguel de Asile. However, more recent studies by another archaeologist, Alissa Slade, have raised some questions. Her research suggests that the site might not be San Miguel de Asile, which was a Timucua mission. Instead, it might be an Apalachee mission, possibly one called San Lorenzo de Ivitachuco. This shows how history can sometimes be a mystery, and new discoveries can change what we thought we knew!
