Sancti Spiritu (Argentina) facts for kids
Sancti Spiritu was an old fort built in 1527. It was near the Paraná River in what is now Argentina. An explorer named Sebastian Cabot built it. This fort was the very first European settlement in Argentina. But it only lasted two years. Local Native Argentines destroyed it in 1529.
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Early Explorations
Before Sancti Spiritu, other explorers came to the area. One was Juan Díaz de Solís. In 1516, he explored the Río de la Plata. This is a wide river mouth between Argentina and Uruguay.
Solís landed on the coast of Uruguay. He was with six other men. Local people called Charrúas attacked them quickly. Solís and his men were killed.
A young boy named Francisco del Puerto was spared. He lived with the native people for ten years.
The Search for Silver
Later, Sebastian Cabot arrived. He was on a new European trip. Cabot rescued Francisco del Puerto.
Del Puerto told Cabot a story. He spoke of a "white king" and a "mountain of silver." This mountain was supposedly north of the Paraná River. Cabot believed the story.
Cabot changed his plans. He was supposed to find a new path to Asia. Instead, he decided to look for this silver mountain. The rumor turned out to be false. There was no mountain of silver. But this belief helped give Argentina its name.
Building the Fort
The Sancti Spiritu fort was built in 1527. It was next to the Carcarañá River. This area is now part of Santa Fe Province. The Spanish liked the warm weather. Cabot even built a house nearby.
The local Native Argentines helped the Spanish at first. A priest named Francisco García offered religious support. Everyone was friendly in the beginning.
Cabot's Journey and Troubles
On December 23, Cabot left the fort. He took 130 men on a ship. He wanted to find the "White King's" empire. He left 32 men to guard the fort.
Cabot's trip was very hard. He forced the Native Argentines to obey him. Because of this, they stopped helping. They also stopped providing food.
Some Spanish soldiers disagreed with Cabot. They tried to rebel. But Francisco García told Cabot their plan. Their leader was then executed.
Meeting Diego García
Cabot's journey stopped near the Paraguay River. He heard new ships were in the area. Miguel Riflos led a small group to explore. Most of his men died during a fight.
The new ships belonged to Diego García de Moguer. He had been on Solís's old trip. Cabot and García talked about who had the right to explore the river. They decided to work together. They agreed to go back to the fort. From there, they would ask Spain for help. Then, they would try to find the White King again.
The Fort's Destruction
Cabot sent three groups of scouts to the west. They were looking for more information about the White King. But Cabot left the fort without waiting for them.
Soon, Cabot learned that the native people were angry. They were planning a rebellion. Cabot and García quickly returned to the fort.
Gregorio Caro was in charge of the fort. He had let the soldiers relax too much. Cabot ordered him to kill many Native Argentines. This was meant to scare them. Cabot also treated the local leader, called a cacique, badly. But these actions did not work. The native people became even more hostile.
Cabot decided to go on another trip to Paraguay. He left Caro in charge of the fort again. Cabot knew the native people were about to attack. But he kept going north. He trusted Caro to defend the fort.
The attack happened on the night of September 1, 1529. The Native Argentines set the fort on fire. All the soldiers were sleeping. When they woke up, they knew they could not defend the fort. They tried to get on the two ships and escape. Most of them were killed. One ship was destroyed before it could leave.
The few survivors joined Cabot and García. They rushed back to help. But when they arrived, all the remaining Spanish soldiers were dead. The fort was burned to the ground. Cabot and García were completely defeated. They left the Americas and went back to Europe.
What Happened Next
The destruction of Sancti Spiritu changed things. It ended the first period of Spanish exploration in Argentina. It led to the time of colonization.
The stories of the White King and the silver mountain still interested Spain and Portugal. Spain sent Pedro de Mendoza to settle the area. They wanted to do this before Portugal could. This led to the founding of Buenos Aires. This city is near the mouth of the Paraná River.
A writer named Ruy Díaz de Guzmán wrote about Sancti Spiritu. His book was called La Argentina (1612). It included a story about a woman named Lucía Miranda. She was in a love triangle. Her relationships supposedly helped the native people attack the fort. This story was told by many writers. But now we know it was not true. There were no women with Sebastian Cabot's crew.
See also
In Spanish: Fuerte Sancti Spiritus para niños
