Tristán de Luna y Arellano facts for kids

Tristán de Luna y Arellano (born 1510, died September 16, 1573) was a Spanish explorer and Conquistador from the 1500s. He led an important expedition to try and set up a Spanish colony in what is now Florida.

Who Was Tristán de Luna?

Tristán de Luna was born in Borobia, Spain, into a noble family. This meant his family had a high social rank. He later traveled to New Spain, which is now Mexico.

In 1559, he was chosen to lead an expedition to colonize Florida. He was related to important people. His cousin, Antonio de Mendoza, was the viceroy of New Spain. Another cousin, Juana de Zúñiga, was married to the famous explorer Hernán Cortés.

In August 1559, Luna started a colony near what is now Pensacola. This was the first European settlement in the continental United States that lasted for more than a year.

Early Adventures and New Missions

Before his Florida trip, Luna had already been on other important missions in Mexico. He served with Francisco Vázquez de Coronado on his journey to find the Seven Cities of Cíbola. He also helped stop a rebellion by Indigenous people in Oaxaca.

Because of his experience, Luís de Velasco, the Viceroy of New Spain, chose Luna for a big task. Luna was to create a settlement on the Gulf Coast of what is now the United States. He also needed to find a land route to Santa Elena in what is now South Carolina. Another Spanish outpost would be built there.

A bay called "Filipina Bay" (now Mobile Bay) was suggested for the settlement. However, Luna's fleet chose "Ochuse Bay," which is now Pensacola Bay.

The Journey to Florida

Luna's fleet was large. It included eleven ships and more than 1,500 soldiers and settlers. There were six cavalry captains and six infantry captains.

However, Luna did not turn out to be a strong leader. The expedition faced many problems and disasters. Eventually, he was removed from his command. The remaining survivors of the colony were then taken away.

Starting the Colony: Santa Maria de Ochuse

The ships anchored in Pensacola Bay in late August and September 1559. This bay was known as "Ochuse" from earlier explorations. The settlers then created a colony they called Santa Maria de Ochuse.

Luna sent one ship back to Vera Cruz to announce their safe arrival. He also asked for more supplies. He prepared two other ships to sail to Spain. Meanwhile, he waited for two exploring groups to return.

Most of the colony's supplies were still on the ships. Luna sent several groups inland to explore the area. After three weeks, they returned. They had found only one Indigenous town.

The Hurricane Disaster

Before the settlers could unload the ships, a terrible event happened. On the night of September 19, 1559, a powerful hurricane struck. It brought a huge storm surge.

The hurricane destroyed most of the ships and their cargo. Five ships, a large galleon, and a smaller bark were lost. One caravel and its cargo were pushed far inland into a grove of trees.

This disaster put the colony in serious danger. Most of the men had to travel inland to the Alabama River. They found an abandoned Indigenous village called Nanipacana. They renamed it Santa Cruz de Nanipacana and settled there. The rest of the colony soon joined them.

Back in Mexico, the Viceroy sent two relief ships in November. He also promised more help in the spring.

Challenges and Leadership Changes

The relief supplies helped the colony survive the winter. But the supplies expected in the spring did not arrive by September. In mid-February, Luna ordered most of the colonists to move inland to Nanipacana. They stayed there until the end of June 1560.

There wasn't enough food at Nanipacana. So, Luna sent 200 men upriver to the Coosa chiefdom (Coça) in Northwest Georgia. They stayed there until November before returning to Pensacola Bay.

Back at Ochuse on Pensacola Bay, tensions grew between Luna and his officers. The Viceroy finally decided to replace Luna. A new governor, Ángel de Villafañe, arrived in Pensacola Bay in April 1561. Villafañe offered to take anyone who wanted to leave on an expedition to Cuba and Santa Elena.

Luna was allowed to leave. He took a ship to Havana and eventually to Spain. However, he spent the rest of his life in Mexico, where he died in 1573.

The Luna settlement was occupied until August 1561. A group of fifty men stayed behind, led by Captain Biedma. They waited for more orders from Viceroy Velasco. After Villafañe picked them up and returned to Veracruz, Europeans did not settle the Pensacola area again until 1698. That's when the Spanish founded Presidio Santa Maria de Galve on the modern Naval Air Station Pensacola.

Rediscovering the Lost Colony

In October 2015, a local historian named Tom Garner rediscovered the site of Luna's colony. The University of West Florida archaeology program is now investigating the site. This work is led by archaeologist John Worth.

See also

In Spanish: Tristán de Luna y Arellano para niños