Spaniards and Calusas violent neighbors in Florida in 1566

Imagine being a Spanish soldier in 1566 sent to the wilds of Florida. Now think about what it would be like to be afraid the local tribe would try to kill you if you stepped outside of the crude fort you and your companions built. This was the scenario Spanish soldiers faced when they lived on Mound Key, the island capital of the fierce, powerful Calusa tribe.

Spanish explorers and Conquistadors visited Florida in the sixteenth century and tried to create settlements there. While you could say they were successful as they established the city of St. Augustine on the east coast, they had far less success in other parts of the state.

Spain faced one of their biggest challenges on the southwest coast where they encountered the powerful Calusa tribe. The Calusas dominated much of the southern half of Florida for hundreds of years. They are perhaps most well-known for attacking Spaniard Ponce de Leon’s expedition and striking him with an arrow, which killed him a few days later.

This was only one incident in a long history of firm resistance to Spain that resulted in neither the Calusas nor Spain ultimately succeeding on Florida. One of the most interesting parts of this story began in 1566 when Spaniard Pedro Menéndez de Avilés approached the Calusa territory with seven ships and 500 men.

Menendez met with Calusa King Callus, or Carlos, to try to establish some common ground and allow the Spaniards to establish a foothold in their territory. After a good deal of negotiating and maneuvering between Callus and Menendez, Callus allowed to the Spaniards to begin building a fort on Mound Key, the island capital of the Calusas.