Juan Márquez Cabrera was a Spanish soldier who served as governor of
Honduras (1668 – 1672) and then of
Spanish Florida (1680 – 1687), until he was dismissed for abuses in office against the
native peoples and Spanish citizens of Florida. He, as did the three previous governors, spent much time supervising construction of the
Castillo de San Marcos and other fortifications in the
presidio
A presidio ( en, jail, fortification) was a fortified base established by the Spanish Empire around between 16th and 18th centuries in areas in condition of their control or influence. The presidios of Spanish Philippines in particular, were cen ...
of
St. Augustine as well as defending Florida against incursions from the British to the north.
Career
Juan Márquez Cabrera joined the
Spanish Army in his youth. He excelled in his military career, attaining the rank of
Sergeant Major
Sergeant major is a senior non-commissioned rank or appointment in many militaries around the world.
History
In 16th century Spain, the ("sergeant major") was a general officer. He commanded an army's infantry, and ranked about third in th ...
. In 1668, he was appointed governor of
Honduras, an office he occupied until 1672. On September 28, 1680, Cabrera was appointed governor of Florida to replace
Pablo de Hita y Salazar
Pablo de Hita y Salazar (1646–date of death unknown) was a Spanish military officer who served as governor of Spanish Florida (''La Florida'') from 1675 to 1680. The territory at the time stretched from current-day Florida west to Texas and nort ...
.
[Cahoon, Ben]
U.S. States F-K
Florida government
Early years in the Florida government
He arrived at St. Augustine, capital of the province, on November 30 of that year. On his arrival, Hita y Salazar gave him a report that included a detailed outline of his administration's progress in St. Augustine, and described the progress on the works of the
Castillo de San Marcos. None of these changes, however, corresponded to the original plans that had been commissioned by the
Crown
A crown is a traditional form of head adornment, or hat, worn by monarchs as a symbol of their power and dignity. A crown is often, by extension, a symbol of the monarch's government or items endorsed by it. The word itself is used, partic ...
.
Governor Cabrera made a series of investigations that concluded works done on the Castillo under Salazar's supervision did not coincide with the report he gave to the new governor. His engineers found errors and deficiencies in the structures he was commanded to build, especially regarding the walls and bastions.
Cabrera also levied an onerous tax on ranchers in Florida and ordered that all cattle should be butchered at the slaughterhouse in St. Augustine.
In 1683, Governor Cabrera formed a militia company of free mulattos (''
pardo
''Pardos'' (feminine ''pardas'') is a term used in the former Portuguese and Spanish colonies in the Americas to refer to the triracial descendants of Southern Europeans, Amerindians and West Africans. In some places they were defined as ne ...
s'') and blacks (''morenos'') militia in St. Augustine, consisting of 42 men and six officers.
Later that same year they helped drive away a fleet of pirates led by the Frenchman Michel Grammont.
English and French pirate threat
In February 1683, the Governor of Havana warned Cabrera that French and English pirates from the
Bahamas
The Bahamas (), officially the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, is an island country within the Lucayan Archipelago of the West Indies in the North Atlantic. It takes up 97% of the Lucayan Archipelago's land area and is home to 88% of the ar ...
were going to attack St. Augustine. The governor set about preparing the town's defenses, and ordered the erection of two new watchtowers on the coast, one about 27 miles southward at ''Ayamón'',
and the other on the waterfront north of town.
On April 30, the French pirate Brigaut entered Matanzas Inlet at the south end of
Anastasia Island
Anastasia Island is a barrier island located off the northeast Atlantic coast of Florida in the United States. It sits east of St. Augustine, running north–south in a slightly southeastern direction to Matanzas Inlet. The island is about long ...
and seized the watchtower. The alarm was raised in St. Augustine, and Cabrera ordered the inhabitants of the town to take shelter in the unfinished Castillo de San Marcos, and sent ninety soldiers to engage the pirates. After several clashes on the island, Brigraut withdrew; the pirate fleet then abandoned its assault and sailed north.
Last years as Governor of Florida
In August, 1686, Governor Cabrera sponsored a raiding party of Spaniards, Guale Indians, and ''pardo'' militiamen, under the overall command of Thomás de León, that sacked the plantation of the English Governor of Carolina, Joseph Morton, as well as others, and burned the Scottish settlement at
Port Royal Island
Port Royal Island (historically Port Royal) is an island located in Beaufort County, South Carolina. It is considered one of the Sea Islands in the Lowcountry region and is the most populous island in northern Beaufort County, containing most of ...
. Captain de León intended to attack
Charles Town but a sudden storm arose, forcing the Spanish to return to St. Augustine.
Cabrera assigned Marcos Delgado to lead a troop of 13 soldiers and 40 Indians to explore and observe the territory between San Luis de Apalache and the river and bay of Espíritu Santo.
Cabrera's administration negatively impacted and abused the Indigenous peoples of the province as well as
criollos
In Hispanic America, criollo () is a term used originally to describe people of Spanish descent born in the colonies. In different Latin American countries the word has come to have different meanings, sometimes referring to the local-born majo ...
, Christian natives, widows, Mexicans, and Cubans, causing the Franciscans to protest vociferously against the governor, leading to his arrest by the Crown.
[ Gannon, Michael]
The Coming of the Judeo-Christian Religions to the Caribbean and Florida
On April 11, 1687, he was replaced by
Diego de Quiroga y Losado as governor of ''La Florida''.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cabrera, Juan Marquez
Royal Governors of La Florida
Governors of Honduras