Pensacola, Florida: ​'A Spanish Town'

En español: Pensacola, Florida: 'Un pueblo español'

By Miguel Pérez

Just before you enter the Pensacola Museum of History, where the city's Hispanic heritage is well documented, a historical marker reminds you that you are in "A Spanish Town."

But you don't need to read that marker to know that. When you are in this quaint and quiet town in Northwest Florida, you find yourself in a city that proudly promotes its Hispanic roots. Everywhere you turn in the downtown area, you see Spanish history and culture all around you.

"Though several European nations controlled Pensacola in its 460-history, Spain reigned the longest," the marker says. "Spain made Pensacola the capital city of West Florida, turning the small, rural town into a thriving municipal center. Two hundred years ago, the largest collection of buildings is this area housed the Spanish government offices."

As noted previously in this series, before Florida became part of the United States in 1821, Pensacola belonged to three foreign powers: Spain, France and England. And it went through three Spanish periods: From 1559 to 1719, from 1722 to 1763 and again from 1781 to 1821. No wonder you see so much Spanish culture here!

"Even after the United States took control of Pensacola, many citizens still spoke Spanish in social settings and conducted business with older currency," the historical marker explains. "The fabric of the city still displays much of its Spanish heritage through street names and popular festivals." That "older currency" used as the coinage in Pensacola was the Spanish real, which is on display in the museum.

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Pensacola is a treasure trove of Hispanic history and it is all well-documented and on display at the Pensacola Museum of History, formerly called the T.T. Wentworth, Jr. Florida State Museum.

​From the Tristan de Luna expedition, which established the first settlement here, to the Battle of Pensacola, where General Bernardo de Galvez led Spanish forces to defeat the British and turn the tide of the American Revolution (as covered in the two previous parts of this series), this museum has a lot of history to cover.

​​​Here you see maps which clearly illustrate the shifting territorial control of the Gulf Coast area.

​One exhibit in particular, shows that Spanish participation in the American Revolution, on the side of independence, was beneficial to Spain. "At the second Treaty of Paris, signed September 3, 1783, which ended the Revolutionary War," the exhibit explains, "Britain officially recognized the independence of the thirteen rebellious colonies and Spain's ownership of West Florida, and ceded East Florida to Spain. (See map).

Across the street from the museum is Plaza Ferdinand VII, a small park marking the spot where General Andrew Jackson "received West Florida from Spain and raised the flag of the U.S." on July 17, 1821. The Plaza features a fountain and a bust of General Jackson, with a plaque which notes that five flags "have been raised in turn, ten times over Pensacola," including the Spanish, French, British, American and Confederate flags. According to the plaque, erected in 1935 by the Pensacola Historical Society, "here was the center of life of the town and of the province of West Florida during the greater part of the colonial era."

General Andrew Jackson

After a short walk through Pensacola's "Seville Historic District," contemplating some very well preserved homes and buildings, you reach another small park, Seville Square, centered by a gazebo surrounded by beautiful oak trees, and marking the site where Presidio San Miguel once stood. San Miguel was one of three forts built by Spain in the 18th century to protect the western border of Spanish Florida from French intrusion from Louisiana. 

​"Although often under siege, undersupplied, and undermanned, presidios allowed Spain to maintain a foothold in Pensacola for almost 200 years," explains a museum exhibit that also describes their demise: "The French burned Presidio Santa Maria de Gale, and Presidio Isla de Santa Rosa was destroyed by a hurricane. Presidio San Miguel was peacefully overtaken by the British and demolished." ​In 1813, when the Spanish were back in control of Pensacola, Seville Square was designated as a public plaza by the Spanish government.

One of three presidios which protected Spanish Florida from French intrusion from Louisiana.

​The Pensacola Museum of History also documents
the other Spanish expeditions to Florida, including those that didn't necessarily reach Pensacola. Here you learn that the Pánfilo de Narváez expedition "may have entered or skirted Pensacola Bay in 1527, and that one of the few survivors of that expedition was Estevanico, who was "among the first Africans to explore North America."

Here you learn that although Hernando de Soto never made it to Pensacola during his historic 1539-43 expedition across the Southeast (also covered as part of this series), a side expedition led by one of De Soto's captains, Diego Maldonado, "spent two winters here, in 1540 and 1541, waiting for him to arrive. The wait was in vain as De Soto died far to the west near the Mississippi River."

​Here you learn about the Spanish Catholic missions established all over Florida (including two near Pensacola) and present-day Georgia from 1565 to 1763 — and how they struggled to survive.

​"The Catholic church faced many challenges in Florida, especially the migratory nature of the people they were trying to reach," an exhibit explains. "It was hard working with people who were constantly on the move. Poverty, hardship, hunger and near-slavery for the natives, disputes between churchmen and civil officials, violent revolts, and cruel suppressions also plagued the mission system." 

Dating from about the 1740s, the two mission near Pensacola, were San Antonio and San Joseph de Escambe, which marked the northernmost reach of Spanish influence from Pensacola. But in 1761, the exhibit says "attacks by English-led Creek Indians forced the Christian Indians to abandon their villages and move into Presidio San Miguel de Penzacola for protection. The attackers destroyed the villages and all outlying Spanish haciendas. Despite the efforts of Jesuit priests and Franciscan friars, the missions and most of Florida's Native people did not survive the events occurring between 1656 and 1763."

Yet there is one that has been reconstructed and serves as a "living history museum" in Tallahassee, which is our next stop. Are you coming?