Migration to a Spanish Imperial Frontier in the 17th and 18th Centuries: St. Augustine

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Methodology
Results
Discussion
Conclusion
References

Introduction

The subject of migration to the United States dates back to the seventeenth and eighteenth century. Most Hispanic immigrants settled in St. Augustine, which was considered Florida’s colonial capital. Hispanic immigrants mainly consisted of Spanish-Americans and immigrants from the Iberian Peninsula, especially Spain and Portugal (Bense, 2021). Other immigrants included Indians from Mexico and blacks from Antilles and Carolina. The immigrants of St. Augustine differed in ethnicity, race, and place of origin and were forced to settle in the city to provide defense and labor to the Spanish Crown.

Methodology

Studies regarding the origin of migrants in St Augustine were majorly based on the data regarding their marriage and travel records. It was a necessary requirement for couples to disclose their place of origin to the authorities before marriage. These records were influenced by the Catholic belief of the city that took marriage sacraments seriously (Michael Francis & Tweet, 2021). Diseases and military expeditions in the city led to the death of many migrants, thus increasing the rate of remarriages. Other records of the immigrants’ origins were obtained from the data of passengers who boarded ships heading to St. Augustine, Florida (Michael Francis & Tweet, 2021). These records were taken by the Spanish authorities administering the state of Florida to control the number of immigrants entering the state.

Results

The quantitative analysis of the marriage and passenger records indicates that the settlement of migrants in the old city of Florida occurred in three phases. The first period comprised the city’s early inhabitants, which was a small population (Hunter, 2021). The small population did not offer the city defenses, making it exposed to various attacks by the pirates. The second phase of the settlement comprised a growing population that provided the city with adequate security and economic prosperity. This period was characterized by military and construction activities that aimed to strengthen the defenses of St. Augustine City (Hunter, 2021). It was during this period that the garrison of Castillo de San Marcos was constructed (Hunter, 2021). The need to distribute the garrison with various supplies led to increased settlement due to increased trade activities between Florida and outside traders.

The third period was characterized by a decline in the population of St. Augustin. One of the significant factors that negatively impacted the population was attacks by Carolina and English raids in the early 18th century (Hunter, 2021). Constant attacks destabilized the region and interrupted the supply of immigrants. The fourth period comprised the military stability and expansion leading to increased immigration, especially by the blacks from Carolina, thus creating the migration diversity of St. Augustine inhabitants.

Discussion

The first groups of settlers in the region were the Peninsulares, comprised of the Galicians and Canary Islanders, who were the majority. This group of migrants did not migrate on a large scale, and their population was slowly outnumbered by the incoming other immigrants, such as the Andalusians (Bense, 2021). By 1692, the Galicians had already reached their peak, while Canary Islanders reached their peak by 1756, during the second and third periods of St. Augustine development (Bense, 2021). During the third and fourth periods, the city experienced an extensive migration of New Spain inhabitants. New Spain comprised the territories of Mexico, Central America and the islands of the Caribbean Sea (Bense, 2021). The influx of migrants from New Spain outnumbered the population of the Galicians and the Canary Islanders. Given that most of the immigrants were from Spanish provinces, the second half of the seventeen century did not comprise a diversified ethnic population in St. Augustine.

The immigration of the black community diversified the population of St. Augustine significantly. Between 1733 and 1756, St. Augustine experienced an influx of black and mulato population which made up 11% of the population and was valued to be much higher than the white population (Petersen, 2022). The black community in St. Augustine was comprised of both slaves and freemen who had migrated from Spanish borderlands. Despite the high number of immigrants entering the city of St. Augustine, the majority of them were reluctant immigrants who had been forced into the city to provide defense from invading forces (Petersen, 2022). During the migration, St. Augustine was agriculturally unproductive and isolated, making it unattractive for migration (Michael Francis & Tweet, 2021). The Spanish Crown coordinated the shipping of these immigrants into the city to protect it from the threat posed by the French and the British.

Most of the migrants were soldiers, although a small portion of the population engaged in other economic activities such as trade to supply the City with the essentials to keep the soldiers motivated. The city had poor living conditions characterized by overpopulation and lack of adequate housing (Petersen, 2022). The soil was in poor condition and did not favor agricultural production. Besides, poor agricultural techniques resulted from a lack of cultivating experience by the majority of the migrants who were majorly recruited from prisons (Petersen, 2022). Therefore, most of the migrants occupying St. Augustine lacked the motivation to establish a civic lifestyle to improve their living conditions.

Andalusia was among the leading supplier of migrants to St. Augustine. This Spanish territory was regarded as one of the world’s leading sources of Spanish migration. Andalusia was often overpopulated, and the discovery of new territories such as S. Augustine allowed the Spanish province to offload the excess population (Petersen, 2022). Additionally, its ports were strategically located, facilitating trade between Spain and America. This strategic location increased the transportation of migrants to St. Augustine. Other Spanish provinces that were a significant source of migrants to St. Augustine were the Canabarian Provinces, including Santander, Galicia, and Basque (Michael Francis & Tweet, 2021). The Galicians formed the majority of the population in these provinces. However, due to overpopulation, there was a need to offload the excess population to new territories (Michael Francis & Tweet, 2021). Besides, most of the Galicians were farmers, and the growing population required fertile lands for cultivation, making the migration to America inevitable.

Spanish Americans from Mexico formed a significant number of migrants to St. Augustine. Mexican migrants were majorly brought to St. Augustine to provide labor for the construction of the Castillo de San Marcos (Hunter, 2021). Majority of the Mexican migrants comprised of the Mestizos, Zambos and Indians. The white governors of St. Augustine highly discriminated against this population. Most of the Mexican migrants were from overpopulated areas, and many of them had criminal records (Michael Francis & Tweet, 2021). Furthermore, Cubans formed another significant population of immigrants from New Spain (Michael Francis & Tweet, 2021). The majority of the Cuban migrants came from a higher social status comprising of businesspersons and craftsmen who were considered important for the economy of the city.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the migrant population of St. Augustine was highly diversified. It comprised migrants from Spanish provinces, New Spanish territories and Africa. St. Augustine was unattractive and agriculturally unproductive, making the living condition of the migrants poor. Besides, most migrants were forced into the city to offer defense from the threat of French and British forces. Additionally, a significant number of migrants were brought to St Augustine to provide labor for the construction of the Castillo de San Marcos. Some worked as slaves for the wealthy families that resided in the city.

References

Bense, J. A. (2021). Spanish Florida’s eighteenth-century presidios and the tale of their ceramics.Southeastern Archaeology, 40(4), 231-247. Web.

Hunter, G. (2021). On the rocks.Queen’s Quarterly, 128(2), 296-314. Web.

Michael Francis, J., & Tweet, H. (2021). Anatomy of a sixteenth-century Florida expedition: History, prosopography, and the 1566 Sancho de Archiniega armada.Colonial Latin American Review, 30(3), 361-388. Web.

Petersen, C. (2022). Capitalizing on heritage: St. Augustine, Florida, and the landscape of American racial ideology.City & Community, 15356841221101568. Web.

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