San Juan de Ulúa
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
San Juan de Ulúa is a large fortress on an island overlooking the seaport of Veracruz, Mexico. It was built in the Spanish colonial era, starting in 1565. It was expanded several times later.
In 1569, Spanish Navy succeeded in trapping the English fleet of Sir John Hawkins, including the young Francis Drake, at San Juan de Ulúa; the English barely succeeded in making their escape, a humiliating experience which affected Drake's later career.
Hakluyt (The Principal Navigations, Voiages, Traffiques and Discoueries of the English Nation", 1598–1600) claims that Drake and Hawkins were on a private venture, peacefully trading with the local colonial Spaniards in violation of Spanish law, when a Spanish naval fleet arrived. Despite suspicion of treachery, they allowed the Spaniards to take shelter under truce, between San Juan de Ulloa island, on an otherwise open coastline. They were then attacked by surprise. In fact Drake and Hawkins were perfectly capable of raiding, which they had probably done elsewhere on that voyage, and the trade was in negro slaves. These had been captured earlier from West Africa. But it does seem that they were trading at the time. The only real doubt is whether the colonists were doing so in case worse things should happen. http://www.nndb.com/people/186/000101880/
Hawkins and Drake escaped in "Minion" and "Judith", while their larger ships were taken or destroyed. The attack and subsequent hardships were instrumental in hardening the attitude of Drake in particular (whose had lived in poverty after his farming family were displaced by a Catholic rebellion) towards Catholicism and Spain.
The fortress was the last point in New Spain to be held by Spain, after the Mexican War of Independence. It surrendered to General Miguel Barragán in November 1825.
For much of the nineteenth century it served as a prison, especially for political prisoners. Many prominent Mexican politicians spent time here while they were not in power. Currently it is a museum.
San Juan de Ulúa is also where parts of Romancing the Stone were filmed.
 |
This article about a location in the Mexican state of Veracruz is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
