Juan Márquez Cabrera

Juan Marquez Cabrera was a Spanish military thar exerted as governor of Honduras (1668 - 1672) and Florida (1680 - 1687).

Career

Early years and early of his Florida Government

Juan Márquez Cabrera joined to Spanish Army in his youth, place where he stressed, becoming in Sergeant Major of the Army.

In 1668, he was appointed governor of Honduras,^[1] office he occupied until 1672.^[2]

Later, in 28 September 1680, he was appointed governor of Florida in replacement of Pablo de Hita y Salazar.^[3] He arrived to province November 30 of that year. On his arrived, Hita y Salazar gave him a report that included a detailed outline of the progress made by him in St. Augustine until then. In this report, he explained the many changes he had in the Castillo de San Marcos. However, none of these changes corresponded to the original plans, that commissioned him the crown.

Governor Cabrera made a series of investigations that concluded with the numbers of materials and structures carried out in St. Augustine by Hita y Salazar and he said the report that gave him Hita y Salazar was false. His engineers found many errors in the structures which he commanded to do, especially in reference to some walls and bastions, which were unstable because their bases were incomplete.^[4]

He, as the three previous governors, worked hard at building the Castillo de San Marcos.^[5]

Moreover, In addition to establishing an unpopular tax in Florida, Cabrera ordered anyone cattle that were to be sacrificed, was taken to a private slaughterhouse, which he owned, in San Augustine. In addition, he assigned soldiers to work on his ranch and the ranches of his friends.

However, Cabrera used livestock to feed their soldiers and leverage government money for their own benefit.^[6]

The English and French threat

In February 1683, Cabrera received warnings from the Havana "by way of San Marcos de Apalachee and from Indians to South Saint Augustine" an attack on the French and English pirates tried to do against Sain Augustine from the Bahamas. So, Cabrera decided to protect the presidio creating two new fortified towers, one of which was established in Ayamón and the other was made in the northern town beach. In addition, Cabrera called the inhabitants of the Sain Augustine Castillo de San Marco (even when this was not fully constructed), he established his garrison and militia troops in the possible landing of boats.^[7]

Moreover, in 1683 he formed a company of free mulatto and black militia in St. Augustine.^[5] It consisted of 42 men and six officers. In 1686 the Black militia already formed part the Spanish troops that fought against Carolinas troops in his intent of invading Florida.^[8][7]

After hearing news about that British pirates heading to Saint Augustine, Cabrera sent Captain Antonio Arguelles with a forty musketeers to ambush them. The fight against pirates enjoyed rapid withdrawal from them.

Hita y Salazar and the Franciscans of Saint Augustine accused to Cabrera of hide in the fort when he should have tried to protect the city. In addition, Florida residents were able to stay in the castle for a long time even after the pirates leave Florida.^[7]

In August 1686 Juan Marques Cabrera, who was in South Carolina, made an attack against the English settlement at Port Royal, that caused its destruction, but a storm stopped their movement to Charles Town.^[5]

The English and French pirates were defeated by the troops of Cabrera and they were punished to work on the construction of the Castillo de San Marcos, along with the citizens of Florida.^[7]

Last years his Florida´s Government

In addition, in this year (1686), Marqués Cabrera, organized several expeditions: One was military and was under direction of Tomás de León and was made to attack the Port Royal, South Carolina, destroying the English settlement there established.^[9] Also, Cabrera assigned to Marcos Delgado to lead a troop of 13 soldiers and 40 Amerindians with firearms to explore and observe the provinces and territories localized between San Luis de Apalache and the port and bay of Espirito Santo in the Gulf of New Spain.^[10]

Moreover, the administration of Cabrera negatively affected and abused of the Amerindians, Criollos, Native Christians (who were sent to the Castillo of San Marcos, still under construction, to that they exercise in it forced labor along a convicted and black slaves), widows; Mexicans and Cubans (these last were used to make wells). This caused the Franciscans protested against the governor and he was jailed ^[11] in 11 April 1687, being replaced by Diego de Quiroga y Losado in the Florida´s government.^[3]

References