Nahuatl Holdings of the Benson Latin American Collection of the University of Texas at Austin

Latin American Studie

Nobility, Family, and Service: Menéndez and His Men

The conquest of Florida by the Spanish has been described by Eugene Lyon and other important scholars. Nevertheless, it is sometimes forgotten that Florida was only a small and relatively unimportant part of Spain’s vast American empire. Yet those conquistadors and their followers who came to Florida are an interesting lot. This is particularly true of these men who served with Menéndez in Florida, a group of whom ended their lives and careers in Mexico. An examination of their activities reveals the ties of family, the status of nobility, and the importance of royal service