Update: Castillo de San Marcos National Monument

Package from Castillo de San Marcos NM

Hello Junior Rangers! Today I was very surprised with a TON of envelopes (okay maybe just five. But still—a lot!) from all over the place. These are responses to the packages I sent about a week and a half ago. Oh, mail is so fun. :)  I am going to start with Castillo de San Marcos and post about the others individually later on.

So first, the backstory:

About a week and a half ago, I posted that I mailed out a ton of completed Junior Ranger books that I either got from online or from my road trip in April (You can read about that here). Castillo de San Marcos NM was one of those and now they sent a return envelope. 

Here’s what was inside:

Castillo de San Marcos NM Junior Ranger
Badge and Master Junior Ranger Patch

Castillo de San Marcos Junior Ranger Badge – awarded for completing the Castillo de San Marcos Junior Ranger Book (which was NOT returned; they kept it, or threw it out or who knows what happened to it. It was weird that they didn’t return it because they typically always do… Oh well.)

Castillo de San Marcos Master Junior Ranger Patch – awarded for completing the Castillo de San Marcos Master Junior Ranger activities in addition to the Junior Ranger book activities. (I’m wondering if that’s why they kept the book. Don’t know.)

Letter from Ranger Samantha

Letter from Samantha, a Park Ranger: This was nice; just kind of a general letter acknowledging that I completed the program, etc. I had asked if there was anything special you get for completing the program at both St Augustine parks, but I guess not because she just asked me to send in my Ft Matanzas book so she could give me the badge and patch for it. (I later learned that I probably could have sent both books to the same place because both sites are administered by the same office).

And that’s it! It was a nice reward for completing the book. Please read about the Castillo and it's history, which I have posted below, and check it out the next time you’re in North Florida; they have cool cannon demonstrations. :D But in the meantime…

Explore On, Junior Ranger! :)

Want your own Castillo de San Marcos Junior Ranger badge and Master Junior Ranger patch? Download the activity book online, complete the requisite activities and mail it back to the park (Castillo de San Marcos NM, Attn: Junior Ranger Program, 1 South Castillo Drive, Saint Augustine, Florida 32084). You’ll get a badge and Master Junior Ranger patch. :)

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About Castillo de San Marcos National Monument

Contemporary View of Castillo de San Marcos NM
Photo Courtesy nps.gov

Things to Do

Visiting Castillo de San Marcos National Monument, like visiting many other NPS sites, is a self-guided experience. You can explore the fortress by wandering through it and reading and experiencing the various exhibits. There are brochures and maps to guide you around the site (be sure to grab your Junior Ranger book, too). There is also a video about the Castillo’s history and demonstrations of the historical weapons used by those who guarded the fort.

There are also various Ranger Programs available with topics including the park history and culture. Re-enactors in period dress walk around the fort and periodically give historical weapons demonstrations (like how they used cannons—very cool). They also talk about life with the colonists who settled in St Augustine.

It is very important to note that although the fortress has been around for almost 350 years, it is very, very fragile. According to the NPS, most of the damage sustained to the Castillo over the years has been a result of the thousands of people who visit this historical site. Although the coquina the fortress is built from is obviously strong enough to last all this time, it is easily susceptible to wear. Please be careful when you visit the fort. As tempting as it may be, do not climb, stand or sit on any of the fort walls.

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The Architecture and Construction of Castillo de San Marcos

Contemporary View of the Castillo
de San Marcos. An example of
"Bastion System" of fortification.
Photo Courtesy nps.gov

Built from 1672-1695, Castillo de San Marcos has distinct construction properties, and is unique in North American architecture. It is the only surviving 17th century military construction and as the oldest masonry fortress in the United States, it is regarded as the best-preserved example of a Spanish colonial fortification. The Castillo’s “bastion system” of architecture is a product of years of military defense engineering, and a testament to the skill and craftsmanship of those who envisioned and built it.

This “bastion system” of architecture was developed in Italy in the 15th century. It is named for the projecting “diamond-” or “angle-” shaped formations which were added to the fort walls. This star design was an adaptation developed to work with “modern” technology: black powder weapons.

Black powder weapons changed the face of warfare which necessitated new types of defensive structures that would both withstand and avoid the impact of the newly developed cannon projectiles, and at the same time, be able to support the cannon mounts necessary to repel their attackers. Of the many architectural variations that existed at the time, the “bastion system” was the most common and most effective variation in use.

Coquina Stone
Photo Courtesy wikipedia.org

Another thing that makes the Castillo so unique is the materials used to build it. It is made of a semi-rare form of limestone called coquina. It is so unique, in fact, that there is only one other fortification in the world made of this stone: Fort Matanzas, located a mere 14 miles south of the Castillo.

The coquina stone is very light and porous in nature, so at first glance it would seem like a poor choice in material to construct a defensive fort. The problem was that it was the only stone available on the northeast coast of Florida, thereby leaving the Spaniards with very little choice in the matter. Unexpectedly, the porous nature of the stone turned out to have a large benefit: the stone contains millions of microscopic air pockets, which makes it compressible. This property is very, very useful! For example: if you fire a cannon ball into a solid material like brick, it would shatter the wall into projectile shards; however, if you fire a cannon ball into the wall of the Castillo, it would actually burrow into the rock and remain stuck there. So the Spaniards discovered that the thick coquina walls would absorb or deflect projectiles rather than crumble. This made the coquina stone a fine choice for constructing the fort.

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History of the Castillo

Many flags have flown atop Castillo de San Marcos throughout its long history, including the Spanish (1695-1763), the British (1763-1784), the Spanish again (1784-1821), the United States (1821-1861), the Confederate States of America (1861-March 1862) and the United States again (1862-1900).  These changes in its occupancy came only through military agreements or as a result of political treaties. The Castillo was never taken by force!

Castillo de San Marcos: Defender of Spanish Treasure

For many years, Castillo de San Marcos served as the northernmost outpost of Spain’s vast empire in the New World, guarding St Augustine, the first permanent European settlement in the continental United States. This fortress played an important role as a strategic military post in the New World, anchoring the defenses of East Florida and protecting St Augustine from pirate raids and Great Britain (Spain’s major rival) during a time when the Florida east coast up through the Carolinas was a volatile international battleground.

This map illustrates the routes used to sail to Spain
and shows the strategic location of St Augustine.
Image Courtesy nps.gov

The need for defenses arose during a time when Spanish galleons made voyages between the motherland and her territories in the Caribbean, Mexico, Central and South Americas. These “treasure fleets” carried sugar, tobacco, chocolate, silver, gold and many other treasures from the territories back to Spain, which in Renaissance Europe,  was the region’s most powerful and envied nation.

Because of Ponce de Leon’s travels in 1513, the Spanish navigators who sailed these treasure fleets (and their enemies) knew that the best return route to Spain was along the Gulf Stream, through the Bahama Channel and past the shores of Florida. The Spanish knew that in order to prevent their enemies from using Florida harbors as safe havens to raid the passing treasure fleets, they had to fortify and defend the Florida peninsula.

Spain v. France

Don Pedro Menendez de Aviles
Image Courtesy of nps.gov

Florida was claimed by the Spanish in 1513 after Ponce de Leon’s expedition there; but France gained the first position there by establishing Fort Caroline on the St Johns River in 1564. The Spanish saw this as an obvious challenge to Spain’s claim on the territory and a potential threat to their treasure fleets. In response, King Philip II sent an expedition to eliminate the French threat and to establish settlements in Florida. The expedition group, led by Don Pedro Menendez de Aviles, arrived to St Johns River in September 1565. He was unsuccessful in boarding the French ships that were anchored there. Afterward, Menendez sailed farther south and established St Augustine to use as a base for further operations against the French.

The French immediately sent a fleet south to attack the Spanish settlement at St Augustine, but a violent storm caused them to be wrecked. Anticipating that Fort Caroline would be less-guarded, the Spanish headed northward, capturing the fort and executing a majority of its inhabitants.

The survivors from the wreck of the French fleet were also captured and killed at an inlet 14 miles south of St Augustine. Afterward, that area became known as Matanzas, which is Spanish for “slaughters.”

Spain v. England

England also wanted to have a piece of Florida. The Spanish were closely watching the English after Sir Frances Drake attacked and burned St Augustine in 1586, and became more wary after they settled Jamestown (Virginia) in 1607. The English established another settlement in Charleston (Carolina) in 1670. This, combined with the attack on St Augustine by British pirates two years earlier in 1668, was the impetus Spain needed to build the Castillo de San Marcos.

Construction Begins

Construction began in 1672 and the fort was completed in 1695. The Castillo replaced nine wooden fortifications that had protected St Augustine since the early days of its founding. The fort’s prominent location on the west bank of Matanzas bay allowed its guns to protect both the harbor entrance and the ground to the north; they would be able to defend against both land and sea attacks.

The First Test

View of Castillo de San Marcos from
Anastasia Island (Early Dauguerrotype)
Image Courtesy nps.gov

The Castillo endured its first test when the British came down from Charleston, Carolina to lay siege against the city in November 1702. During the War of the Spanish Succession, the British, led by Governor Moore, managed to occupy St Augustine; however, they were unsuccessful in capturing the fort, despite their 50-day effort to do so. They were finally pushed back by the arrival of a relief fleet from Havana that trapped the British ships within St Augustine’s harbor. This forced Governor Moore to burn his own ships in order to escape capture by the Spanish. The British did not leave amicably, however; they burned the town as they left. Amazingly, the Castillo remained unscathed. This came to be known as the “baptism of fire” and was a symbolic link between the old St Augustine of 1565 and the new city that “rose from the ashes.”

The City and Castillo are Fortified

West Fort Wall looking southeast, showing the beginning
of the Cubo defensive line. Photo Courtesy nps.gov

After the British siege in 1702, an effort was made to strengthen the defenses of the Castillo and St Augustine. The Castillo gained a new interior: vaulted arch ceilings were constructed to make the rooms “bombproof,” thereby making them better suited to protect the precious supplies stored inside. The addition of these vaulted ceilings made it possible for the heavy garrison guns to be positioned around the entire gun-deck rather than only in the bastions. In order to accommodate the new vaults, the fortress walls were raised from their original 26-foot height to the 33-foot height we see today.

In addition to fortifying the Castillo, the Spanish constructed earthwork lines on the north and west sides of St Augustine. The city was now walled to protect their homes and property from being destroyed again; however Matanzas Inlet was still unfortified.

The British Try Again

General James Oglethorpe
Image Courtesy
Wikimedia Commons

The need to correct that error became apparent in 1740 when General James Oglethorpe’s British troops from Fort Federica (Georgia) attacked St Augustine. He established a blockade in Matanzas Inlet after successfully taking Fort San Diego, Fort Picolotta and Fort Mose. Oglethorpe placed troops and cannons on Anastasia Island to fire upon St Augustine and the Castillo. His intent was to cause Manuel de Montiano (Governor of Florida) to surrender the city and the fortress to the British. Oglethorpe viciously attacked the Castillo, but this 27-day bombardment by the British was also unsuccessful; his cannonballs were no match for the unique coquina walls of the fort, which absorbed the blasts instead of crumbling.

Oglethorpe’s attack showed the Spanish that Matanzas Inlet had important strategic value and required a strong outpost to defend it. Fort Matanzas would be the answer to that problem and it was completed in 1742 to protect the southern approach to St Augustine.

Great Britain Finally Controls the Castillo

King George III
Image Courtesy
Wikimedia Commons

In 1763, the Spanish ceded Florida to Great Britain in exchange for La Habana, Cuba, as a result of the Seven Years’ War and the Treaty of Paris which ended it. On July 21, 1763, the governor of Florida turned it over to King George III. The Castillo would now be known as Fort St Mark (the English translation of the existing name). When the Spanish left the territory, the British felt no need to maintain the fort as well as the Spanish did because they held all of eastern North America. This quickly changed with the dawn of the American Revolution when King George III realized how important his “loyal St Augustine” could be. In 1775, the British wasted no time in fortifying the city and the Castillo and stationing troops there. The Fort became the regimental headquarters of the area and also served as a prison for captured patriots.

During the Revolutionary War, in an attempt to regain Florida, Spain joined the fighting by declaring war against Great Britain in 1779. The Spanish did not have time to forcibly take St Augustine before the war ended, but their gamble in entering the war paid off. On July 12, 1784, Spanish troops returned to St Augustine after a treaty settlement at the end of the Revolutionary War returned Florida to Spain. The two forts (the Castillo and Fort Matanzas) would survive the American Revolution.

Spain Regains the Castillo

The Treaty of Paris of 1783, which ended the war, returned Florida to Spain. The Spanish changed the name back to Castillo de San Marcos. Florida had changed dramatically in the 20 years the Spanish had been gone. Border problems in the Americas were greatly increased and Spain was having trouble with her colonies in South America. The Spanish clung on to Florida until 1821, when tension between Spain and the US Government along with pressure from its other territories came to a head and led Spain to its decision to sell Florida to the United States on July 20.

The American Period to Today

The Americans would rename the Castillo Fort Marion after the Revolutionary War General Francis Marion. It would be converted to a prison and used to house Indian prisoners during the Seminole War (1835-42).

In 1845, Florida was admitted into the Union as a state, but would later secede in December of 1860 to join the Confederate States of America. It was briefly occupied by Confederate troops during the Civil War, but Fort Marion was in Union hands for the majority of the conflict, as it was signed over to Union commanders by Confederate authorities in January 1861. The city would later be taken on March 11, 1862 without firing a single shot: the Confederates had vacated the area and the local authorities were willing to surrender in order to preserve the city.

In the 1870s and 1880s, it was again used as a prison for Indians during the “Manifest Destiny” westward expansion era. Later, during the Spanish-American war, it would be used as a military prison. 

At the end of the 19th century, after 205 years of service under six different flags, Castillo de San Marcos was finally removed from the roster of active bases in 1900 and was made a national monument in 1924.

Sources: nps.gov, staugustine.com