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Industry Historical Background |
 Southern
Oceans Archaeological Research Inc. conducted archival research at a
variety of repositories which focused on several facets of the St. Augustine
Maritime Survey during 1998. Searches were undertaken at archives in
the states of Florida, New York, Maryland, Virginia and at the Library
of Congress in Washington, DC, in addition to limited research in the
United Kingdom. Of chief interest were a series of letters between the
Commander of the British garrison at St. Augustine and the Commander-in-chief
of British Forces in North America. Their correspondence provided a
strong candidate as to the identity of the wreck.
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1. Spanish admiral Don Pedro
Menendez de Aviles established a permanent Spanish presence at St. Augustine
in September of 1565. The stone fortress Castillo de San Marcos was constructed
during 1672-1695 as protection from the British Colonies established in
nearby Georgia and South Carolina. |
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2. In 1763 Spain
ceded Florida to England as part of the negotiations that ended the Seven-Years
War. Establishing English control over a region that had been in
Spanish hands
for over 200 years would prove difficult. |
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3. Short on tools, money, and the
good will of the local inhabitants General Thomas Gage in New York ordered
supplies to be sent to the desperate garrison. The loss of the Industry
was a serious blow to the garrison. |
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4. In a letter to General Gage,
Major Ogilvie expressed his concerns over the wreck, the local population,
troubles with the natives of the region, and the survival of the colony
itself. |
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