National Portal to Historic Collections

On August 15, 1559, Spanish conquistador Tristán de Luna and his 1,400 person expedition arrived in Pensacola Bay. Luna brought over 100 Aztec warriors to protect the expedition against European rivals on the high seas, promising freedom for the warriors' families in Mexico. A hurricane on September 19 doomed the mission, as many of the supply ships sank, including the ship carrying the Aztec pottery. Because of the hurricane, many of the soldiers were trapped in Florida, and the Aztecs later sued the Spanish viceroy when they returned to Mexico and found their wives and children in slavery.