La Florida was of utmost importance to the Spanish for two reasons: protecting their treasure fleets and their silver mines in central Mexico. It was a daunting task.
By the 1550s, the predictable route and schedule of the annual treasure fleet were well known to Spain’s European rivals and increasingly under attack. A new plan was devised to change the shipping route and build new roads and settlements.
Following Soto’s unsuccessful attempt at conquest of the Native Americans in Spanish Florida, Tristán de Luna was selected to carry out a more peaceful approach, including new port settlements on Pensacola Bay on the Gulf and Port Royal on the Atlantic, a new inland settlement in today’s northwest Georgia. Additionally, Luna was charged with the construction of new roads connecting the settlements, as well as one connecting them to the Mexican silver mines.
This strategy would avoid the dangerous sea route and create permanent settlements in most of their Florida colony which included most of southeast North America.
Although Spain’s plan was a good one, Luna faced a formidable task that was plagued with bad luck and poor leadership.