Even though the British and Spanish were deadly enemies in the 18th century, they still did business together under the table.
The Spanish were infamous for poorly supplying St. Augustine. At first, their mission system supplemented the town with food and labor. But after the British destroyed the missions in 1704, St. Augustine was in dire straits. Desperate for supplies, enterprising citizens secretly traded with the British colonies and ships anchoring off the town, which was illegal until 1740.
Archaeological remains of 18th-century St. Augustine reveal that British goods flooded the markets there. The most frequently found artifacts are decorative ceramic tableware, serving dishes, and clay tobacco pipes, but there also are luxury items such as perfume bottles, scissors, and lead seals from bundles of cloth.
Despite constant British attacks on Spanish St. Augustine and surrounding villages and ranches, there was a lively trade between the merchants.
Unearthing Florida is a project of WUWF Public Media, the Florida Public Archaeology Network(FPAN), and its founder, Dr. Judith Bense, since 1998. FPAN's Michael Thomin is a contributor to the program. WUWF's Sandra Averhart is the executive producer.
