“Some people, moved by malice and excessive envy, have accused Spain of having brought dominion over the whole of the New World at no greater outlay of fortune than the expenditure of stupid and persistent madmen.”
- Garcilaso de la Vega
Calderon’s Company is a group of “living-history” volunteers based at De Soto National Memorial, in Bradenton, Florida. The organization is named after Captain Pedro Calderón, who was left in charge of the base camp and port with approximately 100 soldiers and sailors, when Hernando de Soto began his entrada into La Florida in June of 1539. Members of the company have since 1993 researched, sewn period clothing, constructed arms and armor, and portrayed the garrison life of these sixteenth-century conquistadors in the Tampa Bay area. Additionally, Calderon’s Company has done public demonstrations at various State Parks and museums throughout Florida and on occasion elsewhere in the U.S. As well, the group also frequently participates at sixteenth century reenactments in St. Augustine and has participated in a number film/video projects for museum exhibits and commercial television.
Introduction to the Site
I hope to provide in this website articles of interest to the sixteenth century Spanish colonial re-enactor. As was mentioned above our primary portrayal is that of the 1539 Hernando de Soto entrada and more particularly that of Captain Pedro Calderón 's garrison. We also on occasion adopt the personas of some of the other less well known expeditions into Florida, including those of Juan Ponce de Leon (1513 & 1521), Panfilo de Narvaez (1528), Tristan de Luna, (1559) and the Menendez Era (1565 & 1586). The Expedition of Hernando de Soto itself is unusually well documented in that there are three first-hand accounts (without getting into the scholarly debate a to who may have stole what from who) and one extensive, if exaggerated, second-hand narrative along with a chronicle fragment, numerous court records and official letters. Still, even with this much information available there are no surviving muster/equipment lists, or manifests,a manual of arms or even standardized uniforms as with other later periods of re-enactment. Consequently, the original chronicles have to be examined carefully for small details, and other similar expeditions of the sixteenth-century have to be studied in order to create an impression supplemented with information from extremely rare but invaluable archaeological finds. In roughly descending order we study the Hernando de Soto expedition, other entradas in La Florida, the Spanish expeditions in the Southwest, other contemporary explorations in the Americas, and military science in Spain/Europe during the time of the conquest of the New World. Therefore the content on this site includes biographies, costuming, details from the history of expeditions, reviews of books and the best of conquistador movies, OK, any conquistador movies. Also, excerpts from those who have gone before in re-creating various aspects of the conquest as well as accounts of the food of the conquistadors, and of course its complement.
Sixteenth Century Reenactment in Florida
For those of you who are not familiar with sixteenth century
reenactment
and living history in Florida, I hope that this quick overview of some
of the major events will serve. De
Soto National
Memorial
has been presenting a living history program during the winter season
(day
after Christmas-Easter) for park visitors since 1973. The park rangers
in period clothing interpret the history, arms, armor, and daily life
of
the De Soto expedition. As time allows members of the
Company will join the rangers at the park, in particular for the Camp
opening in December, the Landing reenactment at the end of the season
and for other special events.
The Men of Menéndez in St. Augustine hold three major events during the year. In late January/Early February there is the School of the 16th Century, an intensive school with classes on weapons handling and drill (cannon, musket, sword, pike, etc.), food, clothing, recreation, and daily life. Drake’s Raid, a re-enactment of Sir Francis Drake’s attack and burning of St. Augustine in 1586 takes place in early June. An encampment and demonstrations are held during the day with a battle between the English and Spanish forces occurring at dusk on downtown's St. George's street. The Menéndez Landing occurs in early September at the Catholic Church's Mission of Nombre de Dios, site of the original landing. The event is a re-enactment of Pedro Menéndez’s Landing of Troops and colonists on the Shores of St. Augustine. Many other events highlighting the First Encounters of Europeans with Native People are held throughout the year and around the state.
For more information on the sixteenth and seventeenth century
reenactment groups and
events in Florida I highly recommend joining the Yahoo: Early
Florida / Southeastern History
email discussion group.
Content:
This is divided up into a number broad catagories as follows, most of which contain several related articles and occasional cross linking between catagories.
Living History/Reenactment
-Timothy Burke-<):{)}
Calderon's Company
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