The Long History of Castillo de San Marcos
The Long History of the Castillo de San Marcos by Lisa Lofton
I thought it was essential to represent some of the main characters in the foreground of this painting - the moccasins signify the great chief Osceola who was held captive at the fort, and to the right, you will see a Spanish helmet and musket which signifies their occupation of the fort. The Spanish flag flies above the fort in this image to further depict the history of this local treasure in St Augustine, Florida.
Castillo de San Marcos and Fort Matanzas, both in present-day northeastern Florida, represent the best-preserved evidence of the Spanish Empire’s 287-year presence in southeastern North America. The oldest masonry fortification remaining in the continental United States, Castillo de San Marcos formed the core of a system of defenses built to protect St. Augustine, Florida, which was the first permanent European settlement in the continental United States. Fort Matanzas National Monument is located about 14 miles south of Castillo de San Marcos National Monument on Rattlesnake Island. The Spanish constructed Fort Matanzas between 1740 and 1742, designed as a series of towers along the Matanzas River from which soldiers watched for enemy ships entering the river that provided access to St. Augustine.
The fort’s history is also notable for its association with Chief Osceola, who led the Seminole Nation against the U.S. Army during the Second Seminole War. Beginning in 1835, the U.S. Army pursued Osceola and his band of warriors as they withdrew to avoid capture. In October 1837, Osceola arrived under the flag of truce in St. Augustine to negotiate with American government officials. Osceola was seized and imprisoned at Castillo de San Marcos (then Fort Marion). In December 1837, the army sent Osceola to Fort Moultrie, near Charleston, South Carolina, where he died on January 30, 1838. (Excerpt from NPS.GOV)
Details
Original
Acrylic
22 X 28 Framed