Weaponry
Armor and Weaponry of the Spaniards
Explorers and their armies wore protective clothing and headwear and carried weapons for fighting. Although some officers may have had suits of metal plate armor, common soldiers wore chain mail shirts and thick cotton armor. Chain mail was constructed of small interlocking steel or iron rings and offered protection from slashing weapons. However, in Florida, it was not as effective against the arrows of Native warriors, which could splinter upon impact and pass between the rings. Spaniards had observed Aztec warriors in Mexico wearing thick, quilted cotton garments and adopted them for their own use. They offered more protection against arrows than chain mail.
Weapons consisted of the crossbow, sword, halberd, and arquebus. The crossbow, a common weapon of the early sixteenth century, shot a sharp pointed projectile called a quarrel or bolt. A halberd was a type of pole arm that had been used in Europe for centuries. The matchlock arquebus was a firearm that appeared in Europe about 1450. It eventually replaced the crossbow, though it was fairly inaccurate. Conquistadors used horses and war dogs as well.
Helmet (reproduction)
Helmets were required gear for Spanish soldiers. This type of helmet is known as a morion. Metal armor was difficult to preserve in humid environments.
Spanish Cup-Hilt broadsword, ca. 1700–1800
The sword was the most common weapon used by Spaniards and most effective in close-range fighting. The metal guard
on the hilt of the sword protected the hand during combat. This type of broadsword was made in the Americas for use in
the Caribbean area.
Collection of the Museum of Florida History
Native Weapons
Spaniards regarded Florida Native people as brave and skilled warriors. Their weapons included bows and arrows, spears, various types of wooden clubs, and more. The Apalachee, Tocobaga, and Calusa were known for their powerful and accurate arrows.
The bow and arrow was an important weapon used by Florida Native people. The curved bow, usually sixty to seventy inches long, was made from wood. The bowstring was made of deerskin. The shaft of the arrow was made from cane or wood, with sharp points attached at one end.
“The Indians we had so far seen in Florida are all archers.... The bows they use are as thick as the arm, of eleven or twelve palms in length, which they will discharge at two hundred paces with so great precision they miss nothing.”
From Alvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca’s account of his experiences in La Florida.
Outina, With the Help of the French, Gains a Victory over His Enemy Potanou
This image shows some of the weapons Native warriors used in combat.
Engraving published by Theodor de Bry in Grand Voyages (1591), after watercolors by Jacques Le Moyne de Morgues, courtesy of the State Archives of Florida
Shark’s teeth club (reproduction)
The Calusa, who were regarded as fierce warriors, embedded sharks’ teeth in their clubs.
