The Spiritual Conquest of La Florida

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Abstract
Spanish exploration and colonization of the New World has long been characterized as a quest for "Gold, Glory, and God." This article examines the last of these motives, the religious aspects of colonization, as revealed through seventeenth‐century mortuary remains and documentary evidence from the Spanish territory known as La Florida. Data suggest that these missionized native populations underwent religious transformations that resulted in a unique expression of Christianity incorporating both European and native elements. Related data indicate that while religious conversion may have had a lasting impact, other native social and political institutions remained largely intact during the mission period. [missions, Native Americans, Spanish colonization, southeastern United States]