Ayllón, Lucas Vásquez de

Ayllón, Lucas Vásquez de (lOO'käs väs'kāth dā īlyōn') [key], c.1475–1526, Spanish explorer. He emigrated in 1502 to Santo Domingo, where he became a public official. In 1521, Francisco Gordillo, sent by Ayllón to explore northward, seems to have landed in either Florida or South Carolina. Ayllón secured title and permission to colonize. In 1526 he sailed with three ships and about 500 settlers, landing probably in North Carolina, though some authorities claim it was on the site of the later Jamestown, Va. Fever and other hardships plagued the settlers, and when Ayllón died of fever, the survivors returned to Santo Domingo.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2007, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

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