Peter Ferdinando | University of North Carolina at Charlotte (original) (raw)

Dissertation and Thesis by Peter Ferdinando

Published Papers by Peter Ferdinando

JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, a... more JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact support@jstor.org.

Upcoming Papers by Peter Ferdinando

Sixteenth-century Spanish cosmographer Juan López de Velasco’s “Descriptive Geography about ... more Sixteenth-century Spanish cosmographer Juan López de Velasco’s “Descriptive Geography about the Government of Florida,” drawn from his Geografía y Descripción Universal de las Indias (1574), is a significant primary source about Florida. It represented a summation of the state of knowledge about both Spanish and indigenous Florida following Pedro Menéndez de Avilés’ conquest and settlement there in the 1560s. Florida historians previously have used short segments from López, but the entire Florida section has not been available in English translation or analyzed as a complete unit. This oversight is noteworthy. López included unique ethnohistorical information, along with descriptive and geographical data that is useful for a number of reasons, including application to the current debate about the location of French Fort Caroline.
My translation of López includes annotations highlighting pertinent cultural details, points where López errs, other relevant primary and secondary sources, and some translation notes or alternate interpretations. It is preceded by a lengthy introductory essay that helps contextualize both López and his work. In particular, I examine López’s life and the discipline of cosmography, discuss the scope of López’s Geografía, and ruminate on López’s possible sources for the Florida section of his text, including the likely flow of information from Hernando de Escalante Fontaneda and Pedro Menéndez Marqués.

Status: Manuscript completed and submitted to a journal.

The Belle Glade archaeological site is located close to the southeastern shore of Lake Okeechobee... more The Belle Glade archaeological site is located close to the southeastern shore of Lake Okeechobee in Palm Beach County, Florida. The site consists of a midden (8PB40) and a burial mound (8PB41), with the latter including intricately carved wooden animals and other apparent ceremonial elements. Despite sizable excavations in the 1930s (Sterling 1935; Willey 1949a) and several salvage digs in the 1970s (Purdy 1991; Sublett n.d.), the dating of the burial mound’s components remained unclear. This hampers comparisons to other Lake Okeechobee Archaeological Area sites. This is especially the case with Fort Center (8GL13), a site located to the northwest of Lake Okeechobee. This site is famous for its mound-pond ceremonial complex, which included similar carved wooden animals to those found at the Belle Glade site (Sears 1982; Purdy 1991). Indeed, these similarities led Purdy (1991:79) to tentatively assign the ceremonial peak of the Belle Glade burial mound to A.D. 200-600, reflecting a similar date range to the mound-pond complex at Fort Center. The primary purpose of this paper is to presents two radiocarbon dates for the Belle Glade burial mound, which aid with developing a chronology for the various components of that mound. This new timeline suggests that the ceremonial peak of the Belle Glade site was, in fact, after the collapse of the mound-pond complex at Fort Center. Consequently, rather than contemporaneous and equivalent centers operating around the lake, there is evidence for cycling between several prominent locations. Such cycling between different centers across a regional landscape is often a fundamental element of complex socio-political organization. Thus, the secondary purpose of this paper is to discuss the implications of this cycling, along with several other aspects indicating complexity, leading to the proposal that Fort Center and Belle Glade operated as successive centers around Lake Okeechobee.

Status: Manuscript pending revision and resubmission after peer review.

Book Reviews by Peter Ferdinando

Conference Papers and Posters by Peter Ferdinando

The Ais Indians were the hegemonic power on Florida's central and southern east coast from the si... more The Ais Indians were the hegemonic power on Florida's central and southern east coast from the sixteenth through the eighteenth centuries. They lived at the borderland of Spanish power coming from St. Augustine, with their territory running along the Indian River south of Cape Canaveral. This placed the Ais at an advantageous position to recover shipwrecked Europeans and their goods. They exercised influence on the Santa Lucia, Jobe, Jeaga, and Tequesta to the south, but were themselves subject to the powerful Calusa of southwest Florida.

Spanish Florida led his men through a hurricane to defeat the French at Fort Caroline, killed two... more Spanish Florida led his men through a hurricane to defeat the French at Fort Caroline, killed two groups of shipwrecked Frenchmen at the infamous Matanzas Inlet, and established St. Augustine, the first permanent European settlement in what would become the United States. One place he failed, however, was his relationship with the Florida Indians (cf. Arnade 1960). In the mid-sixteenth century, the Spanish presence was too weak and the south Florida Indians too strong for Menendez to effectively pursue his dual Florida enterprise of colonization and missionization. Despite several short period of peace, violence was the predominant Indian-Spanish interaction in this region. The situation deteriorated until Menendez called for the enslavement of south Florida's Indians in 1573. To bolster his petition for, as he called it, "a war of fire and blood," with "those taken alive…sold as slaves…to the neighboring islands, Cuba, Santo Domingo, Puerto Rico (Connor 1925: 35)," Menendez's submission to the Spanish Council of the Indies included nine additional witness testimonies. These testimonies were full of stories that lauded the actions of the Spanish, especially Menendez, and demonized the Indians as violent and heathens (Connor 1925).

Status: Manuscript completed and submitted to a journal.

Status: Manuscript pending revision and resubmission after peer review.

NOTE: I wrote this paper a number of years as an excuse to gain experience with the wide range of... more NOTE: I wrote this paper a number of years as an excuse to gain experience with the wide range of bioarchaeological methods for determining stature. It is very much a rough draft, as reflected in the grammar and prose. Nonetheless, while it lacks polish and focuses on a single skeleton, the question it poses about stature method applicability for southern Florida osteological samples remains open. I may return to this topic one day, but I figured I would upload the paper in hope that someone else would examine this issue. PF, June 2015

Abstract
This paper presents a brief examination of stature estimation in prehistoric southern Florida. Skeletal remains from this area during the Regional Cultures period (ca. 1000 B.C. - A.D. 1763) are often extremely fragmentary, disarticulated, commingled, or a combination thereof. Thus, the discovery of a relatively complete skeleton from the Belle Glade site (8PB41, BG-75-1A) allows for comparative testing of many commonly utilized techniques for estimating stature. For example, mathematically derived regression equations for the limb bones complied from European, African, East Asian, Mexican, precontact Mesoamerican, and prehistoric Ohio Native American populations, along with several other methods utilizing the metacarpals, metatarsals, and the calcaneus. Previously, no examination has been undertaken to determine if any of these non-local groups are applicable to precontact south Florida, and which approach, if any, most accurately reflects living stature.
The anatomical method was employed to determine living stature of BG-75-1A. It has been suggested that this technique provides the best estimation of stature. This permits comparison to the aforementioned mathematically derived equations. Consequently, it was possible to determine which formulas provide the best indicator of living stature in this single case. While one individual cannot represent an entire population, some comments can be made on the applicability of the various stature estimation techniques to the wider prehistoric populace of southern Florida.

AMH2041 offers a survey of American history from the late fifteenth century to the middle of the ... more AMH2041 offers a survey of American history from the late fifteenth century to the middle of the nineteenth century. In this class we will examine the European exploration and colonization of the Americas, the trade in enslaved Africans, the American Imperial Crisis and War of Independence, the fraught creation of the American Republic, the numerous political, economic socio-cultural, and religious developments in the United States during the first half of the 1800s, and the US Civil War. While it is impossible to cover everything about American Civilization during a single semester, I will present both a broad overview of the major events and interpretations of American history, and also dive deeper into the specifics of certain crucial moments. In fact, the textbook and my lectures complement each other, with the former offering breadth and the latter depth. Finally, be warned that this course counts as one of your writing credits, and thus there will be numerous reading and writing assignments.

This course covers the first three hundred years of American history (ca. 1565-1865), starting wi... more This course covers the first three hundred years of American history (ca. 1565-1865), starting with North America on the eve of colonization and ending with the Civil War. Throughout the semester we will cover the multiple historical threads that weave together to make American history. This will include topics such as the liberties of Englishmen, the ideology of the Founding Fathers, the changes wrought on Native American society, the complex story of African-Americans in the New World, and how women fared in post-Revolution America.

This course examines the nineteenth-century American West from a number of perspectives including... more This course examines the nineteenth-century American West from a number of perspectives including that of explorers, settlers, ranchers, missionaries, farmers, miners, and even historians. Moreover, this class will explore and challenge the Turnerian idea of the role of the expansion of the white American frontier. In particular, using elements from the New Western History, we will examine the role of various indigenous and other peoples who lived in the west. Finally, this course will investigate the American West through historical documents and popular culture.

As the populace of the British American colonies confronted the imperial crisis of the eighteenth... more As the populace of the British American colonies confronted the imperial crisis of the eighteenth century they participated in one of the defining moments of world history. In discussions of 1776, however, historians often forget that only half the colonies became independent at that time. This course takes a broader perspective of British America to investigate if there are any thematic patterns in those colonies that gained independence and those that remained in the British Empire. This is not, however, a strongly thesis-driven class; rather, it is designed to tell a number of narratives about the various populations impacted by the changes happening in the British colonies in North America, the Caribbean, and the Atlantic. This course investigates communities and themes. Each week we will look at a specific community and explore a theme connected with that locale to broaden our understanding of the revolutionary era as a whole. This will enable us to explore why only certain British subjects became American citizens.

HIS4935 U03: Senior Seminar, Fall 2015, Draft Syllabus, The English/British, Black, and Red A... more HIS4935 U03: Senior Seminar,
Fall 2015,
Draft Syllabus,
The English/British, Black, and Red Atlantics: Slavery and other Maritime Links

HIS4935 U03: Senior Seminar, Spring 2016, Draft Syllabus, The English/British, Black, and Red ... more HIS4935 U03: Senior Seminar,
Spring 2016,
Draft Syllabus,
The English/British, Black, and Red Atlantics: Slavery and other Maritime Links

This course examines the links among the English/British, Black, and Red Atlantics, especially co... more This course examines the links among the English/British, Black, and Red Atlantics, especially connections through the trade in enslaved Africans and Native North Americans. The slave trade was one of the major maritime linkages that bound together the peoples, continents, and islands of the Atlantic Ocean. The economic and social impact of slavery underlay the colonial enterprises of many of the Europeans in the Americas. This influence is evident in the available literature on the English/British and Black Atlantics, which has expanded greatly over the last couple of decades. Work on the Red Atlantic and the Native American slave trade lagged until recently, but current exploration of these topics suggests they are a fertile ground of future study. The selected books, book excerpts, and articles for this course thus serve as an introduction to some of the classics in the English/British, Black, and Red Atlantics while also including some of the newest scholarship. Although we may go a little earlier or later, the bulk of the readings focus on the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. I have divided the class schedule into three major blocks: 1) English/British Atlantic, 2) Black Atlantic, and 3) Red Atlantic. Through these blocks we will explore these various Atlantics, their stories and their connections, but I also want you to challenge these boundaries. Consider whether such categorization helps or hinders the historian of the Atlantic world.

This collection of pages highlights a few of the adult education class I taught through the Grave... more This collection of pages highlights a few of the adult education class I taught through the Graves Museum of Archaeology and Natural History and Florida Atlantic University Lifelong Learning of Broward. The most popular class was Forensics, Osteology, and Crime Scene Investigation. For the last meeting of the forensics course I would set up the museum's backyard as a crime scene, littered with evidence. I also buried a plastic skeleton for the participants to excavate. A great way to spend a Saturday afternoon!

The Ais and other Native Americans of Florida’s east coast expertly exploited their local riverin... more The Ais and other Native Americans of Florida’s east coast expertly exploited their local riverine and marine environment. From this maritime adaptation, they honed various aquatic skills, including adept swimming and skillful diving. Such expertise, however, did not go unnoticed by the coming Europeans. In the 1680s, for example, English and French buccaneers raided the Florida coast to acquire indigenous divers to work a sunken Spanish treasure ship in the Bahamas. Using this captive labor force, the buccaneers and Bahamians, along with wreckers from as far as New York, New England, Jamaica, and Barbados, quickly salvaged the wreck’s silver cargo. They subsequently sold the surviving Florida Native Americans to markets in Barbados and beyond. Building on the connections between the burgeoning field of the “Red” Atlantic and the Atlantic slave trade, and using a variety of English and Spanish documents, Peter thus examines the Atlantic Ais in the late seventeenth century.

This lecture was given at the Fort Lauderdale History Center to celebrate the opening of a small ... more This lecture was given at the Fort Lauderdale History Center to celebrate the opening of a small exhibit dedicated to the historical archaeology of the second Stranahan Store.

English/British Documents, the British National Archives, Kew, United Kingdom English/British ... more English/British Documents, the British National Archives, Kew, United Kingdom

English/British and Spanish Documents, the British Library, London, United Kingdom

English/British Documents, the British Calendar of State Papers, Online at http://www.british-history.ac.uk

Spanish Documents from the Archivo General de Indias, the John Batterson Stetson Microfilm Collection, Copy held at the Green Library, Florida International University, Miami, United States

Spanish Documents from the Archivo General de Indias, El Portal de Archivos Españoles, Online at http://pares.mcu.es/

The Latin Americanist, 2022

Abstract:From the 1590s to 1650s, the Spanish Crown tried different approaches to control the Flo... more Abstract:From the 1590s to 1650s, the Spanish Crown tried different approaches to control the Florida ambergris trade. They were unable, however, to prevent various Florida governors, other local officials, and other peoples from Florida, Cuba, and beyond from profiting by an illicit trade in this maritime commodity. The Crown first tried establishing procedures and punishments, including requiring ships to stop and get a license from the Florida governor or face a fine. With the trade in ambergris continuing unabated, the Crown then tried ameliorating the penalty and offering financial reward to the governor and informants for information on the illicit trade. With these enticements not working, the Crown returned to the earlier higher punishments, but again to no avail. The central role of the governors in controlling the ambergris trade meant that despite repeated attention to the trade by the Crown, they were not able to gain regular payment of the quinto real, i.e., the royal fifth. The Florida ambergris trade thus revealed a combination of partially concealed pilfering by local officials and the limits of the Crown’s reach in the North American borderlands.

UCLA Historical Journal, 2015

Author(s): Ferdinando, Peter | Abstract: Kluchin’s Fit to Be Tied explores the neo-eugenic debate... more Author(s): Ferdinando, Peter | Abstract: Kluchin’s Fit to Be Tied explores the neo-eugenic debate about sterilization in the United States in the second half of the twentieth century. Using sources from the popular media and court cases, she sets up a conflict between women deemed reproductively fit and unfit. Moreover, throughout this work she ably interweaves constructions of race, gender, and class into the neo-eugenic sterilization debate about fit and unfit women.

pbmnh.org

... This discrepancy will be investigated during the first phase of study proposed in Ferdinando ... more ... This discrepancy will be investigated during the first phase of study proposed in Ferdinando 2006). Panther North and Osborne-Loper are not found in NAGPRA (2006). ... AHC Technical Report #117. Cockrell, Wilburn A. 1989. Archaeological Survey of Coral Ridge Properties. ...