French expansion down the Mississippi River late in the 17th century spurred the Spanish government to protect its interests along the northern coast of the Gulf of Mexico.

The Viceroy and Audencia of New Spain established the Presidio Santa María de Galve in 1698 to protect the western approaches to Spanish Florida, which at the time exercised effective control over an area from the Atlantic coast to the Apalachicola River.

The French threat quickly materialized, with Fort Maurepas (near present-day Biloxi, Mississippi) established in 1699, and Mobile (now in Alabama) in 1702.

The village was abandoned and burned in August 1707 when a force of English (from the Province of Carolina) and Tallapoosas attacked the settlement.

In 1715 the Tallapoosas broke their alliance with the English and established friendly relations with the Spanish at Fort San Carlos de Austria.

[6] Structures inside the fort were a church, hospital, warehouse, governor's house, and three barracks, one each for officers, soldiers, and convict laborers.