In the early1500's, men, dressed in steel, began to arrive on Florida's shores. They were a fierce people, forged on the battlefields of Europe. They came looking for gold. Only a few learned that they were not invincible in this unfamiliar environment. They died rather than adapt to this place. It was man against nature and man against savages. They knew that only tenacity and pure force would win. Most did not achieve their dreams of wealth and glory.

Tim Burke of Caldron's Company teaches an armor school at De Soto National Memorial in Bradenton. A skilled craftsman, he agreed to show us the steps of putting on his suit of armor.

(Left) Tim starts with putting on a gorget to protect his neck and throat.

Next come ribbed leg protectors called cuisse.

30 lbs of chain mail takes a little effort to put on.

Then the sword is strapped on., either over the mail or a breast plate depending on how heavily protected you wanted to be.

Phil Reed in breast plate and with feathers in his helmet, portrays the pride and determination these men brought to these shores.

Phil demonstrates how this style of fire arm was held in the center of the chest..

Armorers sometimes fired a musket ball at a new breast plate as "proof" that it would hold up under fire.