Still the colony managed to survive. Although Menendez failed to develop another Mexico or Peru, he still managed to maintain his precarious foothold in Florida and to keep the settlement from perishing. By the time of his death in 1574 he had laid a foundation deep enough to last. His many distinguished predecessors had failed to set up a permanent settlement, but Menendez had the tenacity and resourcefulness to keep the colony going and could mark this as a real achievement. (Tepaske GSF)