2. Who is Hernando De Soto?
Hernando De Soto was a Spanish explorer who
was born in 1500 in Badajoz, Spain. He later
became the first European man to explore the
lands of Florida along with other southern
states. He began his career as an explorer at
a young age when he embarked on his first
expedition to the Indies at the age of about
14!
3. Motivation for Exploration
There were many reasons that Hernando De
Soto set off on explorations. He first set out
to claim land for himself and for Spain, and
then found himself involved in the business of
capturing and selling slaves in Nicaragua.
Later, he spent four year on an exploration
beginning in Florida searching for gold and
silver.
4. Here is a map of the exploration of Hernando De
Soto and his men
5. Interactions with Native Florida
Tribes
On his exploration to Florida, Hernando De Soto
and his men came in contact with many
different Native tribes, including the
Seminoles, Appalachians, Choctaws and
Creeks. He and his men were very brutal to
these tribes and there were many massacres.
As for the Indians who were not murdered,
many suffered from the introduction of Old
World illnesses that were brought to their land.
6. Here is a picture showing one of the many Indian
massacres.
7. Time line of important events in the life of
Hernando De Soto
8. Here are some websites I used to find information
on Hernando De Soto.
http://www.floridahistory.com/inset33.html
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/explorers/page/
http://fcit.usf.edu/florida/lessons/de_soto/de_soto1.
