When learning about American history, Hernando de Soto is one of those fellows that tends to be forgotten about. He was an explorer during the European colonial age and explore much of what is now South Carolina and Florida. He is also known as the first European to have crossed over the Mississippi River. That’s not too bad for a boy who came from a middle class family in Spain. Here are some more interesting facts about this Spanish explorer.
1. He Got Started At an Early Age
Hernando de Soto left home at the age of 14 so that he could join a boat that was sailing for the West Indies. This voyage left such a mark on him that before the age of 20, he’d already been on two extended trips at sea, the second voyage headed to Panama where Spanish colonies had been established already.
2. He Was At Pizarro’s Side
One of the great tragic stories from the colonization of the New World is the Spanish War with the Incan population. The expedition that would result in the slaughter of thousands of native people began in 1531 with just three ships. After landing and then pushing forward to the Incan capital, Pizarro and de Soto wound up taking many of the treasures that the society had built up over time. He took his portion of the Incan treasure, retired to Seville, and got married.
3. Granted More Exploration Rights
Hernando de Soto didn’t intend to do more exploring, but the Spanish king would have none of it. In 1537, de Soto was granted the opportunity to conquer Florida on behalf of Spain. It was an offer that de Soto couldn’t turn down, but he intended to sway hearts and minds instead of taking lives this time around. He took 10 ships with him and 10 priests were brought along to witness to the local population to convert them to Christianity. He also took 950 soldiers – just in case.
4. He Never Made It Back Home
Hernando de Soto landed in 1538 and began to explore Florida in earnest. He didn’t find the same levels of gold that had been found in South America, so he became increasingly desperate to find riches. His attacks on the native tribes became more and more brutal, so the priests must not have been doing their job very effectively. By 1542, he still hadn’t discovered the riches he’d been hoping to discover, but a fever felled him and he was eventually buried in the waters of the Mississippi, never returning back home to Seville.
5. A Controversial Pick
Hernando de Soto was one of the most brutal explorers there was in the colonial age. He was named to the Explorer Hall of Fame in Genoa, but the pick wasn’t without controversy. Many people fought against his inclusion because of the cruelties that he inflicted during his journeys. Nearly half of his men on the Florida expedition died. He’s still included anyway.
6 A Successful Conquerer
Hernando de Soto was able to successfully orchestrate the conquest of Peru by leading his expedition to the capital of the Incan Empire at Cuzco. Their battle ended in success, giving de Soto a fortune of more than 18,000 ounces of gold. Upon returning to Seville, he married the daughter of his old patron before heading to North America.
Hernando de Soto is not a name that brings up fond memories, but his exploration work did help to shape the New World to help it become what it is today. For that, he will always be remembered.
