ponce de leon and the early explorationof florida
Juan Ponce sobre Leon was developed in 1460, in Región de Campos Paleia, in Leon, Spain (Ponce, 1996).
He originated from a respectable family and entered the hoheitsvoll household as a page intended for Pedro Nunez de Guzman, at the
Court of Aragon. Later, fresh Ponce para Leon might become a solider for Spain and fight in the challenges to
travel the Moors from Proyectil (Blassingame, 1991).
In 1493, Leon sailed with Christopher Columbus on his second trip to America (Ponce, 1996).
He was an associate of the forces that captive the Indians in Hispaniola. This was the European and Spanish
method. Few explores would seem upon the natives they will encountered as anything more than discussing animals.
To get the year of 1502 having been a chief under the chief of the servants of Hispaniola, Nicolas de Ovando (Thompson
1990). During his time as chief he would control an Indian uprising. Just for this he was rewarded with the
leadership of Higuey (Blassingame, 1991).
Ponce para Leon would remain in Hispaniola until 1503. In this yr he would end up being intrigued by the
tales of gold to be found in Borinquen, known as the modern Puerto Rico (Ponce, 1994). He traveled the world to
check out and settle the island. This individual landed upon August doze, 1508 and soon overcome the island and was
naturally governorship of the island. Generally there he designed himself a large estate, where he built a castle
(Thompson, 1990).
Ovanado was soon replaced with Diego Columbus, as governor of Hispaniola. And Columbus
placed Juna Ceron as the brand new governor of Puerto Lujoso. For two years Leon battled to keep his
governorship, yet he was taken out of the position. Having been advised simply by King Ferdinand to find fresh land
(Thompson 1990).
The Indians of Hispaniola performed as slaves for the Europeans. They will tell great stories of your
place called Bimini. It absolutely was a land filled with great riches. Ponce de Leon heard a unique story via an
aged Indian woman. She added an interesting distort to her story. In her tale the lady told him of a magic fountain
that turned middle section aged and old people in to small vibrant men and women. If the wealth did not attract
Ponce para Leon, the storyplot of this water fountain did. He was in his fifties and since his political profession had failed
he discovered, it was nearly as good a time every to explore the land (1990).
Ponce de Leon left San German, Muelle Rico upon March 3, 1513 and sailed using a fleet of 3
ships going northwest toward Bimini. The chain of seven hundred Bahama islands was on his way but
time would not permit him to explore each of them. He did visit the isle of San Salvador exactly where
Columbus made his initially landfall 20 years before. The crew sighted the shoreline of America on March 3
1513. This was Easter Sunday therefore he called the area Florida after the Spanish identity for Easter, Pascua sobre
Flores (Ponce, 1993). The first sighting took place close to present day St Augustine, that was to be
founded fifty-two years later (1990).
Six times after they sighted land they found a safe place to dock their ships. The royal banner of
Spain was then flown over the fresh land. That they expected the same lack of resistance as they acquired
experienced whenever they came ashore at Hispaniola, but they were in for a surprise. The natives were fierce
fighters and fewer enthusiastic of the appearance of those strange white men. Though their ribbon and bow and arrows
were not of significance towards the Spaniards, however the poisoned arrows they used were. Ponce de Leon only
travelled upon land when it was absolutely necessary. He never had the chance to check out the area for him self
(1990).
Ponce de Leon felt it was best to find a safer possess. The fast sailed south to the contemporary
Cape Canaveral. The boats were found in the good current with the Gulf Stream which pressured them to
struggle for several weeks along the Florida Keys. Ponce de Leon finally made a decision to turn around and head home.
He was and so overwhelmed together with his discovery that he sailed directly to Italy (Ponce 1994).
Ponce de Leon realized that this was obviously a smart proceed his component because 3 ships were not enough
to do a proper work exploring the fresh land. He hoped the king would give him agreement and the
tools to explore his new area. Coming prior to the king, Ponce de Leon told him about the fantastic island
of Florida. The king arranged that the terrain should be discovered further. This individual promised Ponce de Leon that in the event that he
overcome it, he would be rewarded with its leadership (1990).
Ponce de Leon was stored busy by Carib Indians in the West Indies. It was not really until 1521 that
he departd to get Florida. This time around he was well prepared, he traveled the world with two armed delivers, two hundred men and
forty five horses. The conquistador was going to blame for the fantastic fighting push. He had sunk his whole fortune in
to the expedition to colonize this new property (Ponce, 1993).
Little performed Ponce para Leon realize that Floridas location had recently been settled. In 1519, the
same year Magellan had been looking for a strait into the Pacific Ocean far towards the south, Alonzo Alvarez de
Pineda was searching for the same strait in regards to Florida. He sailed in the coast of Florida after which
continued western following the coastline until he reached the modern-day city of Tampico, South america. On his
way home Pineda came upon a river that he called Rio del Espiritu Imagen (River of the Holy Ghost). It is
right now believed that river was the Mississippi (1990).
Ponce was now looking for the terrain of Bimini which this individual believed to be inside the interior of
Florida, because the coast line was mapped. At this time Leon was in his sixtys and time was brief. They
were met by a large group of Indians when they made their way to banks. Although the Spaniards
were very well equiped, the Indians would defeat all of them. The Indians had strong bows and arrows, the arrows
were so good that they were able to crack helmets. Many of the guys were wiped out, many more were
wounded, including Ponce para Leon. An Indian arrow had punctured his shield and hit him in the thigh.
His men taken him off of the beach throughout their retreat (1990).
The plans for a arrangement were today destroyed. There was no doctor aboard their particular ship, and so the
crew acquired no choice but to immediately set sail for Havana. Juan Ponce de Leon did not help to make it, he died
just before they reached Cuba. Different explorers will try to follow Ponce sobre Leon model in the exploration
of Fl, but many of them would face the same result as he do (1990).
Panfilo de Narvaez was the initially after Ponce de Leon to come to California. He arrived 1528
coming near Polk Bay with about 4 hundred men. They met the unfriendly natives there, but they also found a
small amount of platinum. The Spaniards became very excited with this breakthrough. The indians told them that
they could find the gold inside the land of Apalachee which can be today the Tallahassee location. They did certainly not find
any gold inside the land of Apalachee so they chose to turn back. They built rafts and drifted along the shoreline
of Sarasota. Most of the guys were lifeless by now although a few could actually make it to the coast of Isla sobre
Malhado. This island was possibly Galveston Island. After eight years only several men survived. One gentleman
was Nunez Cabeca para Vaca who reached South america. The survivors told tales of finding prosperity in the
interior of Fl. The testimonies encouraged many explorers, Marcos de Niza, Coronado, Cabrillo and Soto
(Coler & Shofner, 1991).
Hernando de Soto fantastic fleet, with over 1000 people remaining Cuba and reached the Florida
coast on May 25, 1539. It would be left to Soto to finish the puzzle surrounding Sarasota. There he found an
indian captive, Juan Ortiz. The residents had not any gold or silver, nevertheless they told tales of Indians living in the
North that had an immense amount of gold and silver that they can were looking for. Mara?a went looking for
those indians only to discover that they had zero precious metals. Mara?a took a large number of natives slave shackled. He
grabbed Indian chiefs and many American indian women. He demanded that numerous Indians end up being provided as bearers and
the American indian women end up being provided as concubines to get the Spaniards (1991).
Matorral decided to travelling further north in search of the fabled wealth. When he remaining his camp he had taken
the Pensacola chief. Then he traveled to the Indian town of Cofitachequi. There he was greeted by the
chieftainess, who have gave him a string of pearl jewelry. There the Spaniards found a vast sum of pearl jewelry, about two
hundred pounds of them in the local burial sites. They kept Cofitachequi and headed north, then toward
west, and ultimately toward the south. Hernando de Floresta died on, may 21, 1542 (1991).
The viceroy of New Spain, Luis de Velasco, choose Tristan de Escaparate y Arellano to head the
expedition to Santa Elena. Lunas trip reached Mobile Bay on August 14, but then quickly moved to
Pensacola Bay. They will named Pensacola Bay Santa claus Maria Filipina, after the Virgin mobile Mary and King Philip II
of Spain. The viceroy purchased Luna to move immediately to Santa Elena. Luna was then affected by a
mental depression and was not capable of make the visit to Santa Elena so the viceroy replaced him with Angel
de Villafane (1991).
Recommendations
Blassingame, Watts (1991). Ponce de Leon. Philadelphia: Sw3 Juniors.
Coler, W. S i9000., Shofner, J. H. (1991). Florida: From the Beginning to 1992. Houston: Leading
Publications, Inc.
Ponce para Leon (1993). Microsoft (R) Encarta, Copyright laws Microsoft Firm. Copyright 93 Funk
Wagnalls Corporation.
Ponce de Leon (1994). Comptons NewMedia Inc. Comptons learning Company.
Ponce de Leon (1996). Natural born player (R) online personal assistance. Excerpted by Comptons Encyclopedia.
Thompson, L (1990, November). Ponce sobre Leon. Rubber stamps, pp 245-246.
