Soto, Hernando De
c. 1500
Extremadura, Spain
May 21, 1542
Mississippi River
First Spanish explorer in the southeastern United States
When the Spanish adventurer Hernando de Soto led an expedition along the western coast of Florida in 1539, he was already a seasoned explorer and a wealthy man. He had been drawn to the North American continent by tales of hidden cities containing vast amounts of gold and silver. Although a three-year search for treasure was futile, de Soto and his party possibly became the first Europeans to sight the Mississippi River.
Seeks Life of Adventure
Hernando de Soto was born around 1500 in Extremadura, a Spanish province near the border of Portugal. Embarking on a life of adventure as a young man, he joined an expedition to Nicaragua led by Spanish explorer Francisco Fernández de Córdoba in 1524. De Soto participated in founding the city of Granada. Sometime after their arrival in Nicaragua, de Soto sided with Córdoba's adversary, Pedro Arias, in a dispute that resulted in Córdoba's death. De Soto then settled in Nicaragua and prospered, partly through his involvement in the slave trade. Once again lured by adventure, however, hejoined fellow Spaniard Francisco Pizarro in Pizzaro's third expedition to Peru.
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