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De Soto, Discovered the Mississippi River
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1542
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De Soto, Discovered the Mississippi River > 
Starting in 1519, Hernando De Soto served under the Spanish adventurer Francisco Pizarro for 13 years. Young and ambitious, he made his mark as a slave trader and built a fortune in Nicaragua and Panama through partnerships with Hernan Ponce de Leon and Francisco Campanon.
De Soto defeated a rival, Gil Gonzalez Davila, to gain control of Nicaragua. Upon learning that there was gold along the Pacific coast, De Soto joined with Pizarro in the conquest of Peru in 1532, trading his ships for a lieutenant position in Pizarro’s fleet. He captained part of the fleet that defeated the Incas and was the first European to meet the Incan Emperor Atahualpa.
With the permission of King Charles of Spain, De Soto organized an expedition to Florida, seeking a legendary rich empire in the wilderness. Starting in 1539, De Soto’s party traveled through Florida, South and North Carolina, Alabama, and Mississippi.
He discovered the Mississippi River in 1541 and crossed it in order to explore Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Texas. Even though he had made great progress in exploring previously unknown areas, he was unsuccessful in finding any gold or treasure.
De Soto died during the march back to Florida and was buried in the Mississippi River, so that hostile natives would not abuse his body.
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More on this Website >
• http://www.thepirateking.com/b ... soto_hernando_de.htm |
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Related Links • Add >
• Wikipedia.org - Hernando_de_Soto • Edit
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Pizarro, Conqueror Inca Empire - 1531
Francisco Pizarro was a Conquistador who seized the Inca empire for Spain. In 1510 he enrolled in an expedition of exploration in the New World, and three years later he joined Vasco Núñez de Balboa o... |
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Atahualpa, Incan Emperor
Atahualpa, last independent Incan emperor, favorite son of Huayna Capac. At his father's death (1525) he received the kingdom of Quito while his half brother, the legitimate heir Huáscar, inherited th... |
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