Title: Hernando de Soto's American Expedition - SciHi BlogSciHi Blog
Headings: Hernando de Soto’s American Expedition
Hernando de Soto’s American Expedition
Hernando de Soto’s First Expedition
Arriving in Florida
Failing to Find Any Gold
The Mississippi River
The Expedition Failed
References and Further Reading:
Author
Tabea Tietz

Content: After hearing about gold findings they turned towards north-east, present day Georgia continuing towards South Carolina. Failing to Find Any Gold
Failing to find any gold, the expedition stopped for about a month in North Carolina and continued along the Tennessee River and then headed to the Gulf of Mexico. On their way, the Spanish were again encountered by natives and lost hundreds in a cruel battle, killing thousands of hostile warriors. The battle became known as one of the most cruel and the bloodiest in history of North America. The Mississippi River
To keep the battle secret, de Soto sent his troops into Mississippi, reaching Mississippi River in 1541. Hernando de Soto did not really care for the river itself, seeing it rather as an obstacle. The expedition members built several floats to cross the river but were often hindered by hostile natives and one month later they were finally able to reach the river’s other side, continuing the expedition towards Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Texas. They continued their travel, eventually reaching Caddo River, but after another encounter with dangerous natives, the expedition returned to Mississippi River. The Expedition Failed
In 1542, Hernando de Soto passed away and due to the fact that the expedition did not quite meet the goals, they returned home. From the Spanish point of view, the expedition depicted a failure.