Title: Hernando de Soto | 10 Facts On The Spanish Explorer | Learnodo Newtonic
Headings: Hernando de Soto | 10 Facts On The Spanish Explorer
Hernando de Soto | 10 Facts On The Spanish Explorer
#1 His parents wanted him to be a lawyer
#2 His first expedition was to the West Indies
#3 He amassed a fortune through slave trading in Nicaragua
#4 He played a major role in defeating the Incas in the Battle of Cajamarca
#5 He made an enormous fortune during the Spanish conquest of the Inca Empire
#6 Hernando de Soto was made governor of Cuba in 1537
#7 His famous expedition landed at Tampa Bay in May 1539
#8 His expedition fought one of the bloodiest battles with North American natives
#9 Hernando de Soto was the first recorded European to reach the Mississippi River
#10 His expedition had several major repercussions
De Soto’s Expedition After His Death

Content: Though they didn’t find the gold they were looking for, the female chief of the chiefdom Cofitachequi turned over the pearls of her tribe to them. During their return journey towards Mobile Bay, the expedition became involved in a bloody battle with the residents of Mabila, a fortified city in southern Alabama. Though they decimated the natives, the Spanish lost more than 200 men and many were injured. They also lost most of their equipment and all their pearls. Depiction of De Soto and his men burning Mabila
#9 Hernando de Soto was the first recorded European to reach the Mississippi River
On May 8, 1541, De Soto’s troops became the first Europeans to reach the Mississippi River. They crossed the river and headed into Arkansas and Louisiana. The same year, they became the first Europeans to see in Arkansas what is now known as Hot Springs. In early 1542, De Soto decided to explore more and turned back towards Mississippi. He was struck by fever and died on May 21, 1542 in Louisiana. It is said that his comrades wrapped his body in cloaks packed with sand and cast it into Mississippi.