Title: Hernando de Soto - Ages of Exploration
Headings: Hernando de Soto
Hernando de Soto
Explorer
Age of Discovery
Quick Facts:
Hernando de Soto
Endnotes
Bibliography
Gallery

Content: He never recovered. Hernando de Soto died May 21, 1542.10 His crew continued on without their fearless leader, eventually reaching a Spanish settlement in New Spain (present day Mexico).11
Legacy
Hernando de Soto’s expedition was one of the most elaborate efforts made by the Spanish to explore the interior of North America. De Soto’s and his men were the first to thoroughly explore most of the southern half of the modern United States. He is credited as being the first European to discover and cross the great Mississippi River. It is important to note the unfortunate negative impact made by the Spanish explorer. The indigenous peoples encountered by de Soto and his men were exposed to European diseases such as measles, smallpox and chickenpox, for which they had no immunity, causing massive loss of life amongst the Native Americans. Nevertheless, de Soto’s records and maps not only greatly added to Europe’s knowledge of the New World but also provided information on the practices and culture of Native Americans prior to the arrival of Europeans. Endnotes
Peggy Pancella, Hernando de Soto (Chicago: Heinemann Library, 2004) 6. Peggy Pancella, Hernando de Soto, 7.