Title: Death and Legacy – Georgia Historical Society
Headings: Death and Legacy
Death and Legacy
Content: After reaching its end, they continued traveling until they reached Mexico City, which was already under Spanish control. Although some of the members went on subsequent expeditions of La Florida or returned to Spain, the majority of the survivors remained in Mexico for the rest of their lives. Hernando de Soto’s mission was widely regarded as a failure by both members of the expedition and the Spanish government. Despite his early successes in Central and South America and the wealth he accrued throughout his lifetime, de Soto did not accomplish what he set out to do in North America. He had hoped to replicate Pizzaro’s success in Peru by finding a rich native tribe, conquering its people, and establishing a successful Spanish settlement. Although he made it farther into the interior of the territory ofLa Florida than any previous explorers, he failed to establish good relations with the natives and find treasures (such as silver and gold) or other items that would bring riches to the members of the expedition and the Spanish crown. De Soto was also unable to conquer the natives and establish a Spanish settlement within the territory. Instead, he lost his life in the process. With the passage of time, de Soto’s expedition has also become associated with the destruction of Native American groups in North America as a consequence of European contact. Despite these negative points, de Soto proved himself as a brave and ruthless conquistador.