By: Lucy Marcum and Alexis

Desmond and Sebastian

North
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Where was De Soto Born?

Hernando De Soto was born c. 1500 in Jerez de los
Caballeros
Who was Hernando
De Soto?
Hernando De Soto was a Spanish explorer and
conquistador who led the first European expedition deep
into the territory of the modern-day United States, and
the first documented European to have crossed the
Mississippi River.
Hernando De Soto is chiefly famous for helping defeat
the Inca empire in the New World and for leading the
first European expedition to reach the Mississippi
River. When he was young, he dreamed of someday
designing and manufacturing his own automobile.
Hernando put these dreams aside to concentrate on
the job of being an explorer. He began his career very
early, compared to other explorers around this time
period, in the tropical rainforest of what is now
Panama. In the 1530s, De Soto was an amazing
soldier and horseman. He got a fax from Francisco
Pizzaro inviting him to come to Peru to defeat the
Incan Empire. He ambushed the Emperor Atahulapa
using lies and treachery.
April 15, 1538
1-Dear Journal,
We are leaving from the port of Sanlucai De Barrameda
with 700 men and 10 ship. I am a little nervous to be going to the
New World and I hope the outcome is a good one. I have decided
to stop in Cuba.
May 15, 1539
2-Dear Journal,
We landed on the South Eastern coast of a peninsula.
(Present day Tampa Bay and Charlotte Harbor) We will be
spending the winter in a small village named Apalache (Present
day Tallahassee Florida).
February 17, 1540
3-Dear Journal,
We moved northwestern (present day Georgia)
and traded with some of the natives and took them along as
slaves for transportation with our cargo to our ship.

March 22, 1540
4-Dear Journal,
We did not find the gold that we wanted to find in
order to become more wealthy. We did collect an assortment
of pearls in a place called Cofitachequi. After this(near
present day Lookout Mtn. in south eastern Tennessee) we
turned southward (Present day Alabama) to rendezvous with
our ships(in present day Mobile Bay).
October 5, 1540
5-Dear Journal,
We arrived at a fortified Indian town of Mauvila when
a confederation of indians attacked us! The natives were
completely decimated. Unfortunately we are in terrible
shape as well though. We lost all of our pearls and
equipment.
November 6, 1540
6-Dear Journal,
We rested a month to get our sorts together and to
recuperate in order to head north and head inland in order to find
more treasure since we lost all of our other treasure.
February 12, 1541
7-Dear Journal,
We stopped for the winter. We have lost some people to
fever and frost. We have decided to turn north once again and
headed inland in search of treasure. Most of our men died from
attack of the Indians.
March 7, 1541
8-Dear Journal,
We have spotted a great river. We are thinking about
crossing it to look for more treasure. After we lost all of our pearls
and equipment I decided we need to have something when we
return to Spain. Tomorrow we will cross it and succeed at finding
treasure.


My sources are:
www.teachingflorida.org
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-histrory/de-
soto-reaches-the-mississippi
http://www.sjsu.edu/faculty/watkins/desoto.htm