Spanish Conquest of Florida
...her son Hernando would become either a lawyer or a priest. With this in mind she gave him the best schooling that could be afforded. But de Soto had other ideas. Because of the family’s financial problems, Hernando had to learn how to fight. After being taught battle tactics Hernando de Soto went to Seville, Spain and, at the tender age of fourteen, around 1514 boarded a ship to the Americas. Hernando de Soto was page to a man known as Pedrerias. The ships that they had set sail on landed in a territory near present day Panama. While there, de Soto had become fond of one of Pedrerias’ daughter. Her name was Isabel. During one of de Soto’s expeditions, Isabel's mother took her back to Spain. Isabel left a note stating that she would wait for him forever. De Soto went on one expedition with a man named Francisco Pizarro. They went through Panama, Nicaragua, and Peru. After the Pizarro expedition de Soto became very rich. He traveled back to Seville, Spain, Bought a huge house, and married Isabel. He was living a comfortable life. But two years later he was petitioning the king to return to the New World. He wanted to search for the fabled gold that was in the New World. Even though he had all the money he could ever need he still wished to journey to La Florida. The gold did not interest him as much as the notoriety. He was rich but not famous. After all, it was the Pizarro expedition not the De Soto Expedition. So in 1537 the king made De Soto the governor Cuba. From Havana, Cuba he set out for La Florida in May 1539 with a fleet of four ships including two caravels and two pinnaces. De Soto first landed Near Tampa Bay on May 30, 1593. With him he brought about 700 Spanish conquistadors. He also brought about 100 camp followers including women, slaves and about 8 ecclesiastical persons. He also brought about 240 horses, and an unknown number of pigs and war dogs. It is not known where he landed. The only archeological findings that prove that de Soto even landed in La Florida was near current day Tallahassee. De Soto would go from Indian village to Indian village and ask for gold. If there was no gold in that village he would take hostages to lead them. By the time de Soto got to the Mississippi River the situation was looking grim. He had lost about half of his forces. Of his original 233 horses only forty remained. To make matters worse his only Indian interpreter, who was a Spaniard from a doomed expedition who lived with the Indians, Juan Ortiz died. Later, by the Mississippi River, de Soto died from a fever. He was laid to rest in the Mississippi. His successor was Luis de Moscoso. At first they tried to return to Tampico, a Spanish settlement in Mexico, using an overland route. When that failed they came back to the Mississippi River, built boats, and sailed south along the Mississippi River. Along the way they were ambushed by many Indian tribes. They lost many men and nearly all of their hostages. To lighten their load they killed the rest of their horses. The dried meat from the horses kept them fed for the rest of their journey...