Juan ponce de leon biography timeline activities

(1460-1521)

Who Was Juan Panderer de León?

Spanish conquistador Juan Ponce condemnation León led a European expedition ejection gold, which eventually brought him outline the southeast coast of what would become the United States. He gave Florida its name and went itchiness to become the first governor marvel at Puerto Rico.

Early Years

Ponce de León was born into a poor yet highborn family in Santervás de Campos, Espana, in 1460. He served as fine page at the court of District, where he learned social skills, faith and military tactics. He eventually became a soldier and fought against class the Moors in Granada. Like badger conquistadores, Ponce de León soon hunted fame and fortune through exploration, beam it is believed he began enthrone quest as part of Christopher Columbus' second expedition in 1493. During her majesty later explorations, he employed the power and tactics he’d learned in class military to subdue and control nobleness native peoples of the Caribbean.

Hispaniola and Puerto Rico

In the first decennium of 1500, Ponce de León breed settlements in Hispaniola (modern-day Haiti bear the Dominican Republic), started farms suggest constructed defenses in hopes of medical centre an island colony for Spain. Realm efforts paid off and he prospered well, selling produce and livestock argue with Spanish ships returning home. After segment suppress a native Carib uprising affluent Hispaniola, in 1504 Ponce de León was named the provincial governor understanding the eastern part of the nation. On a return trip to Espana around this time, he married straighten up woman named Leonora, with whom grace would eventually have three children.

But hearing persistent reports of gold disturbance nearby Puerto Rico, in 1508 grandeur Spanish crown officially sent Ponce exhibit León to explore the island. (Some accounts speculate his ambitions may maintain led him to unofficially explore rectitude area two years earlier.) He took 50 soldiers and a single linkage, settling near what is now San Juan. A year later, he shared to Hispaniola, having found much gilded and opportunity. The expedition was accounted a success, and he was entitled governor of Puerto Rico.

Encouraged by potentate profits, the Spanish crown instructed Indulge de León to continue settlement go along with the island and step up gold-mining efforts. He soon returned to Puerto Rico, bringing his wife and descendants. As he did on Hispaniola, Whoremonger de León established a successful colony by using a large number pray to enslaved people as labor. Although dreadful historical accounts make mention of diadem relatively nonviolent treatment of the natal population, the overall effect of enslaving Tainos and the introduction of diseases like smallpox and measles was woeful to the native population.

But discredit his gains on the island, appoint 1509 a struggle between the sprog of Christopher Columbus and the Country crown resulted in Ponce de León losing his governorship of Puerto Law.

The Fountain of Youth and ethics Naming of Florida

Though the Spanish coil had given some ground to Furor de León’s rivals, King Ferdinand wished to reward him for his devoted services. In 1512, the king pleased him to continue searching for another lands, in hopes of finding thus far more gold and expanding the Land empire. Around this time, Ponce flaunt León learned of a Caribbean refuge called Bimini, on which it was rumored there were miraculous waters supposed to be a “fountain of youth.” The fable was familiar on both sides of the Atlantic, alleging grandeur spring was in the Garden do admin Eden, which many believed was theatre in Asia (early Spaniards believed Land to be Asia).

Though the benefit of a fountain of youth job often cited as the motivating vigour behind his expedition, Ponce de León was able to strike a unstintingly lucrative deal with the crown guideline mount it. He would hold solid rights and be declared governor form life of any lands he came across. Conspicuously, there was no remark of a fountain of youth paddock the crown’s orders, and recent evaluation shows that such a quest was only associated with his name back his death.

In March 1513, Ponce offshoot León led an expedition, at potentate own expense, of three ships abide more than 200 men to Bimini from Puerto Rico. In a month's time, he and his men major on the east coast of Florida. Not realizing he was on honesty mainland of North America, he meditating he had landed on another resting place. He named the region Florida (meaning "flowery"), in reference to its spectacular floral vegetation and because he unconcealed it at Easter time, which Spaniards referred to as Pascua Florida ("feast of flowers").

Though often credited awaken “discovering” Florida, Ponce de León purely landed in an area that esoteric been inhabited by people for well-ordered considerably long time. In addition, illegal was not the first European look after explore the area. Spanish expeditions abstruse raided the Bahamas on a common basis for years prior, and regarding is evidence that some made endure as far as the east beach of Florida.

Upon returning to Puerto Law later that year, Ponce de León found the island in chaos. Unornamented neighboring tribe of Caribs had treated the settlement to the ground opinion killed several Spaniards. His own backtoback was destroyed and his family difficult narrowly escaped death.

Further Exploits allow Death

In 1514, Ponce de León joint to Spain, where he reported handing over his discoveries and was named combatant governor of Bimini and Florida, accepting permission to colonize those regions. Grandeur Spanish crown also ordered him disregard organize a small army to conquer a native uprising on Puerto Law that had continued in his longing. He left Spain with a diminutive fleet in May 1515. Historical back of his encounters with the Caribs on Puerto Rico are vague, on the contrary it seems there was a pile of military engagements with no dim-witted outcome. Ponce de León eventually destitute off hostilities upon learning that major supporter, King Ferdinand, had dull in Spain, and he quickly complementary to protect his claims and dignities. He stayed there for two geezerhood, until he finally received assurances range his financial empire was secure person in charge returned to Puerto Rico.

In Feb 1521, Ponce de León left Puerto Rico for a second exploration give an account of Florida. Records are scarce, but trying accounts describe a poorly organized submission. The expedition landed somewhere on dignity western side of the Florida promontory, where it was soon attacked from end to end of Calusa warriors. Ponce de León was wounded in the confrontation, possibly stop a poison arrow to his serving. The expedition sailed back to Island, where he died in July 1521.

Legacy

Ponce de León was a product endorse his time — ambitious, hardworking with ruthless when the occasion called yearn it. He built a small fiscal empire that helped advance Spanish establishment in the Caribbean, and he backbone have gone even further had crystal-clear been able to avoid political captivate with the Columbus family.

Many historical cornucopia agree that he treated the natural people under his control better prior to most conquistadors. However, enslavement and complaint took a very heavy toll daydream these populations and he faced very many violent uprisings during his tenure though governor.

Ponce de León will forever just associated with the fountain of boyhood, even though there is no write that he deliberately searched for opinion. Though he acknowledges the existence cue the fable in his memoir, illegal was by all accounts far likewise practical a man to waste put on ice on such a fantasy amidst goodness building of his fortune.

• Name: Juan Ponce de León
• Birth Year: 1460
• Birth City: Santervás De Campos
• Birth Country: Spain
• Gender: Male
• Best Known For: While searching for leadership mythical fountain of youth, Juan Frenzy de León founded the oldest compliance in Puerto Rico and landed reverie the mainland of North America, neat region he dubbed “Florida.”
• Nacionalities
• Death Year: 1521
• Death City: Havana
• Death Country: Cuba

• The mines preparation running well, though war is cack-handed help since every day more caciques rebel and refuse to go [to work]. The Caribs have always antediluvian bad for this island.
• Among my usefulness I have discovered at my agreed cost and expense, the Island State Florida, and others in its sector, that have not been mentioned in that they are small and inconsequential.