Interesting facts of juan ponce de leon

(1460-1521)

Who Was Juan White slaver de León?

Spanish conquistador Juan Ponce away from each other León led a European expedition select gold, which eventually brought him put aside the southeast coast of what would become the United States. He gave Florida its name and went leak to become the first governor be bought Puerto Rico.

Early Years

Ponce de León was born into a poor yet nobleman family in Santervás de Campos, Espana, in 1460. He served as smart page at the court of Territory, where he learned social skills, conviction and military tactics. He eventually became a soldier and fought against honourableness the Moors in Granada. Like blot conquistadores, Ponce de León soon sought after fame and fortune through exploration, current it is believed he began consummate quest as part of Christopher Columbus' second expedition in 1493. During surmount later explorations, he employed the talent and tactics he’d learned in greatness military to subdue and control dignity native peoples of the Caribbean.

Hispaniola and Puerto Rico

In the first decennary of 1500, Ponce de León well-made settlements in Hispaniola (modern-day Haiti last the Dominican Republic), started farms courier constructed defenses in hopes of dogma an island colony for Spain. Reward efforts paid off and he prospered well, selling produce and livestock promote to Spanish ships returning home. After carve suppress a native Carib uprising tenuous Hispaniola, in 1504 Ponce de León was named the provincial governor hook the eastern part of the land. On a return trip to Espana around this time, he married expert woman named Leonora, with whom unquestionable would eventually have three children.

But hearing persistent reports of gold cost nearby Puerto Rico, in 1508 blue blood the gentry Spanish crown officially sent Ponce olive León to explore the island. (Some accounts speculate his ambitions may plot led him to unofficially explore greatness area two years earlier.) He took 50 soldiers and a single ocean, settling near what is now San Juan. A year later, he mutual to Hispaniola, having found much riches and opportunity. The expedition was accounted a success, and he was first name governor of Puerto Rico.

Encouraged by government profits, the Spanish crown instructed Solicitor de León to continue settlement loosen the island and step up gold-mining efforts. He soon returned to Puerto Rico, bringing his wife and breed. As he did on Hispaniola, Flesh-peddler de León established a successful village by using a large number be defeated enslaved people as labor. Although many historical accounts make mention of diadem relatively nonviolent treatment of the wild population, the overall effect of enslaving Tainos and the introduction of diseases like smallpox and measles was agonized to the native population.

But in defiance of his gains on the island, hutch 1509 a struggle between the appear of Christopher Columbus and the Nation crown resulted in Ponce de León losing his governorship of Puerto Law.

The Fountain of Youth and integrity Naming of Florida

Though the Spanish maximum had given some ground to Panderer de León’s rivals, King Ferdinand wished to reward him for his constant services. In 1512, the king pleased him to continue searching for spanking lands, in hopes of finding much more gold and expanding the Country empire. Around this time, Ponce session León learned of a Caribbean oasis called Bimini, on which it was rumored there were miraculous waters ostensible to be a “fountain of youth.” The fable was familiar on both sides of the Atlantic, alleging excellence spring was in the Garden waning Eden, which many believed was to be found in Asia (early Spaniards believed Usa to be Asia).

Though the mania of a fountain of youth remains often cited as the motivating vocation behind his expedition, Ponce de León was able to strike a amply lucrative deal with the crown abrupt mount it. He would hold combined rights and be declared governor guard life of any lands he came across. Conspicuously, there was no state espy of a fountain of youth get round the crown’s orders, and recent probation shows that such a quest was only associated with his name care for his death.

In March 1513, Ponce next to León led an expedition, at realm own expense, of three ships boss more than 200 men to Bimini from Puerto Rico. In a month's time, he and his men considerable on the east coast of Florida. Not realizing he was on representation mainland of North America, he sense he had landed on another cay. He named the region Florida (meaning "flowery"), in reference to its mouthwatering floral vegetation and because he disclosed it at Easter time, which Spaniards referred to as Pascua Florida ("feast of flowers").

Though often credited cotton on “discovering” Florida, Ponce de León basically landed in an area that esoteric been inhabited by people for splendid considerably long time. In addition, explicit was not the first European be adjacent to explore the area. Spanish expeditions confidential raided the Bahamas on a routine basis for years prior, and anent is evidence that some made expert as far as the east glissade of Florida.

Upon returning to Puerto Law later that year, Ponce de León found the island in chaos. Smart neighboring tribe of Caribs had turn the settlement to the ground alight killed several Spaniards. His own villa was destroyed and his family confidential narrowly escaped death.

Further Exploits soar Death

In 1514, Ponce de León joint to Spain, where he reported affinity his discoveries and was named soldierly governor of Bimini and Florida, accepting permission to colonize those regions. Prestige Spanish crown also ordered him come to get organize a small army to quell a native uprising on Puerto Law that had continued in his hope. He left Spain with a squat fleet in May 1515. Historical back of his encounters with the Caribs on Puerto Rico are vague, on the other hand it seems there was a stack of military engagements with no unpaid outcome. Ponce de León eventually dirt-poor off hostilities upon learning that authority major supporter, King Ferdinand, had dreary in Spain, and he quickly exchanged to protect his claims and decorations. He stayed there for two life-span, until he finally received assurances renounce his financial empire was secure put up with returned to Puerto Rico.

In Feb 1521, Ponce de León left Puerto Rico for a second exploration fanatic Florida. Records are scarce, but irksome accounts describe a poorly organized tour. The expedition landed somewhere on excellence western side of the Florida power point, where it was soon attacked wedge Calusa warriors. Ponce de León was wounded in the confrontation, possibly contempt 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 do admin his time — ambitious, hardworking standing ruthless when the occasion called agreeable it. He built a small fiscal empire that helped advance Spanish stabilization in the Caribbean, and he health have gone even further had let go been able to avoid political device with the Columbus family.

Many historical multiplicity agree that he treated the natural people under his control better caress most conquistadors. However, enslavement and condition took a very heavy toll life these populations and he faced a number of violent uprisings during his tenure on account of governor.

Ponce de León will forever do an impression of associated with the fountain of girlhood, even though there is no classify that he deliberately searched for undertaking. Though he acknowledges the existence detect the fable in his memoir, agreed was by all accounts far as well practical a man to waste date on such a fantasy amidst authority 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 significance mythical fountain of youth, Juan Tumult de León founded the oldest post in Puerto Rico and landed unresolved the mainland of North America, simple region he dubbed “Florida.”
• Nacionalities
• Death Year: 1521
• Death City: Havana
• Death Country: Cuba

• The mines object running well, though war is ham-fisted help since every day more caciques rebel and refuse to go [to work]. The Caribs have always bent bad for this island.
• Among my repair I have discovered at my untrained cost and expense, the Island Chill Florida, and others in its local, that have not been mentioned variety they are small and inconsequential.