Soto, Hernando de

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Soto, Hernando de

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c. 1500

Extremadura, Spain

May 21, 1542

Mississippi River

First Spanish explorer in the southeastern United States

When the Spanish adventurer Hernando de Soto led an expedition along the western coast of Florida in 1539, he was already a seasoned explorer and a wealthy man. He had been drawn to the North American continent by tales of hidden cities containing vast amounts of gold and silver. Although a three-year search for treasure was futile, de Soto and his party possibly became the first Europeans to sight the Mississippi River.

Seeks life of adventure

Hernando de Soto was born around 1500 in Extremadura, a Spanish province near the border of Portugal. Embarking on a life of adventure as a young man, he joined an expedition to Nicaragua led by Spanish explorer Francisco Fernández de Córdoba in 1524. De Soto participated in founding the city of Granada. Sometime after their arrival in Nicaragua, de Soto sided with Córdoba's adversary, Pedro Arias, in a dispute that resulted in Córdoba's death. De Soto then settled in Nicaragua and prospered, partly through his involvement in the slave trade. Once again lured by adventure, however, he joined fellow Spaniard Francisco Pizarro in Pizzaro's third expedition to Peru.

Joins conquest of Peru

When the Spaniards reached Peru in 1531, they began the conquest of the Inca Empire. With its capital at Cuzco, the empire extended thousands of miles. The Spaniards traveled for nearly a year in the Andes, the great South American mountain range. In 1532 they reached the city of Cajamarca, where Atahualpa, the ruler of the Incas, was camped. Pizarro sent de Soto into the city to meet Atahualpa. Feigning friendship, de Soto invited the emperor to dinner and then took him captive.

After imprisoning Atahualpa, Pizarro became the ruler of Peru. Although the Incas staged several uprisings, he stayed in power. During one of the revolts Pizarro ordered the execution of the Incan emperor. Although de Soto protested that Atahualpa's life should be spared, the execution was carried out. In 1533 de Soto joined Pizarro in taking Cuzco, the capital of Peru. During the siege de Soto nearly lost his life in an ambush. He stayed in Peru for three more years before returning to Spain in 1536.

De Soto's participation in the conquest of Peru brought him great wealth and social status. Upon his arrival in Spain, he asked King Charles I to give him an important position in one of Spain's new territories in the Americas. In 1537 the king appointed de Soto the governor of Cuba, granting him the right to conquer and colonize the territory north of Cuba on the mainland of North America (now Florida). First visited by Spanish explorers Juan Ponce de León in 1513, the land was still a vast, unexplored wilderness.

Searches for gold in Florida

De Soto began preparing for his expedition to Florida. In the meantime, Spanish conquistador Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca had returned to Spain after many years of exploring the area that is now Texas. Cabeza de Vaca told of stories he had heard about the great wealth that could be found in the "Seven Cities of Cibola" (see Francisco de Coronado and Estevanico entries). Supposedly these fabulous cities were somewhere in the southeastern part of North America. De Soto was immediately intrigued by the tales. Although Cabeza de Vaca had failed to find any treasure, de Soto believed that he himself might discover riches in his new territory. He sailed from Spain on April 7, 1538, with six hundred men and two hundred horses. After stopping in Cuba for more supplies, his party landed on the western coast of the Florida peninsula at the site of modern-day Tampa Bay on May 27, 1539.

Saint Augustine

In 1539–40 Spanish conquistador Hernando de Soto opened the way for settlement of the North American continent. By the 1560s, however, the Spanish were competing with the French to establish permanent colonies along the east coast of the Atlantic Ocean. In 1562 and 1564, French Huguenots had tried to start settlements on the site of present-day Parris Island, off the coast of South Carolina, and at Fort Caroline (on the mouth of the St. Johns River, near modern-day Jacksonville, Florida). In response to these settlements, Spanish naval officer Pedro Menéndez de Avilés arrived with a fleet off the Atlantic coast, southeast of Jacksonville, in 1565. After driving the French away, he planned to establish a permanent settlement that would protect the area from French invasion. On September 8, 1565, Menéndez and his men stepped ashore and took possession of the territory for Spain. He had planned carefully: he had brought plenty of supplies, and along with him came farmers and carpenters. Although the Spanish settlers managed to build a fort, it was little more than a ditch. They had a miserable winter, and many suffered from disease and starvation. The following spring the Spanish began building a town called Saint Augustine, which was designed using a grid pattern with narrow streets and small blocks. The houses were also narrow and set close together. Thus the Spanish established the oldest city—and the first permanent European settlement—in North America. In 1672 they began constructing the great Castillo de San Marcos, a stone fort that still stands today. Many of the original houses have been preserved, and Saint Augustine has become a popular tourist site.

Six months later the Spaniards reached the town of Apalachen near the present-day city of Tallahassee, Florida. Ignoring a hostile reception from Native Americans, the explorers spent the winter in the area. When spring came, de Soto and his party left in search of a place called Cofitachequi, which they heard was ruled by a powerful and wealthy queen. In April 1540 they reached Cofitachequi, which was located seventy-five miles north of the Savannah River in territory that is now eastern Georgia. The Spaniards discovered that the city was indeed ruled by a queen, but they were disappointed to learn that her treasure was only a few freshwater pearls (gems that are formed in the shells of oysters).

Follows second false lead

De Soto's party left Cofitachequi two weeks later, moving north to the land of Chiaha, which was also rumored to be rich in gold. In early June, after crossing the Appalachian Mountains, the Spaniards reached Chiaha. Once again they had been led astray: Chiaha turned out to be simply an island (now called Burns Island) in the middle of the Tennessee River, and offered no wealth. From there de Soto led his men south. Along the way they met two great Native American chiefs, Cosa and Tuscaloosa. Cosa lived on the Coosa River north of the site of present-day Childersburg, Alabama. Tuscaloosa lived in a village on the shores of the Alabama River.

At Mabila (possibly near present-day Choctaw Bluff, Alabama) de Soto received word that his ships had sailed into the Gulf of Mexico to meet him. As the Spaniards continued to move southward toward the Gulf, they engaged in a fierce battle with a group of Native Americans. During the conflict they were pushed to the north and west, and thereby forced to set up a winter camp about 125 miles east of the Mississippi River. The following spring they were attacked by members of the Chickasaw tribe, who killed twelve of de Soto's men.

Leaving camp in late April 1541, the Spaniards traveled to present-day Memphis, Tennessee, in early May. By June they were again in search of treasure. This time de Soto had heard rumors of gold and silver in the Ozark Mountains, so he built some barges and crossed the river. He and his men spent several months traveling through the region that is now the state of Arkansas, but they found no treasure. Spending a difficult winter near modern-day Camden, they were in desperate straits by spring. Several men had died. The Spaniards had also lost most of their horses. De Soto decided to turn back and sail down the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico.

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Dies en route to Gulf

Upon reaching the river, the Spaniards raided a Native American village so they would have a place to build boats for the trip down to the Gulf. During the night of May 21, 1542, however, de Soto fell ill with a fever and died. His men reportedly buried his body in the river so it would not be discovered by Native Americans. Led by a Spanish colleague, Luis de Moscoso, the survivors completed seven barges. In July they went down the Brazos River (in present-day Texas) to the mouth of the Mississippi. Sailing along the Gulf to the settlement of Panuco in northwestern Mexico, they embarked for Spain. It was now September 10, 1543—more than five years since de Soto's expedition had set out for Florida. Of the 600 men in the original party, only 311 had survived. Moreover, their leader had died without ever finding treasure in his new territory. Nevertheless, he is remembered today as the leader of the first European party to sight the Mississippi River. Thus he opened the way for future European exploration in North America.