In 1541, de Soto and his men became the first Europeans to encounter the great Mississippi River and cross it ; de Soto died early the next year.
Where did Hernando De Soto cross the Mississippi River?
On May 21, 1541, the Spaniards saw for the first time the Mississippi River, the “Father of the Water” south of Memphis, Tennessee. They crossed the river and made their way through Arkansas and Louisiana . Then, early in 1542, de Soto turned back to the Mississippi River.
Did Hernando de Soto cross the Mississippi River?
On May 8, 1541 , south of present-day Memphis, Tennessee, Spanish conquistador Hernando de Soto reaches the Mississippi River, one of the first European explorers to ever do so. ... A fine horseman and a daring adventurer, de Soto explored Central America and accumulated considerable wealth through the slave trade.
Who was the first person to discover the Mississippi River?
It shows Spanish conquistador and explorer Hernando De Soto (1500–1542), riding a white horse and dressed in Renaissance finery, arriving at the Mississippi River at a point below Natchez on May 8, 1541. De Soto was the first European documented to have seen the river.
What routes did Hernando de Soto take?
After marching through Florida, De Soto’s group is believed to have traveled northeast through Georgia and into South Carolina and North Carolina before turning west and southwest into parts of Tennessee, Alabama and Mississippi. On May 8, 1541, the expedition sighted the Mississippi River, then headed into Arkansas.
Was Hernando de Soto good or bad?
He certainly was brave and he may have been gallant according to the 16th century definition of the word. But, he certainly was neither benevolent nor kind. Not if old Spanish writers can be believed. Said one of them: ‘DeSoto was fond of the sport of killing Indians.
Why is Hernando de Soto considered an important person?
Hernando de Soto is most famous for his exploration of North America . He led 600 men on a journey through what is now the southeastern United States. They were the first Europeans to explore most of this region. De Soto was sent by the King of Spain to explore and settle La Florida.
Who explored Mississippi River?
1673: Jacques Marquette and Louis Jolliet
How did the pioneers cross the Mississippi river?
Early pioneers and explorers crossed the Mississippi River using canoes and small keel boats .
Who named the Mississippi river?
The word Mississippi comes from Messipi , the French rendering of the Anishinaabe
What did de Soto do in Georgia?
In the spring of 1540, DeSoto led his expeditionary force from Florida into what is now Georgia. Early in the journey, they came across a river, “so wide that our best thrower could not hurl a stone across.” It would take more than four days for his expedition to cross the Chattahoochee River near Bainbridge.
How did de Soto treated the Indians living in Georgia?
De Soto and his men, upon finding such villages, often used violent methods to commandeer their food stores and other resources that were needed to supply their army . They were not concerned with leaving the natives whose food they consumed with enough provisions to continue feeding their own populations.
What was de Soto’s main goal in his explorations?
Seeking greater glory and riches , de Soto embarked on a major expedition in 1538 to conquer Florida for the Spanish crown. He and his men traveled nearly 4,000 miles throughout the region that would become the southeastern United States in search of riches, fighting off Native American attacks along the way.
What was Marquette and Joliet’s goal?
The goal given Marquette, Joliet, and their men was to document, for French and Canadian officials , an area that had been largely unknown until the late seventeenth century. Both explorers were from very different backgrounds.
Where is De Soto buried?
Hernando de Soto died after contracting a fever in May of 1542 in a Native American village located in modern-day Arkansas. His men buried him in the Mississippi River in the middle of the night after he passed.
Where did De Soto land?
In 1531, after receiving permission from the Spanish Crown to conquer Peru, De Soto and Pizarro successfully landed on the coast of modern day Ecuador .
