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 places did Hernando de Soto discover?
In the early 1530s, while on Francisco Pizarro’s expedition, Hernando de Soto helped conquer Peru. In 1539 he set out for North America, where he discovered the Mississippi River .
Where did Desoto discover 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.
What did Hernando de Soto find?
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.
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.
Who discovered the Mississippi River?
The Basics
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.
How did settlers cross the Mississippi?
In. the early movement of settlers to Iowa, the Mississippi River played a double role. ... Rivers proved to be an unfailing source of trouble. The small streams were crossed by fording the larger ones by swimming the teams, wagons and all .
Why are there locks on the Mississippi River?
In the 1930s, the United States Army Corps of Engineers built a series of locks and dams on the Mississippi River to maintain a navigational channel of at least nine feet in depth . Eleven such lock and dam facilities are located on the Mississippi north of the Minnesota-Iowa border.
Who discovered the New World?
Explorer Christopher Columbus (1451–1506) is known for his 1492 ‘discovery’ of the New World of the Americas on board his ship Santa Maria.
How did Hernando de Soto impact the Native Americans?
De Soto’s journey had a significant impact on the Native Americans of North America. He and his men were the first contact the majority of these tribes living in the interior had with Europeans , and they brought more than violence with them.
Why did Spain want to explore and colonize North America?
The desire to check Habsburg power and increase their own prestige in the process , therefore, became a prime motivation for Spain’s rivals to begin colonization efforts of their own in the New World, and while these rival powers grabbed whatever bits of the Caribbean and South America they could manage, much of their ...
Where did Spain explore and colonize?
Beginning with the 1492 arrival of Christopher Columbus, the Spanish Empire expanded for four centuries (1492–1892) across most of present-day Central America, the Caribbean islands, Mexico, and much of the rest of North America .
What native tribes did De Soto encounter?
This area was the chief town in the territory of the Apalachee Indians, called Anhayca . These natives constantly attacked de Soto and his men throughout the duration of the Europeans’ stay in their territory.
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.
How deep is the Mississippi river?
From its source, Lake Itasca, to its end, the Gulf of Mexico, the Mississippi River drops 1,475 feet. The deepest point on the Mississippi River is located near Algiers Point in New Orleans and is 200 feet in depth .
