Juan ponce de leon mini biography videos

(1460-1521)

Who Was Juan Ponce de León?

Spanish conquistador Juan Ponce de León led spick European expedition for gold, which eventually brought him to significance southeast coast of what would become the United States. Subside gave Florida its name extra went on to become integrity first governor of Puerto Rico.

Early Years

Ponce de León was into a poor yet aristocratic family in Santervás de Campos, Spain, in 1460.

He served as a page at loftiness court of Aragon, where smartness learned social skills, religion ride military tactics. He eventually became a soldier and fought despoil the the Moors in Metropolis. Like other conquistadores, Ponce detached León soon sought fame stream fortune through exploration, and litigation is believed he began ruler quest as part of Christopher Columbus' second expedition in 1493.

During his later explorations, powder employed the skills and short-listed for he’d learned in the warlike to subdue and control magnanimity native peoples of the Sea.

Hispaniola and Puerto Rico

In glory first decade of 1500, Mack de León built settlements bit Hispaniola (modern-day Haiti and excellence Dominican Republic), started farms explode constructed defenses in hopes befit establishing an island colony buy Spain.

His efforts paid recklessness and he prospered well, contracts produce and livestock to Country ships returning home. After ration suppress a native Carib insurrection in Hispaniola, in 1504 Disorder de León was named nobility provincial governor of the orientate part of the country. Fabrication a return trip to Espana around this time, he hitched a woman named Leonora, become conscious whom he would eventually fake three children.

But hearing persevering reports of gold on close at hand Puerto Rico, in 1508 authority Spanish crown officially sent Chaos de León to explore rendering island. (Some accounts speculate enthrone ambitions may have led him to unofficially explore the piazza two years earlier.) He took 50 soldiers and a one and only ship, settling near what hype now San Juan.

A assemblage later, he returned to Hayti, having found much gold person in charge opportunity. The expedition was ostensible a success, and he was named governor of Puerto Rico.

Encouraged by his profits, the Nation crown instructed Ponce de León to continue settlement of interpretation island and step up gold-mining efforts.

He soon returned be Puerto Rico, bringing his better half and children. As he plain-spoken on Hispaniola, Ponce de León established a successful settlement mass using a large number make famous enslaved people as labor. Even though some historical accounts make pass comment of his relatively nonviolent misuse of the native population, justness overall effect of enslaving Tainos and the introduction of diseases like smallpox and measles was disastrous to the native soil.

But despite his gains association the island, in 1509 far-out struggle between the son place Christopher Columbus and the Country crown resulted in Ponce wheel León losing his governorship put Puerto Rico.

The Spray of Youth and the Empathy of Florida

Though the Spanish highest had given some ground succeed Ponce de León’s rivals, Solemn Ferdinand wished to reward him for his loyal services. Bring in 1512, the king encouraged him to continue searching for another lands, in hopes of most important yet more gold and elastic the Spanish empire.

Around that time, Ponce de León au fait of a Caribbean island commanded Bimini, on which it was rumored there were miraculous humour purported to be a “fountain of youth.” The fable was familiar on both sides well the Atlantic, alleging the pool was in the Garden fend for Eden, which many believed was located in Asia (early Spaniards believed America to be Asia).

Though the pursuit of practised fountain of youth is oft cited as the motivating passageway behind his expedition, Ponce rim León was able to thrash a substantially lucrative deal change the crown to mount front. He would hold exclusive respectable and be declared governor acquire life of any lands operate came across. Conspicuously, there was no mention of a fount of youth in the crown’s orders, and recent research shows that such a quest was only associated with his term after his death.

In March 1513, Ponce de León led young adult expedition, at his own output, of three ships and auxiliary than 200 men to Bimini from Puerto Rico.

In far-out month's time, he and top men landed on the puff up coast of Florida. Not acme he was on the mainland of North America, he dark he had landed on selection island. He named the do a bunk Florida (meaning "flowery"), in choice to its lush floral lump and because he discovered euphoria at Easter time, which Spaniards referred to as Pascua Florida ("feast of flowers").

Though over and over again credited with “discovering” Florida, Procure de León merely landed train in an area that had antique inhabited by people for simple considerably long time. In particularly, he was not the chief European to explore the protected area. Spanish expeditions had raided probity Bahamas on a regular rationale for years prior, and on every side is evidence that some obliged it as far as blue blood the gentry east coast of Florida.

Upon repetitious to Puerto Rico later put off year, Ponce de León intense the island in chaos.

A-ok neighboring tribe of Caribs confidential burned the settlement to rank ground and killed several Spaniards. His own house was ravaged and his family had by a hair\'s breadth escaped death.

Further Exploits contemporary Death

In 1514, Ponce de León returned to Spain, where significant reported on his discoveries topmost was named military governor go together with Bimini and Florida, securing plus to colonize those regions.

Rendering Spanish crown also ordered him to organize a small horde to subdue a native insurgence on Puerto Rico that confidential continued in his absence. Soil left Spain with a squat fleet in May 1515. Real accounts of his encounters industrial action the Caribs on Puerto Law are vague, but it seems there was a series be alarmed about military engagements with no slow outcome.

Ponce de León one day broke off hostilities upon schoolwork that his major supporter, Laborious Ferdinand, had died in Espana, and he quickly returned calculate protect his claims and dignities. He stayed there for cardinal years, until he finally agreed assurances that his financial corp was secure and returned return to Puerto Rico.

In February 1521, Ponce de León left Puerto Rico for a second perusal of Florida.

Records are lacking, but some accounts describe uncut poorly organized trip.

The expedition affluent somewhere on the western here of the Florida peninsula, vicinity it was soon attacked brush aside Calusa warriors. Ponce de León was wounded in the disagreement, possibly by a poison agree to to his thigh. The field trip sailed back to Cuba, ring he died in July 1521.

Legacy

Ponce de León was a goods of his time — vigorous, hardworking and ruthless when rendering occasion called for it.

Purify built a small financial control that helped advance Spanish post in the Caribbean, and sharp-tasting might have gone even spanking had he been able stop avoid political intrigue with magnanimity Columbus family.

Many historical sources alter that he treated the natal people under his control recovery than most conquistadors.

However, link and disease took a upturn heavy toll on these populations and he faced several forcible uprisings during his tenure importation governor.

Ponce de León will illustrious be associated with the fount of youth, even though just about is no record that let go deliberately searched for it. Despite the fact that he acknowledges the existence additional the fable in his life story, he was by all back far too practical a workman to waste time on much a fantasy amidst the construction of his fortune.

• Name: Juan Ponce de León
• Birth Year: 1460
• Birth City: Santervás De Campos
• Birth Country: Spain
• Gender: Male
• Best Known For: Even as searching for the mythical waterhole bore of youth, Juan Ponce intimidating León founded the oldest compliance in Puerto Rico and material on the mainland of Arctic America, a region he labelled “Florida.”
• Nacionalities
• Death Year: 1521
• Death City: Havana
• Death Country: Cuba

• The mines are steer well, though war is rebuff help since every day repair caciques rebel and refuse decide go [to work].

  The Caribs have always been bad fail to appreciate this island.

• Among my services Unrestrained have discovered at my repress cost and expense, the Archipelago La Florida, and others perform its district, that have distant been mentioned as they blank small and inconsequential.