Hernando de Soto

Early years

• Soto was born c. 1500 in Jerez de los Caballeros, Spain
• Raised at the family manor 
• Pedro Arias Dávila funded de Soto's education
• Became captain of a calvary exploration troop

Highlights

• First Spanish explorer who led the Europeans to the US  
• He was the first to say that he crossed the Mississippi River
• First Europeans to find the Valley of Vapors
• Wrongly, told the natives he was a "god" and that he was immortal

Conquest of Peru 1532
Pizarro made Soto 2nd in command De Soto played a major role in organizing the conquest of Peru, and was in a successful battle to capture Cuzco.

Voyage to the Americas

• Sold all of his belongings to prepare for the voyage
• He took 10 ships and a select 700 men 
•  May 18, 1539 sailed up to Florida  
• Spent 3 long years exploring the SE US 
• Faced many ambushes and attacks

Finding of the Mississippi

• Soto traveled North and found the Mississippi in 1543
• One of Soto's men found it but Soto took credit for it
• They arrived with 311 men and 7 ships 

Soto's Timeline

• May 1539- Soto landed nine ships and more cargo in Tampa Bay
• 1540- Pedro(important translator) is captured to help
• May 8, 1541, de Soto's troops reached the Mississippi River 
• 1540- Soto and his men settled in the "Bay of Horses"
• May 21, 1542- Soto dies of fever...  This photo is the route that Soto took

Famous Quote:
I am not a die-hard capitalist. I do not view capitalism as a credo. Much more important to me are freedom, compassion for the poor, respect for the social contract, and equal opportunity. But for the moment, to achieve those goals, capitalism is the only game in town. It is the only system we know that provides us with the tools required to create massive surplus value.

Sources

• http://www.biography.com/people/hernando-de-soto-38469#exploring-north-amer...
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hernando_de_Soto
• This photo is the Battle of Mabila, where they were victorious