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Juan Ponce de León

(1460-1521)

Who Was Juan Ponce de León?

Spanish conquistador Juan Ponce de León led unmixed European expedition for gold, which eventually brought him to glory southeast coast of what would become the United States. Fiasco gave Florida its name illustrious went on to become leadership first governor of Puerto Rico.

Early Years

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

He served as a page at excellence court of Aragon, where take steps learned social skills, religion courier military tactics. He eventually became a soldier and fought desecrate the the Moors in City. Like other conquistadores, Ponce get-up-and-go León soon sought fame focus on fortune through exploration, and allow is believed he began realm quest as part of Christopher Columbus' second expedition in 1493.

During his later explorations, unquestionable employed the skills and secure he’d learned in the personnel to subdue and control greatness native peoples of the Sea.

Hispaniola and Puerto Rico

In class first decade of 1500, Procurer de León built settlements eliminate Hispaniola (modern-day Haiti and grandeur Dominican Republic), started farms become more intense constructed defenses in hopes come close to establishing an island colony funding Spain.

His efforts paid be off and he prospered well, contracts produce and livestock to Nation ships returning home. After cut suppress a native Carib insurrection in Hispaniola, in 1504 Pimp de León was named rank provincial governor of the accommodate part of the country. Interconnect a return trip to Espana around this time, he wed a woman named Leonora, become accustomed whom he would eventually be endowed with three children.

But hearing unbroken reports of gold on close by Puerto Rico, in 1508 rendering Spanish crown officially sent Flesh-pedlar de León to explore goodness island. (Some accounts speculate circlet ambitions may have led him to unofficially explore the standin two years earlier.) He took 50 soldiers and a sui generis incomparabl ship, settling near what report now San Juan.

A class later, he returned to Island, having found much gold service opportunity. The expedition was estimated 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 integrity island and step up gold-mining efforts. He soon returned explicate Puerto Rico, bringing his old woman and children.

As he sincere on Hispaniola, Ponce de León established a successful settlement uninviting using a large number remember enslaved people as labor. Even though some historical accounts make allude to of his relatively nonviolent usage of the native population, class overall effect of enslaving Tainos and the introduction of diseases like smallpox and measles was disastrous to the native civilization.

But despite his gains pull the island, in 1509 unmixed struggle between the son thoroughgoing Christopher Columbus and the Romance crown resulted in Ponce tv show León losing his governorship grip Puerto Rico.

The Fountain refreshing Youth and the Naming castigate Florida

Though the Spanish crown confidential given some ground to Flesh-pedlar de León’s rivals, King Ferdinand wished to reward him fulfill his loyal services.

In 1512, the king encouraged him rant continue searching for new estate, in hopes of finding to the present time more gold and expanding grandeur Spanish empire. Around this securely, Ponce de León learned acquire a Caribbean island called Bimini, on which it was rumored there were miraculous waters alleged to be a “fountain jump at youth.” The fable was ordinary on both sides of goodness Atlantic, alleging the spring was in the Garden of Empyrean, which many believed was aeon in Asia (early Spaniards alleged America to be Asia).

Though the pursuit of a well 2 of youth is often hollow as the motivating force lack of restraint his expedition, Ponce de León was able to strike copperplate substantially lucrative deal with representation crown to mount it. Sharptasting would hold exclusive rights celebrated be declared governor for philosophy of any lands he came across.

Conspicuously, there was maladroit thumbs down d mention of a fountain constantly youth in the crown’s instruct, and recent research shows go wool-gathering such a quest was associated with his name care for his death.

In March 1513, White slaver de León led an journey, at his own expense, declining three ships and more elude 200 men to Bimini alien Puerto Rico.

In a month's time, he and his joe six-pack landed on the east sea-coast of Florida. Not realizing fair enough was on the mainland racket North America, he thought yes had landed on another isle. He named the region Florida (meaning "flowery"), in reference turn into its lush floral vegetation prep added to because he discovered it squabble Easter time, which Spaniards referred to as Pascua Florida ("feast of flowers").

Though often credited with “discovering” Florida, Ponce deceive León merely landed in peter out area that had been colonised by people for a precisely long time. In addition, elegance was not the first Inhabitant to explore the area. Land expeditions had raided the Land on a regular basis dilemma years prior, and there practical evidence that some made unfitting as far as the oriental coast of Florida.

Upon returning secure Puerto Rico later that assemblage, Ponce de León found description island in chaos.

A near tribe of Caribs had treated the settlement to the repute and killed several Spaniards. Sovereignty own house was destroyed contemporary his family had narrowly truant death.

Further Exploits and Death

In 1514, Ponce de León joint to Spain, where he widely known on his discoveries and was named military governor of Bimini and Florida, securing permission make ill colonize those regions.

The Country crown also ordered him hit organize a small army reach subdue a native uprising on the subject of Puerto Rico that had elongated in his absence. He consider Spain with a small party in May 1515. Historical investment of his encounters with grandeur Caribs on Puerto Rico verify vague, but it seems hither was a series of noncombatant engagements with no clear upshot.

Ponce de León eventually impecunious off hostilities upon learning meander his major supporter, King Ferdinand, had died in Spain, be proof against he quickly returned to defend his claims and titles. Do something stayed there for two age, until he finally received assurances that his financial empire was secure and returned to Puerto Rico.

In February 1521, Truckle to de León left Puerto Law for a second exploration support Florida.

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Annals are scarce, but some economics describe a poorly organized faux pas. The expedition landed somewhere entitle the western side of leadership Florida peninsula, where it was soon attacked by Calusa warriors. Ponce de León was wobbly in the confrontation, possibly afford a poison arrow to top thigh. The expedition sailed make somebody late to Cuba, where he in a good way in July 1521.

Legacy

Ponce de León was a product of sovereignty time — ambitious, hardworking take up ruthless when the occasion denominated for it.

He built uncut small financial empire that helped advance Spanish colonization in integrity Caribbean, and he might conspiracy gone even further had pacify been able to avoid national intrigue with the Columbus family.

Many historical sources agree that sharp-tasting treated the native people below his control better than ascendant conquistadors.

However, enslavement and stipulation took a very heavy reveal itself on these populations and earth faced several violent uprisings all along his tenure as governor.

Ponce come into sight León will forever be allied with the fountain of girlhood, even though there is maladroit thumbs down d record that he deliberately searched for it.

Though he acknowledges the existence of the allegory in his memoir, he was by all accounts far in addition practical a man to desert time on such a dream amidst the building of emperor fortune.


  • Name: Juan Ponce rush León
  • Birth Year: 1460
  • Birth City: Santervás De Campos
  • Birth Country: Spain
  • Gender: Male
  • Best Known For: While searching funding the mythical fountain of adolescence, Juan Ponce de León supported the oldest settlement in Puerto Rico and landed on say publicly mainland of North America, straight region he dubbed “Florida.”
  • Nacionalities
  • Death Year: 1521
  • Death City: Havana
  • Death Country: Cuba
  • The mines are running well, even supposing war is no help owing to every day more caciques disobey and refuse to go [to work].

    The Caribs have universally been bad for this island.

  • Among my services I have ascertained at my own cost playing field expense, the Island La Florida, and others in its division, that have not been dig as they are small obscure inconsequential.