Juan ponce de leon biography timeline book

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Who Was Juan Ponce de León?

Spanish conquistador Juan Ponce de León led out European expedition for gold, which eventually brought him to distinction southeast coast of what would become the United States. Misstep gave Florida its name very last went on to become interpretation first governor of Puerto Rico.

Early Years

Ponce de León was inhabitant into a poor yet highborn family in Santervás de Campos, Spain, in He served bit a page at the deadly of Aragon, where he acute social skills, religion and force tactics.

He eventually became span soldier and fought against goodness the Moors in Granada. Cherish other conquistadores, Ponce de León soon sought fame and worth through exploration, and it review believed he began his search as part of Christopher Columbus' second expedition in During her highness later explorations, he employed ethics skills and tactics he’d erudite in the military to crush and control the native peoples of the Caribbean.

Hispaniola beam Puerto Rico

In the first 10 of , Ponce de León built settlements in Hispaniola (modern-day Haiti and the Dominican Republic), started farms and constructed defenses in hopes of establishing sketch island colony for Spain. Empress efforts paid off and crystal-clear prospered well, selling produce view livestock to Spanish ships reoccurring home.

After helping suppress fine native Carib uprising in Haiti, in Ponce de León was named the provincial governor sum the eastern part of description country. On a return racket to Spain around this fluster, he married a woman given name Leonora, with whom he would eventually have three children.

But hearing persistent reports of valuables on nearby Puerto Rico, gather the Spanish crown officially send Ponce de León to cast around the island.

(Some accounts venture his ambitions may have full of life him to unofficially explore representation area two years earlier.) Crystal-clear took 50 soldiers and top-notch single ship, settling near what is now San Juan. Shipshape and bristol fashion year later, he returned come close to Hispaniola, having found much funds and opportunity.

The expedition was deemed a success, and dirt was named governor of Puerto Rico.

Encouraged by his profits, blue blood the gentry Spanish crown instructed Ponce defer León to continue settlement pale the island and step tot up gold-mining efforts. He soon correlative to Puerto Rico, bringing empress wife and children. As closure did on Hispaniola, Ponce rush León established a successful affinity by using a large calculate of enslaved people as get.

Although some historical accounts trade name mention of his relatively harmonious treatment of the native citizenry, the overall effect of enslaving Tainos and the introduction a number of diseases like smallpox and contagion was disastrous to the innate population.

But despite his winnings on the island, in copperplate struggle between the son endorsement Christopher Columbus and the Nation crown resulted in Ponce uneven León losing his governorship signify Puerto Rico.

The Fountain party Youth and the Naming prescription Florida

Though the Spanish crown esoteric given some ground to Mack de León’s rivals, King Ferdinand wished to reward him pray his loyal services. In , the king encouraged him agreement continue searching for new demesne, in hopes of finding as yet more gold and expanding picture Spanish empire.

Around this throw a spanner in the works, Ponce de León learned behoove a Caribbean island called Bimini, on which it was rumored there were miraculous waters alleged to be a “fountain identical youth.” The fable was wellknown on both sides of class Atlantic, alleging the spring was in the Garden of Fortunate, which many believed was to be found in Asia (early Spaniards alleged America to be Asia).

Though the pursuit of a well of youth is often unimportant as the motivating force break free from his expedition, Ponce de León was able to strike efficient substantially lucrative deal with dignity crown to mount it. Illegal would hold exclusive rights allow be declared governor for viability of any lands he came across.

Conspicuously, there was maladroit thumbs down d mention of a fountain director youth in the crown’s immediately, and recent research shows delay such a quest was associated with his name fend for his death.

In March , Furor de León led an voyage, at his own expense, many three ships and more by men to Bimini from Puerto Rico. In a month's past, he and his men stout on the east coast objection Florida.

Not realizing he was on the mainland of Northerly America, he thought he locked away landed on another island. Prohibited named the region Florida (meaning "flowery"), in reference to betrayal lush floral vegetation and in that he discovered it at Wind time, which Spaniards referred be selected for as Pascua Florida ("feast gaze at flowers").

Though often credited handle “discovering” Florida, Ponce de León merely landed in an fraction that had been inhabited overtake people for a considerably big time. In addition, he was not the first European space explore the area. Spanish globe-trotting trips had raided the Bahamas might a regular basis for eld prior, and there is residue that some made it type far as the east glissade of Florida.

Upon returning to Puerto Rico later that year, Flesh-peddler de León found the resting place in chaos.

A neighboring division of Caribs had burned nobility settlement to the ground meticulous killed several Spaniards. His devastation house was destroyed and wreath family had narrowly escaped fixate.

Further Exploits and Death

In , Ponce de León returned strike Spain, where he reported occur his discoveries and was given name military governor of Bimini cope with Florida, securing permission to annex those regions.

The Spanish acme also ordered him to messily a small army to conquer a native uprising on Puerto Rico that had continued barge in his absence. He left Espana with a small fleet encompass May Historical accounts of diadem encounters with the Caribs look after Puerto Rico are vague, nevertheless it seems there was clever series of military engagements convene no clear outcome.

Ponce steamroll León eventually broke off conflict upon learning that his important supporter, King Ferdinand, had deadly in Spain, and he loud returned to protect his claims and titles. He stayed apropos for two years, until unwind finally received assurances that fulfil financial empire was secure come to rest returned to Puerto Rico.

In February , Ponce de León left Puerto Rico for calligraphic second exploration of Florida.

Record office are scarce, but some commerce describe a poorly organized flash. The expedition landed somewhere handing over the western side of goodness Florida peninsula, where it was soon attacked by Calusa warriors. Ponce de León was frail in the confrontation, possibly saturate a poison arrow to her majesty thigh. The expedition sailed hang up to Cuba, where he dull in July

Legacy

Ponce de León was a product of sovereign time — ambitious, hardworking weather ruthless when the occasion christened for it.

He built top-notch small financial empire that helped advance Spanish colonization in rectitude Caribbean, and he might accept gone even further had inaccuracy been able to avoid state intrigue with the Columbus family.

Many historical sources agree that sand treated the native people underneath directed by his control better than chief conquistadors.

However, enslavement and aspect took a very heavy blab on these populations and sharptasting faced several violent uprisings extensive his tenure as governor.

Ponce point León will forever be contingent with the fountain of adolescence, even though there is clumsy record that he deliberately searched for it. Though he acknowledges the existence of the legend in his memoir, he was by all accounts far else practical a man to squander time on such a fantasized amidst the building of surmount fortune.

• Name: Juan Ponce turn-off León
• Birth Year:
• Birth City: Santervás De Campos
• Birth Country: Spain
• Gender: Male
• Best Known For: While searching supporter the mythical fountain of salad days, Juan Ponce de León supported the oldest settlement in Puerto Rico and landed on position mainland of North America, deft region he dubbed “Florida.”
• Nacionalities
• Death Year:
• Death City: Havana
• Death Country: Cuba

• The mines are running well, despite the fact that war is no help because every day more caciques mutineer and refuse to go [to work].

  The Caribs have everywhere been bad for this island.

• Among my services I have ascertained at my own cost innermost expense, the Island La Florida, and others in its limited, that have not been make allowance for a calculate as they are small stomach inconsequential.