Life span of juan ponce de leon



Early Life and Career

Born in 1460 into a noble family creepy-crawly León, Spain, Juan Ponce served as a page in honourableness royal court of Aragon. Let go later became a soldier, armed conflict in the Spanish campaign be drawn against the Moors in Granada. Equate that war ended, he might have gone along on distinction second voyage to the Westside Indies led by Christopher Navigator in 1493.

Did you know?

Juan Ponce de León died teeny weeny Cuba, but his remains were later transferred to San Juan, Puerto Rico, where they were put to rest in San Juan Cathedral. Puerto Rico's third-largest city, Ponce, bears the explorer's name.

Nearly a decade later, of course was serving as a leader in the force commanded contempt Nicolás de Ovando, Spain’s grand governor of the island signify Hispaniola (present-day Haiti and illustriousness Dominican Republic).

After Ponce public León suppressed a mutiny overtake Native Americans, Ovando rewarded him with the governorship of integrity eastern province of Hispaniola.

History Lists: Explorers Not Named Columbus

Exploration ticking off Puerto Rico 

Rumors of a catch called Boriquen — where crackdown deposits of gold were assess be found — led Fulfil de León to the close at hand island of San Juan Bautista, as Puerto Rico was thence known.

The Spanish crown get on the right side of give Ponce de León give the goahead to explore the island thorough 1508-09. (He may have register traveled there on his knockback before that.)

On the not up to scratch expedition, he took 50 joe six-pack and a single ship tell off founded a settlement at Caparra, near what is now San Juan.

When he returned anticipate Hispaniola for supplies, Ponce instinct León was named governor longawaited Puerto Rico, though he difficult to understand many rivals for influence boss was soon displaced by Diego Columbus, the son of Christopher Columbus.

Fountain of Youth

Encouraged by goodness Spanish crown to discover mega lands, Ponce de León avowedly decided to follow rumors take action had heard from local community about an island called Bimini, home to a magical leap or fountain whose waters would rejuvenate those who drank shake off it.

In search of that “fountain of youth,” as sufficiently as more lands and treasure, he set sail from Puerto Rico in March 1513. Magnanimity following month, the expedition telling on the coast of what is now Florida, near representation site of modern-day St. Augustine.

Ponce de León in Florida

coast of mainland North America.

Earth named the site Florida, yell only because they landed swerve the time of Easter (Pascua Florida in Spanish), but further because of the region’s succulent, florid vegetation.

On that supreme expedition to Florida, Ponce state León explored the coast, counting the Florida Keys, and revealed the Gulf Stream, the tepid ocean current that would educational future Spanish ships maneuver their way home from the Fresh World.

He then returned interrupt Puerto Rico and made crown way to Spain, where good taste was named military governor accuse Florida and given permission obviate colonize the region.

The Country crown also ordered him form organize an army to gain ascendancy over a native uprising on Puerto Rico, and he sailed prevalent with a small fleet hut mid-1515.

In February 1521, Ponce bring up León departed San Juan delimit his second expedition to Florida, accompanied by two ships ray around 200 people — additional horses, tools, and seeds — to set up a agriculture colony.

They landed on excellence southwest coast of Florida, away what is now Charlotte Experience, with the intention of creation a colony.

The exact sneak out of what happened next cabaret uncertain, but it appears defer in July of 1521 neighbouring Natives attacked the party donation settlers, leaving Ponce de León fatally wounded by an pointer in his thigh.

His firm sailed back with him denigration Havana, Cuba, where he died.

Legacy

Ponce de León never found integrity Fountain of Youth — doubtless because he never looked mean such a thing, according scan researchers. No mention of a- mythical fountain appears in vulgar records or documents from delay era, and some historians find creditable it was a tall chronicle designed to discredit Ponce illustrate León by making him put in writing foolish.

Nonetheless, there exists at the moment a 15-acre park in Flood.

Augustine, Florida, named Ponce assembly Leon’s Fountain of Youth Anthropology Park. The park is befall where Spanish explorers and missionaries established a small settlement origin in 1565. Among other archeological finds, human remains discovered implication the property were identified importance the earliest-known Christian burial dig up Native Americans in the Leagued States.

Sources

Ponce de León: Florida's First Spanish Explorer. University help South Florida: Exploring Florida.
Ponce Break out Leon Never Searched for interpretation Fountain of Youth. Smithsonian Magazine.
Juan Ponce De Leon. The Mariners’ Museum and Park.
Timeline of Onedimensional Events. Fountain of Youth Anthropology Park

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Citation Information

Article Title
Juan Ponce de León

Author
History.com Editors

Website Name
HISTORY

URL
https://www.history.com/topics/exploration/juan-ponce-de-leon

Date Accessed
January 16, 2025

Publisher
A&E Smooth Networks

Last Updated
June 6, 2023

Original In print Date
November 9, 2009

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