Everything about De Soto National Memorial totally explained
De Soto National Memorial, 5 miles (8 km) west of
Bradenton, Florida, commemorates the
1539 landing of
Hernando de Soto and the first extensive organized exploration by Europeans of what is now the southern
United States.
De Soto expedition
In May of 1539, Hernando de Soto and an army of over 600 soldiers landed in the
Tampa Bay area. They arrived in nine ships laden with supplies: two hundred and twenty
horses, a herd of
pigs, war dogs, cannon, matchlock muskets, armor, tools, and rations. They were executing the order of
King Charles V to sail to
La Florida and "conquer, populate, and pacify" the land.
The expedition didn't yield the
gold and treasure these men sought. Instead, they marched from one village to the next, taking food and enslaving the native peoples to use as guides and porters. Hundreds of lives lost on this calamitous four year, four thousand mile journey. The de Soto expedition would change the face of the American Southeast forever, and cause
Spain to reevaluate her role in the New World. Ultimately, it was the first hand accounts of survivors, describing the native cultures and the richness of the land, which became the journey's enduring legacy.
Historic recognition
The
national memorial was authorized on
March 11,
1948. As with all historic areas administered by the National Park Service, the national memorial was listed on the
National Register of Historic Places on
October 15,
1966.
The mission of De Soto National Memorial is to preserve the controversial story of this exploration and interpret its significance in American history. Visitors can attend living history demonstrations, try on a piece of armor, or walk the nature trail through a Florida coastal landscape similar to the one encountered by conquistadors almost five hundred years ago.
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