22 Apr 1496 Jahr - Hernando De Soto

Beschreibung:

(1496?-1542)
Born in Jerez de los Caballeros. De Soto grew rich from the Slave trade, going as far as the West Indies and Central America. In 1532 he set out on a voyage to conquer the Inca Empire and on 1536 came back to Spain with the spoils of his victory. The next year, the King of Spain gave authorization to conquer modern-day Florida. The Spaniards landed on the coast looking for gold and harassing the local tribes. The conquistadors moved west out of Florida and crossed the Mississippi River. De Soto and his crew were the first Europeans to cross the river. De Soto later succumb to disease and his surviving men were forced to go back to Spain.