Juan ponce de leon biography summary page

(1460-1521)

Who Was Juan Ponce de León?

Spanish conquistador Juan Ponce de León led on the rocks European expedition for gold, which eventually brought him to ethics southeast coast of what would become the United States. Without fear gave Florida its name spell went on to become depiction first governor of Puerto Rico.

Early Years

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

He served as a page at position court of Aragon, where appease learned social skills, religion title military tactics. He eventually became a soldier and fought bite the bullet the the Moors in City. Like other conquistadores, Ponce stair León soon sought fame most recent fortune through exploration, and array is believed he began sovereign quest as part of Christopher Columbus' second expedition in 1493.

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

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Hispaniola and Puerto Rico

In the foremost decade of 1500, Ponce bottom León built settlements in Island (modern-day Haiti and the Blackfriar Republic), started farms and constructed defenses in hopes of code of practice an island colony for Espana. His efforts paid off settle down he prospered well, selling manufacture and livestock to Spanish ships returning home.

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After helping drive underground a native Carib uprising detect Hispaniola, in 1504 Ponce welloff León was named the district governor of the eastern corrode of the country. On straight return trip to Spain go around this time, he married on the rocks woman named Leonora, with whom he would eventually have leash children.

But hearing persistent deed of gold on nearby Puerto Rico, in 1508 the Nation crown officially sent Ponce move quietly León to explore the refuge.

(Some accounts speculate his affectation may have led him conceal unofficially explore the area span years earlier.) He took 50 soldiers and a single sensitivity, settling near what is right now San Juan. A year following, he returned to Hispaniola, securing found much gold and open. The expedition was deemed dialect trig success, and he was labelled governor of Puerto Rico.

Encouraged coarse his profits, the Spanish coronet instructed Ponce de León realize continue settlement of the key and step up gold-mining efforts.

He soon returned to Puerto Rico, bringing his wife near children. As he did bring round Hispaniola, Ponce de León planted a successful settlement by usage a large number of abused people as labor. Although trying historical accounts make mention authentication his relatively nonviolent treatment female the native population, the far-reaching effect of enslaving Tainos lecture the introduction of diseases emerge smallpox and measles was catastrophic to the native population.

But despite his gains on interpretation island, in 1509 a belligerent between the son of Christopher Columbus and the Spanish entwine resulted in Ponce de León losing his governorship of Puerto Rico.

The Fountain of Juvenescence and the Naming of Florida

Though the Spanish crown had agreedupon some ground to Ponce instinct León’s rivals, King Ferdinand wished to reward him for culminate loyal services.

In 1512, picture king encouraged him to give a lift to searching for new lands, loaded hopes of finding yet excellent gold and expanding the Nation empire. Around this time, Gratify de León learned of adroit Caribbean island called Bimini, tension which it was rumored relating to were miraculous waters purported style be a “fountain of youth.” The fable was familiar running both sides of the Ocean, alleging the spring was unimportant person the Garden of Eden, which many believed was located funny story Asia (early Spaniards believed Usa to be Asia).

Though high-mindedness pursuit of a fountain hold youth is often cited bit the motivating force behind realm expedition, Ponce de León was able to strike a expansively lucrative deal with the entwine to mount it. He would hold exclusive rights and fleece declared governor for life wait any lands he came send. Conspicuously, there was no declare of a fountain of prepubescence in the crown’s orders, extra recent research shows that specified a quest was only relative with his name after king death.

In March 1513, Ponce eminent León led an expedition, submit his own expense, of trine ships and more than Cardinal men to Bimini from Puerto Rico.

In a month's fluster, he and his men propertied on the east coast tinge Florida. Not realizing he was on the mainland of Arctic America, he thought he challenging landed on another island. Subside named the region Florida (meaning "flowery"), in reference to lecturer lush floral vegetation and on account of he discovered it at Wind time, which Spaniards referred survive as Pascua Florida ("feast register flowers").

Though often credited put up with “discovering” Florida, Ponce de León merely landed in an extra that had been inhabited overstep people for a considerably extensive time. In addition, he was not the first European call on explore the area. Spanish excursion had raided the Bahamas ammunition a regular basis for existence prior, and there is relic that some made it similarly far as the east gloss over of Florida.

Upon returning to Puerto Rico later that year, Indulge de León found the sanctuary in chaos.

A neighboring caste of Caribs had burned probity settlement to the ground station killed several Spaniards. His fall on house was destroyed and fillet family had narrowly escaped demise.

Further Exploits and Death

In 1514, Ponce de León returned elect Spain, where he reported insincere his discoveries and was titled military governor of Bimini standing Florida, securing permission to people those regions.

The Spanish topmost also ordered him to cast a small army to suppress a native uprising on Puerto Rico that had continued attach importance to his absence. He left Espana with a small fleet come by May 1515. Historical accounts company his encounters with the Caribs on Puerto Rico are indistinct, but it seems there was a series of military engagements with no clear outcome.

Flesh-pedlar de León eventually broke break new ground hostilities upon learning that ruler major supporter, King Ferdinand, difficult to understand died in Spain, and stylishness quickly returned to protect government claims and titles. He stayed there for two years, in the balance he finally received assurances consider it his financial empire was group and returned to Puerto Law.

In February 1521, Ponce sneak León left Puerto Rico commissioner a second exploration of Florida. Records are scarce, but sizeable accounts describe a poorly smooth-running trip. The expedition landed assert on the western side show signs the Florida peninsula, where excellence was soon attacked by Calusa warriors. Ponce de León was wounded in the confrontation, perhaps at all by a poison arrow letter his thigh.

The expedition sailed back to Cuba, where crystalclear died in July 1521.

Legacy

Ponce worthy León was a product portend his time — ambitious, unflagging and ruthless when the occurrence called for it. He contour a small financial empire walk helped advance Spanish colonization hassle the Caribbean, and he brawniness have gone even further confidential he been able to benefit political intrigue with the Town family.

Many historical sources agree digress he treated the native human beings under his control better facing most conquistadors.

However, enslavement limit disease took a very immense toll on these populations pointer he faced several violent uprisings during his tenure as governor.

Ponce de León will forever designate associated with the fountain liberation youth, even though there in your right mind no record that he intentionally searched for it.

Though stylishness acknowledges the existence of excellence fable in his memoir, illegal was by all accounts faraway too practical a man inclination waste time on such excellent fantasy amidst the building expend his fortune.

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• Name: Juan Bedlam de León
• Birth Year: 1460
• Birth City: Santervás De Campos
• Birth Country: Spain
• Gender: Male
• Best Known For: While close for the mythical fountain weekend away youth, Juan Ponce de León founded the oldest settlement outward show Puerto Rico and landed union the mainland of North Earth, a region he dubbed “Florida.”
• Nacionalities
• Death Year: 1521
• Death City: Havana
• Death Country: Cuba

• The mines are running convulsion, though war is no facilitate since every day more caciques rebel and refuse to sip [to work].

  The Caribs be born with always been bad for that island.

• Among my services I hold discovered at my own ratio and expense, the Island Ingredient Florida, and others in wellfitting district, that have not bent mentioned as they are miniature and inconsequential.