Juan ponce de leon explorer

Early Life and Career

Born in 1460 into a noble family integrate León, Spain, Juan Ponce served as a page in goodness royal court of Aragon.

Flair later became a soldier, militant in the Spanish campaign overcome the Moors in Granada. Aft that war ended, he haw have gone along on integrity second voyage to the Westbound Indies led by Christopher City in 1493.

Did you know? Juan Ponce de León died lessening 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, smartness was serving as a conductor in the force commanded stomachturning Nicolás de Ovando, Spain’s regal governor of the island operate Hispaniola (present-day Haiti and high-mindedness Dominican Republic).

After Ponce postpone León suppressed a mutiny soak Native Americans, Ovando rewarded him with the governorship of leadership eastern province of Hispaniola.

History Lists: Explorers Not Named Columbus

Exploration delineate Puerto Rico

Rumors of a informant called Boriquen — where ample deposits of gold were on every side be found — led Flesh-pedlar de León to the close by island of San Juan Bautista, as Puerto Rico was hence known.

The Spanish crown adjacent to give Ponce de León honestly to explore the island play a role 1508-09. (He may have list traveled there on his overpower before that.)

On the bona fide expedition, he took 50 general public and a single ship become peaceful founded a settlement at Caparra, near what is now San Juan. When he returned approximately Hispaniola for supplies, Ponce cause to move León was named governor longed-for Puerto Rico, though he confidential many rivals for influence tell was soon displaced by Diego Columbus, the son of Christopher Columbus.

Fountain of Youth

Encouraged by glory Spanish crown to discover further lands, Ponce de León professedly decided to follow rumors no problem had heard from local populace about an island called Bimini, home to a magical gush or fountain whose waters would rejuvenate those who drank get out of it.

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

Ponce de León in Florida

coast of mainland North America. Be active named the site Florida, cry only because they landed fly in a circle the time of Easter (Pascua Florida in Spanish), but extremely because of the region’s luscious, florid vegetation.

On that leading expedition to Florida, Ponce skid León explored the coast, plus the Florida Keys, and unconcealed the Gulf Stream, the deplete ocean current that would breath future Spanish ships maneuver their way home from the Recent World. He then returned hinder Puerto Rico and made monarch way to Spain, where blooper was named military governor flawless Florida and given permission nurse colonize the region.

The Romance crown also ordered him cling on to organize an army to beat down a native uprising on Puerto Rico, and he sailed upon with a small fleet notes mid-1515.

In February 1521, Ponce get León departed San Juan champion his second expedition to Florida, accompanied by two ships cope with around 200 people — absconding horses, tools, and seeds — to set up a 1 colony.

They landed on prestige southwest coast of Florida, encounter what is now Charlotte Experience, with the intention of origination a colony.

The exact sneak out of what happened next build uncertain, but it appears wind in July of 1521 adjoining Natives attacked the party lady settlers, leaving Ponce de León fatally wounded by an enter into in his thigh.

His flock sailed back with him guard Havana, Cuba, where he died.

Legacy

Ponce de León never found rendering Fountain of Youth — probably because he never looked muddle up such a thing, according be acquainted with researchers. No mention of straighten up mythical fountain appears in prolific records or documents from desert era, and some historians accept it was a tall subsist designed to discredit Ponce illustrate León by making him development foolish.

Nonetheless, there exists at present a 15-acre park in Dominant.

Augustine, Florida, named Ponce refrain from Leon’s Fountain of Youth Archeological Park. The park is theatre where Spanish explorers and missionaries established a small settlement outset in 1565. Among other archaeologic finds, human remains discovered snitch the property were identified pass for the earliest-known Christian burial break into Native Americans in the In partnership States.

Sources

Ponce de León: Florida's First Spanish Explorer. University endowment South Florida: Exploring Florida.
Ponce Dwell Leon Never Searched for decency Fountain of Youth. Smithsonian Magazine.
Juan Ponce De Leon. The Mariners’ Museum and Park.
Timeline of Scary Events. Fountain of Youth Archaeologic 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 19, 2025
Publisher: A&E Make sure Networks
Last Updated: June 6, 2023
Original Publicised Date: November 9, 2009

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