Blog #4 Explorer or Murderer?

Answer the  question Explorer or Murderer, identify the country of origin use at least 1 primary source (document, image, map, or video).

Juan Ponce de Leon

Juan Ponce de Leon

            Juan Ponce de Leon was a Spanish conquistador, born in 1474, is well known for discovering and naming Florida for Spain. De Leon was born in the present day Spanish province of Valladolid specifically in the village of Santervas de Campos, and was born into a rich noble family. In 1508, de Leon was given permission to carry out his first expedition with 50 men by Ferdinand II; he left Hispaniola and created the first settlement in Puerto Rico through a fortified house and storehouse. De Leon returned to Hispaniola but in 1509 returned with his children and wife; while enforcing the encomienda system in Puerto Rico on the backs of Tainos. Ponce de Leon ceased a Taino rebellion in 1511 with a small force of troops that were armed. By 1511 word spread in Spain that Hispaniola had more undiscovered land to claim; so, Ponce de Leon took this opportunity and was hired by the King and Queen to find these new lands. On April 2, 1513 Ponce de Leon and his crew sited land and named it La Florida, after the Eastern season. In May 1513 Native Americans approached with the initial intentions of trading, but quickly became hostile, escalating in 8 captive Indians. On June 4^th a similar event happened whereas the skirmish culminated in the sinking in a fourth of the Indian attackers. Ponce de Leon’s fleet disbanded by October 19, when de Leon returned to Puerto Rico and the rest of his crew returning to Spain.  In 1521 along with 200 men de Leon returned to Florida but were attacked by the Calusa (Indians) and de Leon's thigh was pierced by a poisoned arrow and died soon afterwords in Havana, Cuba. 

Map of De Leon's route