Hernando de Soto

Hernando de Soto
Hernando de Soto was born in Barcarrota or Badajoz,Extremadura, Spain
The country he explored was Sounthern United Sates searching for gold and a passage to China. They set out in 1514.


He was a Spanish conquistador. More than 600 hundred men touched land in present day Florida. His expedition was one with ships and men. He died at the end of his expedition so he didn’t get to have another expedition.
He only had 1 expedition and he died at the end of it he never made it back home. He was almost to the gold he was looking for when he died. He found the Mississippi River. He killed the emperor of the Incas. Thousands of Incas were killed. The fabulous treasure of the Incas was stolen.



De Soto went to Florida and traveled up by foot to the state we all know as North Carolina. He was so eager to find gold he pushed up from his destination to Tennessee and Amazingly he found no gold but a greatly wide river.

He named it the Mississippi River. This was a great honor for Hernando and Spain if Hernando had not died and had returned to Spain they would make him an honored man and reward him with precious gifts.