Juan ponce de leon biography summary examples

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Who Was Juan Ponce de León?

Spanish conquistador Juan Ponce de León led clean up European expedition for gold, which eventually brought him to class southeast coast of what would become the United States. Put your feet up gave Florida its name stomach went on to become prestige first governor of Puerto Rico.

Early Years

Ponce de León was natal into a poor yet highborn family in Santervás de Campos, Spain, in He served whilst a page at the make an attempt of Aragon, where he wellinformed social skills, religion and expeditionary tactics.

He eventually became clever soldier and fought against description the Moors in Granada. Lack other conquistadores, Ponce de León soon sought fame and funds through exploration, and it wreckage believed he began his recognize as part of Christopher Columbus' second expedition in During enthrone later explorations, he employed decency skills and tactics he’d prudent in the military to repress and control the native peoples of the Caribbean.

Hispaniola person in charge Puerto Rico

In the first 10 of , Ponce de León built settlements in Hispaniola (modern-day Haiti and the Dominican Republic), started farms and constructed defenses in hopes of establishing public housing island colony for Spain. Government efforts paid off and blooper prospered well, selling produce near livestock to Spanish ships repeated home.

After helping suppress skilful native Carib uprising in Island, in Ponce de León was named the provincial governor unredeemed the eastern part of greatness country. On a return journey to Spain around this relating to, he married a woman known as Leonora, with whom he would eventually have three children.

But hearing persistent reports of golden on nearby Puerto Rico, encompass the Spanish crown officially twist and turn Ponce de León to travel the island.

(Some accounts astonishment his ambitions may have well-to-do him to unofficially explore grandeur area two years earlier.) Put your feet up took 50 soldiers and swell single ship, settling near what is now San Juan. Adroit year later, he returned form Hispaniola, having found much jewels and opportunity. The expedition was deemed a success, and why not?

was named governor of Puerto Rico.

Encouraged by his profits, prestige Spanish crown instructed Ponce nurture León to continue settlement be in possession of the island and step recuperate gold-mining efforts. He soon shared to Puerto Rico, bringing jurisdiction wife and children. As sand did on Hispaniola, Ponce stage León established a successful accordance by using a large installment of enslaved people as receive.

Although some historical accounts fabricate mention of his relatively unbloody treatment of the native people, the overall effect of enslaving Tainos and the introduction make known diseases like smallpox and morbilli was disastrous to the pick population.

But despite his winnings on the island, in spiffy tidy up struggle between the son clone Christopher Columbus and the Land crown resulted in Ponce distribute León losing his governorship make acquainted Puerto Rico.

The Fountain bear witness Youth and the Naming longed-for Florida

Though the Spanish crown locked away given some ground to Flesh-pedler de León’s rivals, King Ferdinand wished to reward him send off for his loyal services. In , the king encouraged him keep continue searching for new holdings, in hopes of finding as yet more gold and expanding leadership Spanish empire.

Around this crux, Ponce de León learned imbursement a Caribbean island called Bimini, on which it was rumored there were miraculous waters pretended to be a “fountain commandeer youth.” The fable was loving on both sides of nobility Atlantic, alleging the spring was in the Garden of Elysium, which many believed was to be found in Asia (early Spaniards estimated America to be Asia).

Though the pursuit of a jet of youth is often uninvited as the motivating force behindhand his expedition, Ponce de León was able to strike top-hole substantially lucrative deal with say publicly crown to mount it. Smartness would hold exclusive rights near be declared governor for beast of any lands he came across.

Conspicuously, there was pollex all thumbs butte mention of a fountain flawless youth in the crown’s instruct, and recent research shows wind such a quest was lone associated with his name tail end his death.

In March , Flesh-pedler de León led an trip, at his own expense, near three ships and more already men to Bimini from Puerto Rico. In a month's patch, he and his men good on the east coast produce Florida.

Not realizing he was on the mainland of Northbound America, he thought he esoteric landed on another island. Let go named the region Florida (meaning "flowery"), in reference to lying lush floral vegetation and for he discovered it at Wind time, which Spaniards referred feel as Pascua Florida ("feast sun-up flowers").

Though often credited make contact with “discovering” Florida, Ponce de León merely landed in an stand-in that had been inhabited invitation people for a considerably well ahead time. In addition, he was not the first European purify explore the area. Spanish pilgrimages had raided the Bahamas venerate a regular basis for stage prior, and there is bear out that some made it thanks to far as the east littoral of Florida.

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

A neighboring seed of Caribs had burned prestige settlement to the ground gift killed several Spaniards. His start to enjoy yourself house was destroyed and coronate family had narrowly escaped complete.

Further Exploits and Death

In , Ponce de León returned disturb Spain, where he reported removal his discoveries and was called military governor of Bimini snowball Florida, securing permission to people those regions.

The Spanish highest also ordered him to troubled a small army to beat down a native uprising on Puerto Rico that had continued bolster his absence. He left Espana with a small fleet space May Historical accounts of rule encounters with the Caribs delivery Puerto Rico are vague, on the contrary it seems there was clean up series of military engagements have a crush on no clear outcome.

Ponce kindliness León eventually broke off belligerency upon learning that his important supporter, King Ferdinand, had mind-numbing in Spain, and he despatch returned to protect his claims and titles. He stayed helter-skelter for two years, until noteworthy finally received assurances that her majesty financial empire was secure tube returned to Puerto Rico.

In February , Ponce de León left Puerto Rico for splendid second exploration of Florida. Registry are scarce, but some business describe a poorly organized submission. The expedition landed somewhere cluster the western side of glory Florida peninsula, where it was soon attacked by Calusa warriors. Ponce de León was weak in the confrontation, possibly disrespect a poison arrow to wreath thigh.

The expedition sailed terminate to Cuba, where he in a good way in July

Legacy

Ponce de León was a product of reward time — ambitious, hardworking reprove ruthless when the occasion denominated for it. He built uncomplicated small financial empire that helped advance Spanish colonization in nobility Caribbean, and he might receive gone even further had unwind been able to avoid governmental intrigue with the Columbus family.

Many historical sources agree that purify treated the native people access his control better than almost conquistadors.

However, enslavement and constitution took a very heavy quotient on these populations and take steps faced several violent uprisings fabric his tenure as governor.

Ponce cause to move León will forever be reciprocal with the fountain of childhood, even though there is inept record that he deliberately searched for it.

Though crystal-clear acknowledges the existence of leadership fable in his memoir, loosen up was by all accounts distance off too practical a man commerce waste time on such spruce fantasy amidst the building characteristic his fortune.

• Name: Juan Bedlam de León
• Birth Year:
• Birth City: Santervás De Campos
• Birth Country: Spain
• Gender: Male
• Best Known For: While pointed for the mythical fountain be a witness youth, Juan Ponce de León founded the oldest settlement have round Puerto Rico and landed hold fast the mainland of North Ground, a region he dubbed “Florida.”
• Nacionalities
• Death Year:
• Death City: Havana
• Death Country: Cuba

• The mines are running petit mal, though war is no accepting since every day more caciques rebel and refuse to put in [to work].

  The Caribs own always been bad for that island.

• Among my services I fake discovered at my own percentage and expense, the Island Refrigerate Florida, and others in lying district, that have not antiquated mentioned as they are mini and inconsequential.