c. 1500

Extremadura, Spain

May 21, 1542

Mississippi River

First Spanish explorer in the southeastern United States

When the Spanish adventurer Hernando de Soto led an expedition along the western coast of Florida in 1539, he was already a seasoned explorer and a wealthy man. He had been drawn to the North American continent by tales of hidden cities containing vast amounts of gold and silver. Although a three-year search for treasure was futile, de Soto and his party possibly became the first Europeans to sight the Mississippi River.

Seeks Life of Adventure

Hernando de Soto was born around 1500 in Extremadura, a Spanish province near the border of Portugal. Embarking on a life of adventure as a young man, he joined an expedition to Nicaragua led by Spanish explorer Francisco Fernández de Córdoba in 1524. De Soto participated in founding the city of Granada. Sometime after their...