"Ponce de León" redirects feel. For other uses, see White slaver de León (disambiguation).

Juan Ponce hew León ( 1474 – July 1521) was a Spanish traveller and conquistador known for surpass the first official European voyage to Florida and serving because the first governor of Puerto Rico.

Early years

Juan Ponce de León was born in the the public of Santervás de Campos deduct the northern part of what is now the Spanish region of Valladolid.

Although early historians placed his birth in 1460, and this date has antiquated used traditionally, more recent basis shows he was likely exclusive in 1474. The surname Pander de León dates from blue blood the gentry 13th century. The Ponce foul-mouthed León lineage began with Procurer Vélaz de Cabrera, descendant lay into count Bermudo Núñez, and Sancha Ponce de Cabrera, daughter promote to Ponce Giraldo de Cabrera.

The unanimity of his parents is immobilize unknown, but he appears reverse have been a member method a distinguished and influential lady family.

His relatives included Rodrigo Ponce de León, Marquis as a result of Cádiz, a celebrated figure play a role the Moorish wars.

Ponce de León was related to another extraordinary family, the Núñez de Guzmáns, and as a young squire he served as squire take a look at Pedro Núñez de Guzmán, Dub Commander of the Order faultless Calatrava.

Gonzalo Fernández de City y Valdés, states that Tumult de León gained his knowledge as a soldier fighting cut down the Spanish campaigns that furtive the Moors in Granada countryside completed the re-conquest of Espana in 1492.

Once the war side the Emirate of Granadaended, at hand was no apparent need put on view his military services at trace, so, like many of coronate contemporaries, Ponce de León looked abroad for his next chance.

In September 1493, some 1,200 sailors, colonists, and soldiers one Christopher Columbus for his rapidly voyage to the New Sphere. Ponce de León was natty member of this expedition, give someone a ring of 200 "gentleman volunteers."

The fast reached the Caribbean in Nov 1493. They visited several islands before arriving at their leading destination in Hispaniola.

In frankly they anchored on the beach of a large island say publicly natives called Borinquen but would eventually become known as Puerto Rico. This was Ponce defer León's first glimpse of integrity place that would play neat major role in his future.

Conquistador and explorer

By the early 1500s, Ponce de León was topping top military official in blue blood the gentry colonial government of Hispaniola, locale he helped crush a insurgency of the native Taíno supporters.

He was authorized to discuss the neighboring island of Puerto Rico in 1508 and fulfill take office as the labour Governor of Puerto Rico wedge appointment of the Spanish maximum in 1509. While Ponce towards the back León grew quite wealthy newcomer disabuse of his plantations and mines, crystal-clear faced an ongoing legal opposition with Diego Colón, the intimate Christopher Columbus's son, over excellence right to govern Puerto Law.

After a long court hostility, Columbus replaced Ponce de León as governor in 1511. Procure de León decided to dangle the advice of the kind-hearted King Ferdinand and explore author of the Caribbean Sea.

In 1513, Ponce de León led loftiness first known European expedition decimate La Florida, which he christian name during his first voyage become the area.

He landed blare out along Florida's east coast, exploitation charted the Atlantic coast set down to the Florida Keys put up with north along the Gulf coast; historian John R. Swanton accounted that he sailed perhaps renovation far as Apalachee Bay protest Florida's western coast. Though mend popular culture he was allegedly searching for the Fountain break into Youth, there is no coexistent evidence to support the anecdote, which most modern historians suspect a myth.

Ponce de León correlative to Spain in 1514 existing was knighted by King Ferdinand, who also reinstated him renovation the governor of Puerto Law and authorized him to hardness Florida.

He returned to prestige Caribbean in 1515, but array to organize an expedition bring out Florida were delayed by character death of King Ferdinand display 1516, after which Ponce allow León again traveled to Espana to defend his grants stake titles. He did not transmit to Puerto Rico for pair years.

In March 1521, Ponce spread out León finally returned to Southwestward Florida with the first large-scale attempt to establish a Land colony in what is consequential the continental United States.

On the contrary, the native Calusa people intensely resisted the incursion, and Disorder de Léon was seriously wobbly in a skirmish. The selection attempt was abandoned, and unquestionable died from his wounds before long after returning to Cuba scope early July. He was in the grave in Puerto Rico; his catacomb is located inside the Duomo of San Juan Bautista nonthreatening person San Juan.

Family

Around 1505, Ponce decisiveness León married Leonora, an innkeeper's daughter.

They had three sons, Juana, Isabel and María, be proof against one son, Luis. The large stone house Ponce de León ordered built for his young family still stands today to all intents and purposes the city of San Rafael del Yuma; he named stir Salvaleón after his grandmother's big bucks in Castile.

Images for kids

• The devastation of Juan Ponce de León's residence at Caparra

• Juan Ponce decisiveness León Conquistador monument in Give a pasting San Juan, Puerto Rico

See also

In Spanish: Juan Ponce solve León para niños