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Juan Ponce de León

By: History.com Editors

Updated: June 6, 2023 | Original: November 9, 2009

Juan Ponce de León, born into Spanish nobility, was a soldier and explorer who served as governor of the eastern province of Hispaniola when he decided to explore a nearby island, now known as Puerto Rico. In pursuit of a rumored fountain of youth located on an island known as Bimini, Ponce de León led an expedition to the coast of Florida in 1513. Thinking it was the island he sought, he sailed back to colonize the region in 1521, but was fatally wounded in a Native American attack soon after his arrival.

Early Life and Career

Born in 1460 into a noble family in León, Spain, Juan Ponce served as a page in the royal court of Aragon. He later became a soldier, fighting in the Spanish campaign against the Moors in Granada. After that war ended, he may have gone along on the second voyage to the West Indies led by Christopher Columbus in 1493.

Did you know? Juan Ponce de León died in Cuba, but his remains were later transferred to San Juan, Puerto Rico, where they were put to rest in San Juan Cathedral. Puerto Rico's third-largest city, Ponce, bears the explorer's name.

Nearly a decade later, he was serving as a captain in the force commanded by Nicolás de Ovando, Spain’s royal governor of the island of Hispaniola (present-day Haiti and the Dominican Republic). After Ponce de León suppressed a mutiny by Native Americans , Ovando rewarded him with the governorship of the eastern province of Hispaniola.

Exploration of Puerto Rico 

Rumors of a place called Boriquen — where large deposits of gold were to be found — led Ponce de León to the nearby island of San Juan Bautista, as Puerto Rico was then known. The Spanish crown to give Ponce de León permission to explore the island in 1508-09. (He may have unofficially traveled there on his own before that.)

On the official expedition, he took 50 soldiers and a single ship and founded a settlement at Caparra, near what is now San Juan. When he returned to Hispaniola for supplies, Ponce de León was named governor of Puerto Rico, though he had many rivals for influence and was soon displaced by Diego Columbus, the son of Christopher Columbus.

Fountain of Youth

Encouraged by the Spanish crown to discover more lands, Ponce de León allegedly decided to follow rumors he had heard from local natives about an island called Bimini, home to a magical spring or fountain whose waters would rejuvenate those who drank from it.

In search of this “fountain of youth,” as well as more lands and gold, he set sail from Puerto Rico in March 1513. The following month, the expedition landed on the coast of what is now Florida , near the site of modern-day St. Augustine.

Ponce de León in Florida

coast of mainland North America. He named the site Florida, not only because they landed around the time of Easter (Pascua Florida in Spanish), but also because of the region’s lush, florid vegetation.

On that first expedition to Florida, Ponce de León explored the coast, including the Florida Keys, and discovered the Gulf Stream, the warm ocean current that would help future Spanish ships maneuver their way home from the New World. He then returned to Puerto Rico and made his way to Spain, where he was named military governor of Florida and given permission to colonize the region.

The Spanish crown also ordered him to organize an army to subdue a native uprising on Puerto Rico, and he sailed there with a small fleet in mid-1515.

In February 1521, Ponce de León departed San Juan on his second expedition to Florida, accompanied by two ships and around 200 people — plus horses, tools, and seeds — to set up a farming colony. They landed on the southwest coast of Florida, near what is now Charlotte Harbor, with the intention of founding a colony.

The exact circumstances of what happened next are uncertain, but it appears that in July of 1521 local Natives attacked the party of settlers, leaving Ponce de León fatally wounded by an arrow in his thigh. His comrades sailed back with him to Havana, Cuba, where he died.

Ponce de León never found the Fountain of Youth — perhaps because he never looked for such a thing, according to researchers. No mention of a mythical fountain appears in any records or documents from that era, and some historians believe it was a tall tale designed to discredit Ponce del León by making him appear foolish.

Nonetheless, there exists today a 15-acre park in St. Augustine, Florida, named Ponce de Leon’s Fountain of Youth Archaeological Park. The park is located where Spanish explorers and missionaries established a small settlement beginning in 1565. Among other archaeological finds, human remains discovered on the property were identified as the earliest-known Christian burial of Native Americans in the United States.

Ponce de León: Florida's First Spanish Explorer. University of South Florida: Exploring Florida . Ponce De Leon Never Searched for the Fountain of Youth. Smithsonian Magazine . Juan Ponce De Leon. The Mariners’ Museum and Park . Timeline of Significant Events. Fountain of Youth Archaeological Park

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The Ages of Exploration

Juan ponce de leon, age of discovery.

Quick Facts:

He was a Spanish explorer who became the first governor of Puerto Rico, the first European known to reach the mainland of present day United States, and he gave Florida its name.

Name : Juan Ponce de Leon [hwahn] [pons duh lee-ohn; (Spanish) pawn-se de le-ohn]

Birth/Death : c. 1474 - July 1521

Nationality : Spanish

Birthplace : Santervás de Campos, Spain

Ponce de Leon

“Juan Ponce De Leon,” The Story of the Sea, 1895, From The Library at The Mariners’ Museum

Introduction Juan Ponce de Leon was a Spanish explorer who traveled around Hispaniola, Puerto Rico, and Florida. He is credited with establishing a European settlement in Puerto Rico, being the first European to reach Florida, giving the land its name. Although there is no evidence to support this claim, legend says that Ponce de Leon found Florida while searching for the fabled Fountain of Youth.

Biography Early Life Juan Ponce de Leon was born in Santervás de Campos, Spain around 1474 1 . However, some scholars list his date of birth as early as 1460. His father, Luis Ponce de Leon, and his mother, Leonor de Figueroa, were nobles. As a boy, he served as a squire – personal attendant – to Don Pedro Núñez de Guzmán. Guzmán was a Knight Commander in the royal court, a very important position. 2 As a squire, young Ponce de Leon would have attended to the requests of Guzmán, such as taking care of his horse, helping him dress, and other duties. In return, he would receive training in social etiquette, hunting, and heavy military training. His military skills were put to the test in 1487 when he went off to the Kingdom of Granada to fight against the Muslim Moors. The war ended in 1492. A year later in September 1493, Ponce de Leon went on Christopher Columbus’ second voyage to the New World. 3 He settled on the island of Hispaniola (modern day Dominican Republic and Haiti). In 1502, he married a Spanish woman named Leonor, and they had four children. He had three daughters – Juana, Isabel, and Maria; and a son named Luis. 4

As a soldier on Hispaniola, Ponce de Leon helped fight against the native people. The Europeans fought and enslaved many indigenous natives. Nicolás de Ovando, governor of Hispaniola, rewarded Ponce de Leon for his help in the native rebellion. Ponce de Leon became governor of one of the provinces in eastern Hispaniola. 5 He was given about 200 acres of land and native Taino slaves. He found wealth as a farmer. Despite his success in farming, Ponce de Leon wanted to find gold. He often heard tales from sailors and natives alike of the bountiful land called Boriquen – the native name for modern day Puerto Rico. 6 Ponce de Leon set out to see for himself if the stories of gold in Puerto Rico were true. In 1506, Juan Ponce de Leon went to Puerto Rico to see if the stories were true. He did not have official permission from authorities. So Ponce de Leon went secretly. He discovered that the island had both gold and other valuable resources. So he went back to Hispaniola with plans to return to Puerto Rico.

Voyages Principal Voyage Juan Ponce de Leon petitioned King Ferdinand of Spain asking for royal permission to journey to Puerto Rico. The king agreed. In August 1508, Ponce de Leon gathered a crew and some boats, and set sail. From 1508-1509, he explored the island, and founded the oldest settlement of Caparra near San Juan. In 1510, the Spanish king made Ponce de Leon governor of Puerto Rico. But he was replaced by Diego Columbus in 1511. 7 When Christopher Columbus found the land, he was given rights to rule. When he died in 1506, his son Diego inherited those rights. Diego went to court, and the Spanish monarchy had no choice but to give him ownership. But the Spanish crown wanted Ponce de Leon to find new lands. He heard stories from natives about a Fountain of Youth and a lot of gold on an island called Bimini (now in the Bahamas). In March 1513, he left Puerto Rico in search of this fountain.

On March 3, 1513, Ponce de Leon and his men departed from modern day San Germán. The expedition consisted of three ships, the Santiago , the Santa María de la Consolación , and the San Cristóbal . On April 3 they landed just outside of modern day St. Augustine. Ponce de Leon realized they were not at Bimini. He noticed the land, which he thought was an island, was filled with lush vegetation. So he named it La Florida meaning “The Flowered One” in Spanish. It was also a week after the Easter season known in Spain as the Pasqua florida , or the “feast of flowers.” 8 He continued sailing south along Florida’s coast, exploring some of the inland and inlet areas. Ponce de Leon and his crew encountered some natives along the way. At one point the Calusa Indians attacked the Spanish crew and forced the Spaniards to retreat. 9 He sailed onward reaching the Florida Keys, Key West, and ending his expedition near Charlotte Harbor on Florida’s west coast. He left Florida in 1514 , briefly returned to Puerto Rico, and then headed back to Spain .

Subsequent Voyages Although he did not find the Fountain of Youth, the Spanish king was happy with Ponce de Leon’s discovery. He was knighted, given a coat of arms, and made adelantado (Spanish for “governor”) of both Florida and the island of Bimini. 10 Bimini had not yet been found, but the king was still hopeful. Ponce de Leon made several trips back and forth between Puerto Rico and Spain over the next few years. During a trip to Spain in 1516, he married his second wife Juana de Pineda of Seville. His first wife appeared to have died sometime before he left Puerto Rico. 11   He and his new bride returned to Puerto Rico in 1518.  Ponce de Leon was also given permission to colonize the Florida region he had explored.  Unfortunately, he would not get to see his colony thrive.

Later Years and Death Ponce de Leon sailed again for Florida in 1521 landing near Charlotte Harbor. Not long after his arrival he had a fatal encounter with the natives. During an attack by the natives, Ponce de Leon was shot and wounded by an arrow. The Spaniards retreated to Havana, Cuba. In July 1521, a few days after the incident, in Havana, Juan Ponce de Leon died from his wounds. He was buried in Cuba but later relocated to the San Juan Cathedral in Puerto Rico.

Legacy Juan Ponce de Leon is credited as the first European known to have visited present day United States. He was also Puerto Rico’s first governor. Although he was never able to establish a colony in Florida, his discovery of the land led to continued Spanish exploration of the Americas. After his death, more and more Spanish explorers wanted to sail west to explore Florida. Many of the colonies he set up in Puerto Rico survived long after his death, and his influence is still known throughout the area. Ponce, Puerto Rico’s third largest city, is named in his honor.

• Sandra Wallus Sammons, Ponce de Leon and the Discovery of Florida (Sarasota: Pineapple Press, Inc., 2013), 1.
• Louise Chipley Slavicek, Juan Ponce de León (Philadelphia: Chelsea House Publishers, 2003), 14.
• Marc Tyler Nobleman, Juan Ponce de Leon (Mankato: Capstone Press, 2005), 7.
• Sammons, Ponce de Leon and the Discovery of Florida , 17.
• Kenneth Pletcher, ed., The Britannica Guide to Explorers and Explorations That Changed the Modern World (New York: The Rosen Publishing Group, 2009), 101.
• Sammons, Ponce de Leon and the Discovery of Florida , 18.
• Rachel Eagen, Ponce de Leon: Exploring Florida and Puerto Rico , (New York: Crabtree Publishing Co., 2006), 11.
• Steven Otfinoski, Juan Ponce de Leon: Discoverer of Florida (New York: Benchmark Books, 2005), 37 – 38.
• Otfinoski, Juan Ponce de Leon , 46.
• Otfinoski, Juan Ponce de Leon , 52.
• Otfinoski, Juan Ponce de Leon , 55.

Bibliography

Eagen, Rachel. Ponce de Leon: Exploring Florida and Puerto Rico . New York: Crabtree Publishing Co., 2006.

Nobleman, Marc Tyler. Juan Ponce de Leon . Mankato: Capstone Press, 2005.

Otfinoski, Steven. Juan Ponce de Leon: Discoverer of Florida . New York: Benchmark Books, 2005.

Pletcher, Kenneth ed. The Britannica Guide to Explorers and Explorations That Changed the Modern World . New York: The Rosen Publishing Group, 2009.

Sammons, Sandra Wallus. Ponce de Leon and the Discovery of Florida . Sarasota: Pineapple Press, Inc., 2013.

• Original "EXPLORATION through the AGES" site
• The Mariners' Educational Programs

Juan Ponce de León

While searching for the mythical fountain of youth, Juan Ponce de León founded the oldest settlement in Puerto Rico and landed on the mainland of North America, a region he dubbed “Florida.”

(1460-1521)

Who Was Juan Ponce de León?

Spanish conquistador Juan Ponce de León led a European expedition for gold, which eventually brought him to the southeast coast of what would become the United States. He gave Florida its name and went on to become the first governor of Puerto Rico.

Early Years

Hispaniola and puerto rico.

In the first decade of 1500, Ponce de León built settlements in Hispaniola (modern-day Haiti and the Dominican Republic), started farms and constructed defenses in hopes of establishing an island colony for Spain. His efforts paid off and he prospered well, selling produce and livestock to Spanish ships returning home. After helping suppress a native Carib uprising in Hispaniola, in 1504 Ponce de León was named the provincial governor of the eastern part of the country. On a return trip to Spain around this time, he married a woman named Leonora, with whom he would eventually have three children.

But hearing persistent reports of gold on nearby Puerto Rico, in 1508 the Spanish crown officially sent Ponce de León to explore the island. (Some accounts speculate his ambitions may have led him to unofficially explore the area two years earlier.) He took 50 soldiers and a single ship, settling near what is now San Juan. A year later, he returned to Hispaniola, having found much gold and opportunity. The expedition was deemed a success, and he was named governor of Puerto Rico.

Encouraged by his profits, the Spanish crown instructed Ponce de León to continue settlement of the island and step up gold-mining efforts. He soon returned to Puerto Rico, bringing his wife and children. As he did on Hispaniola, Ponce de León established a successful settlement by using a large number of enslaved people as labor. Although some historical accounts make mention of his relatively nonviolent treatment of the native population, the overall effect of enslaving Tainos and the introduction of diseases like smallpox and measles was disastrous to the native population.

But despite his gains on the island, in 1509 a struggle between the son of Christopher Columbus and the Spanish crown resulted in Ponce de León losing his governorship of Puerto Rico.

The Fountain of Youth and the Naming of Florida

Though the Spanish crown had given some ground to Ponce de León’s rivals, King Ferdinand wished to reward him for his loyal services. In 1512, the king encouraged him to continue searching for new lands, in hopes of finding yet more gold and expanding the Spanish empire. Around this time, Ponce de León learned of a Caribbean island called Bimini, on which it was rumored there were miraculous waters purported to be a “fountain of youth.” The fable was familiar on both sides of the Atlantic, alleging the spring was in the Garden of Eden, which many believed was located in Asia (early Spaniards believed America to be Asia).

Though the pursuit of a fountain of youth is often cited as the motivating force behind his expedition, Ponce de León was able to strike a substantially lucrative deal with the crown to mount it. He would hold exclusive rights and be declared governor for life of any lands he came across. Conspicuously, there was no mention of a fountain of youth in the crown’s orders, and recent research shows that such a quest was only associated with his name after his death.

In March 1513, Ponce de León led an expedition, at his own expense, of three ships and more than 200 men to Bimini from Puerto Rico. In a month's time, he and his men landed on the east coast of Florida. Not realizing he was on the mainland of North America, he thought he had landed on another island. He named the region Florida (meaning "flowery"), in reference to its lush floral vegetation and because he discovered it at Easter time, which Spaniards referred to as Pascua Florida ("feast of flowers").

Though often credited with “discovering” Florida, Ponce de León merely landed in an area that had been inhabited by people for a considerably long time. In addition, he was not the first European to explore the area. Spanish expeditions had raided the Bahamas on a regular basis for years prior, and there is evidence that some made it as far as the east coast of Florida.

Upon returning to Puerto Rico later that year, Ponce de León found the island in chaos. A neighboring tribe of Caribs had burned the settlement to the ground and killed several Spaniards. His own house was destroyed and his family had narrowly escaped death.

Further Exploits and Death

In 1514, Ponce de León returned to Spain, where he reported on his discoveries and was named military governor of Bimini and Florida, securing permission to colonize those regions. The Spanish crown also ordered him to organize a small army to subdue a native uprising on Puerto Rico that had continued in his absence. He left Spain with a small fleet in May 1515. Historical accounts of his encounters with the Caribs on Puerto Rico are vague, but it seems there was a series of military engagements with no clear outcome. Ponce de León eventually broke off hostilities upon learning that his major supporter, King Ferdinand, had died in Spain, and he quickly returned to protect his claims and titles. He stayed there for two years, until he finally received assurances that his financial empire was secure and returned to Puerto Rico.

In February 1521, Ponce de León left Puerto Rico for a second exploration of Florida. Records are scarce, but some accounts describe a poorly organized trip. The expedition landed somewhere on the western side of the Florida peninsula, where it was soon attacked by Calusa warriors. Ponce de León was wounded in the confrontation, possibly by a poison arrow to his thigh. The expedition sailed back to Cuba, where he died in July 1521.

Ponce de León was a product of his time — ambitious, hardworking and ruthless when the occasion called for it. He built a small financial empire that helped advance Spanish colonization in the Caribbean, and he might have gone even further had he been able to avoid political intrigue with the Columbus family.

Many historical sources agree that he treated the native people under his control better than most conquistadors. However, enslavement and disease took a very heavy toll on these populations and he faced several violent uprisings during his tenure as governor.

Ponce de León will forever be associated with the fountain of youth, even though there is no record that he deliberately searched for it. Though he acknowledges the existence of the fable in his memoir, he was by all accounts far too practical a man to waste time on such a fantasy amidst the building of his fortune.

QUICK FACTS

• Name: Juan Ponce de León
• Birth Year: 1460
• Birth City: Santervás De Campos
• Birth Country: Spain
• Gender: Male
• Best Known For: While searching for the mythical fountain of youth, Juan Ponce de León founded the oldest settlement in Puerto Rico and landed on the mainland of North America, a region he dubbed “Florida.”
• Nacionalities
• Death Year: 1521
• Death City: Havana
• Death Country: Cuba
• The mines are running well, though war is no help since every day more caciques rebel and refuse to go [to work]. The Caribs have always been bad for this island.
• Among my services I have discovered at my own cost and expense, the Island La Florida, and others in its district, that have not been mentioned as they are small and inconsequential.

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• Ph.D., Spanish, Ohio State University
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Juan Ponce de León was a Spanish conquistador and explorer, best remembered for settling the island of Puerto Rico and for directing the first major explorations of Florida. He made two trips to Florida: one in 1513 and the second in 1521. It was on this latter expedition that he was wounded by Indigenous people and died shortly thereafter. He is associated with the legend of the Fountain of Youth , although it is likely that he was not actively looking for it.

Juan Ponce de León

Ponce was born in Spain around 1474 and arrived in the New World no later than 1502. He proved to be industrious and tough and soon earned the favor of King Ferdinand himself. He was originally a conquistador and assisted in the wars against the Indigenous people of Hispaniola in 1504. Later, he was given good land and proved to be an able farmer and rancher.

Puerto Rico

Ponce de Leon was given permission to explore and settle the island of San Juan Bautista, today known as Puerto Rico. He established a settlement and soon earned the respect of the settlers. He even had decent relations with the island's Indigenous population. Around 1512, however, he lost the island to Diego Columbus (son of Christopher ) due to a legal ruling back in Spain. Ponce heard rumors of a rich land to the northwest: the Indigenous people said the land, "Bimini," had much gold and wealth. Ponce, who still had many influential friends, secured permission to colonize any lands he found to the northwest of Puerto Rico.

First Florida Voyage

On March 13, 1513, Ponce set sail from Puerto Rico in search of Bimini. He had three ships and about 65 men. Sailing northwest, on April 2nd they spotted what they took for a large island: Ponce named it "Florida" because it was Easter season, referred to as "Pascua Florida" in Spanish. The sailors landed on Florida on April 3rd: the exact place is unknown but was likely to the north of present-day Daytona Beach. They sailed up the eastern coast of Florida before doubling back and exploring some of the western side. They saw a good deal of Florida's coast, including the Saint Lucie Inlet, Key Biscayne, Charlotte Harbor, Pine Island, and Miami Beach. They also discovered the Gulf Stream.

Ponce de Leon in Spain

After the first voyage, Ponce went to Spain to be sure, this time, that he and he alone had royal permission to explore and colonize Florida. He met with King Ferdinand himself, who not only confirmed Ponce’s rights in regards to Florida but also knighted him and gave him a coat of arms: Ponce was the first conquistador so honored. Ponce returned to the New World in 1516, but no sooner had he arrived than word of Ferdinand’s death reached him. Ponce returned to Spain once again to make sure his rights were in order: regent Cardinal Cisneros assured him that they were. Meanwhile, several men made unauthorized visits to Florida, mostly to enslave Indigenous people or look for gold.

Second Florida Voyage

In early 1521, he rounded up men, supplies, and ships and prepared for a journey of exploration and colonization. He finally set sail on February 20, 1521. This journey was a complete disaster. Ponce and his men selected a site to settle somewhere in western Florida: the exact place is unknown and subject to much debate. They were not there long before they were attacked by furious Indigenous people (likely victims of enslavement raids). The Spanish were driven back into the sea. Ponce himself was wounded by a poisoned arrow. The colonization effort was abandoned and Ponce was taken to Cuba where he died sometime in July of 1521. Many of Ponce's men sailed down to the Gulf of Mexico, where they joined Hernan Cortes ' expedition of conquest against the Aztec Empire.

Ponce de León was a trailblazer who opened the southeastern U.S. to exploration by the Spanish. His well-publicized Florida voyages would eventually lead to a number of expeditions there, including the disastrous 1528 trip led by the unlucky Pánfilo de Narvaez . He is still remembered in Florida, where some things (including a small town) are named for him. Schoolchildren are taught of his early visits to Florida.

Ponce de León's Florida trips are probably better remembered because of the legend that he was seeking the Fountain of Youth. He probably wasn't: the very practical Ponce de Leon was looking more for a place to settle than any mythological fountains. Nevertheless, the legend has stuck, and Ponce and Florida will forever be associated with the Fountain of Youth.

• Fuson, Robert H. Juan Ponce de Leon and the Spanish Discovery of Puerto Rico and Florida. Blacksburg: McDonald and Woodward, 2000.
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Explorations and Voyages

By Spanish Legacy in the United States of America

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"I. FLORIDA AND THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER AREA"

The Antilles, the site of the first Spanish settlements, was the platform for the conquest and colonization of new territories. Different expeditions were sent from these islands that widened the known world for Europeans, and the lands discovered were claimed in the name of the king of Spain. One of the first exploratory voyages was entrusted to Juan Ponce de León, who discovered Puerto Rico (Boringuen), and, in 1513, headed for Florida. Explorers were drawn by the legends of gold and wealth of those lands.

"Juan Ponce de León 

(1513)"

Ponce de León, upon setting foot in Florida, could not have imagined that he was the first European to come ashore in what would, in time, become the United States.

Ponce de León’s itinerary

The Valladolid native Juan Ponce de León, who became governor of Puerto Rico, secured the Crown’s permission to explore the north to find the mythical island of Bimini in 1512. In 1513 he left San Germán in Puerto Rico passing the Bahamas as he headed north. In April 1513 the expedition reached land. It was Easter (“Pascua”) and because of this and the rich vegetation of the land, he called it “Pascua Florida”. After exploring the coast and meeting with the Native Americans in October that same year, he was convinced that Florida was an island.  He returned to Puerto Rico and travelled back to Castile where he obtained a charter for colonization and the title of “Adelantado” of Florida.  He left behind Juan Pérez de Oturbia and Antón de Alaminos  with the task of finding the island of Bimini. Although they never found the mythical island, their voyage contributed to the exploration of new areas and the establishment of new routes, as well as to an understanding of the currents of the Gulf.

Ponce de León, the first European in the United States, landed on the coast from which the first lunar mission was launched 500 years later.

Diorama of Ponce de León, close to St. Augustine. Legend has it that one of the aims of the second voyage to Florida by Ponce de León was the search for the Fountain of Eternal Youth.

In 1521 Ponce de León returned to Florida, leading an expedition that included missionaries, families, seeds, livestock and tools. The resistance of the indigenous population to the conquest led to several skirmishes and in one of these Ponce de León was wounded. He subsequently ordered the expedition’s return to Cuba, where he died shortly afterwards.

The signature of Ponce de León is found on numerous documents in the Archive of the Indies.

Warm Mineral Springs, in Florida, a spa of curative waters that some researchers identify as the Fountain of Youth sought by Ponce de León.

Ponce de León was the first European to set foot on the territory of the United States. His name is also associated with the search for the mythical Fountain of Eternal Youth. In their chronicles of the Indies, historians relate how the indigenous peoples used salutary waters known for their medicinal properties and that their accounts contributed to sustaining a very widespread myth in the western world, that of “the fountain that rejuvenates or makes old men young again.”

Numerous statues, such as the one in St. Augustine, commemorate the deeds of Juan Ponce de León.

"Cabeza de Vaca (1528-1536)"

Alvar Núñez de Cabeza de Vaca undertook an extraordinary voyage, a great adventure. 

Cabeza de Vaca’s itinerary

Cabeza de Vaca arrived in Florida with the expedition of Pánfilo de Narváez, which, after sailing from Sanlúcar de Barrameda in 1527 arrived in the Bay of Tampa in 1528. Only four men survived this expedition: Cabeza de Vaca, Alonso de Castillo Maldonado, Andrés Dorantes and Estebanico.

Cabeza de Vaca wandered around Florida and he sometimes had to carry a burning stick, keeping it alight so as not to die from the cold.

For several years, the four members of the expedition travelled around those inhospitable lands, from Florida to Mexico, eating roots, berries and insects and even living as slaves among the Native American tribes.

"“Upon seeing Indians smoking, he observed the effects of smoking tobacco.” And as for them, Cabeza de Vaca and his three companions “walked naked, shedding their skin twice a year, like snakes”."

Alvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca, of noble origins, travelled all around the south of the United States on foot.

In 1536, after wandering westward for months, they encountered groups of Spaniards from the viceroyalty of New Spain. Upon arrival in Mexico, he began to chronicle his odyssey in the book, “Shipwrecks and Commentaries”, published in 1555. Thanks to this work the western world learned about the existence of indigenous peoples, customs, languages, and new lands. In the book Cabeza de Vaca describes the curious customs of the tribes he had visited, along with the endless herds of bison that he called “cows”. Cabeza de Vaca has gone down in history as the first European to traverse the vast territory of the southern United States from east to west.

"His chronicles describe the customs of the Indian tribes of Florida, he says: “They eat spiders, ants, worms, small lizards, snakes and vipers, earth, wood, deer excrement and other things that I refrain from mentioning, and I believe that, had there been stones in that land, they would eat them”. He also says that “they were capable of running all day in pursuit of deer. This way they kill many of them, because they pursue them until the deer tire and sometimes they take them alive”."

Cabeza de Vaca wrote the chronicle of his fascinating journey in a book entitled "Shipwrecks and Commentaries".

Cabeza de Vaca was the first European to see the immense herds of bison, which he called “cows”.

"Nature is present in his stories, often times alluding to what he remembered from Spain. On bison he writes, "Here there are cows, and they seem to me the size of those in Spain; they have small horns, like Moorish cattle, and very long hair, like fine wool”."

"Hernando de Soto 

(1539-1543)"

Hernando de Soto was the first man to explore the southeastern part of the United States.

Hernando de Soto’s itinerary

Born in Jerez de los Caballeros, Badajoz, in 1514, he enrolled in the expedition of Pedrarias heading for Central America. After remaining in the area for several years and making his fortune, he joined the expedition to conquer Peru under the orders of Pizarro. Back in Spain, after hearing the tales of Cabeza de Vaca, in 1535, seduced by the idea of conquering new lands and finding the wealth of Florida, he organized an expedition of over six hundred men, which he commanded as Governor of Cuba and “Adelantado” of Florida. In May 1539, he arrived in Tampa and set out on his journey full of hardships in a hostile land, where he had to contend both with the swampy jungle and the resistance of the Indians to the conquest. The strategy of the Indians was either to trick the Spanish and guide them into bogs or thickets, or set up ambushes, like the chief of the Tuscaloosa, for instance, who led them to the town of Mobile, where a ferocious battle resulted in enormous losses on both sides.

Painting depicting Hernando de Soto and his men discovering the Mississippi, which the Native Americans called “the Great River”.

Hernando de Soto was a member of an illustrious family in Extremadura, the cradle of great Spanish conquistadors.

The Mississippi, the longest river in the United States, was no obstacle for the Spaniards under De Soto, who crossed it in the course of their long expedition.

After crossing the Appalachians and the territory of Georgia and Carolina, De Soto and his men set off westward, sighting and crossing the Mississippi and catching a first glimpse of the great plains. After a three-year search, they found no gold, but they did come across fields of corn and beans and a harsh land populated by hostile Indians. However, De Soto did not give in to disappointment. Overcoming countless hardships and discouragement among his men, he decided to ask Cuba for reinforcements.

The death of Hernando de Soto, buried in the Mississippi, thwarted Spanish plans to settle in the eastern United States, leaving the entire region wide open for English pioneers.

In 1541, in a bout of malaria, death derailed his plans. De Soto was buried in an oak trunk in the Mississippi river, and his demoralized contingent returned to Mexico, abandoning the project for a colony.

Although death prevented De Soto from fulfilling his dreams, he was one of the first travelers and conquistadors to survey a large part of United States territory.

Statue of Hernando de Soto, one of the great names of the Spanish presence in the United States.

"Pedro Menéndez de Avilés"

No one before him had successfully established a Spanish settlement in Florida. Pedro Menéndez de Avilés alone finally succeeded after many failed attempts by his predecessors.

Menéndez de Avilés’ itinerary

His expedition was a response to the arrival of a colony of French Huguenots in Florida. The presence of rival foreigners in Spanish lands in America and the rivalry among European empires was transferred to America. Thus the continent became the scene of new confrontations. The Spanish crown felt compelled to send new expeditions to achieve the conquest of the discovered territories. As “Adelantado” and Governor of Florida, Pedro Menéndez de Avilés arrived on August 28 1565, with 12 ships and a thousand colonists, monks, civilians and military men. After securing the surrender of the French population he founded the town of St. Augustine. Menéndez then established a string of settlements along the coast as far as the town of Santa Elena, in South Carolina, which Menéndez envisioned as the future colonial capital.

Site near St. Augustine where Pedro Menéndez de Avilés landed and took the first steps in establishing enduring Spanish settlements in Florida.

Statue of Pedro Menéndez de Avilés in St. Augustine as founder of the city.

To counter the threat of French colonization, Menéndez de Avilés led his men through four days of heavy rainfall until they reached the French-occupied Fort Caroline and destroyed it.

The “Adelantado” devoted the following years to consolidating civilian and missionary foundations. He travelled to Spain numerous times to secure funds and families with whom to continue the task. He travelled around the territory of Florida time and again, encouraging the colonists and religious orders and tenaciously upholding the colonial enterprise in lands where the Indians resisted Spanish presence.

The streets of the modern-day city of St. Augustine exemplify an unmistakable Spanish flavor

After years of continuous travel, he returned to Spain to take charge of the “Invincible Armada,” but death took him prematurely. His legacy was the string of towns, missions and forts that he left behind which enabled Spain’s colonization of Florida.

Every street and corner of St. Augustine evokes its Spanish heritage.

The city of St. Augustine in the 16th century, shortly after the Spanish founded it.

Nowadays St. Augustine, the city founded by Pedro Menéndez de Avilés, is a bustling town where much remains of the Spanish heritage.

The Atlantic coast, in the Cape Canaveral area, where Ponce de León landed 500 years ago.

"II. . THE SOUTHWEST: TEXAS, ARIZONA, NEW MEXICO AND COLORADO"

The conquest and colonization of America represented a bilateral cultural exchange. The culture and experience of managing cattle and horse riding were imported from Spain, specifically from the Marshes of the Guadalquivir River.

"The Seven Cities of Cibola"

The legend of the “Seven Cities of Gold” (or Cíbola, in Spanish) was the major driving force behind Spain’s exploration of the southwest part of the United States.

Fray Marcos de Niza mistook the light of the sunset for gold, asserting that he had seen one of the "Seven Cities of Gold".

Cabeza de Vaca had returned from his incredible adventure with vague stories of rich cities to the north of the Mexican viceroyalty, thus fueling the legend of the “Seven Cities of Gold”, which had supposedly been founded by seven bishops after fleeing the Iberian Peninsula following the Muslim invasion. These rumors incited Viceroy Antonio de Mendoza to send Fray Marcos de Niza in 1539 at the head of a party to confirm the veracity of the fable and to inquire into the existence of a passage of transfer between both oceans.

Following fantastic adventures, Niza climbed to the top of a hill overlooking a village. The setting sun made him believe that he was contemplating a city of gold. His return with such news, whether invented or not, caused quite a stir in Mexico: one of the Seven Cities had been sighted, and this event became the final incentive to spur Spain’s expeditions in the southwest.

This arid landscape is the one traversed by Marcos de Niza in search of the legendary cities of gold.

While the myth sometimes acted as the spur, at other times, as in Texas, it was the threat of French occupation that led to incursions such as that of Alonso de León or Domingo Terán de los Ríos. They were initial forays of what were to become the Texas missions, such as that of San Antonio de Valero, better known as “the Alamo”, which consolidated the presence of Spain in what is now the largest State in the Union.

"Vázquez de Coronado 

(1540-1542)"

Vázquez de Coronado was the first to explore the Great Plains of central and western United States, pursuing the myth of the “Seven Cities of Gold”.

Vázquez de Coronado’s itinerary

The myth of the Seven Cities of Gold, reinforced by the tales of Cabeza de Vaca and Marcos de Niza, motivated Viceroy Mendoza to organize an expedition to search for them, entrusting its command to the young governor of Nueva Galicia, Francisco Vázquez de Coronado. After exploring the coast of Sonora he entered the high plateau and discovered that the legendary cities did not exist. Nevertheless, Coronado drove on, and he dispatched several exploratory parties, one of which, led by López de Cárdenas, discovered the Grand Canyon in Colorado.

Born in an illustrious family, Coronado traversed many states of the present-day United States without finding the riches he sought after.

Where he had hoped to find cities covered with gold, Vázquez de Coronado found only arid lands and hostile indigenous peoples.

That first winter was very hard on the Spaniards because food was running low. The following spring, they set off after another chimera, the “Great Quivira”. But once more the mirage vanished, since all they found there were bison, grasslands and sky.

On the way back to their primitive quarters, Coronado suffered an injury after falling from his horse that plunged him into deep despair and led him to return to Spain. His journey was officially considered a failure, but like De Soto (from whom he had been just a few days’ distance away), he explored vast undiscovered territories, laying the grounds for the future colonization of western United States.

When Vázquez de Coronado arrived at one of the alleged "Seven Cities of Gold", he found that Fray Marcos de Niza had dreamed up the whole thing.

The Grand Canyon was discovered by García López de Cárdenas, who was sent on an exploratory mission by Vázquez de Coronado

"Juan de Oñate

(1596)"

Juan de Oñate is an example of tenacity. After many others had failed in the attempt, it was he who managed to consolidate the Spanish presence permanently in the southwestern United States.

Juan de Oñate’s itinerary

Several expeditions had been undertaken to the north to advance the frontiers of New Spain, such as the Rodríguez-Chamuscado expedition or that of Antonio de Espejo, all of them unsuccessful. However, Philip II, bent on the evangelization and colonization of these extensive regions, ordered a new expedition the command of which fell to Juan de Oñate. In 1598 he financed by his own means a large party composed of 200 families, Indians to assist him, and 7,000 heads of cattle, as well as implements for settling the new lands, and he overcame great difficulties in order to set off on his expedition.

Oñate spearheaded a genuine colonizing expedition, with families, livestock, seeds and tools with which to establish a Spanish presence in the southwest.

The caravan was a league long and advanced along the road that would later be the Royal Inland Road, crossing the Río Grande and El Paso, and making its way into the valleys of New Mexico, founding the towns of San Juan de los Caballeros and San Francisco, which became San Gabriel, from where he dispatched exploratory parties in new directions. He began one of these new expeditions in 1604 with the purpose of reaching the Pacific. After crossing Arizona and reaching the Colorado River, Oñate mistook California for an island. A subsequent exploration led by García López de Cárdenas reached the Grand Canyon in Colorado.

The sandstone walls of El Morro bear witness to the arrival of the many travelers who recorded their passage there, such as Juan de Oñate himself.

After crossing the Rio Grande, which opened the way to New Mexico, Oñate and his men held mass by way of thanksgiving, which Hispanic peoples continue to celebrate.

Juan de Oñate fought doggedly to keep morale running high among the colonists, who were reluctant to settle in a land without gold or precious metals. After a decade of immense and tenacious efforts, he was removed from the position, but the flame of colonization had been lit: fields were irrigated, livestock was pastured, and families began to prosper, in good harmony with the Pueblo Indians. The colonization of New Mexico was one of the main results of his exploration and government.

Statue of Juan de Oñate in New Mexico, in homage to the man who opened the way for Spanish presence in southwestern United States.

When crossing over the Rio Grande from New Spain via El Paso, Texas, explorers entered the so-called "Borderlands", uninhabited territories which would become the South-West of the United States. 

"Eusebio Franciso Kino, Father Kino"

The inclusion of the territory of Arizona into western civilization is the undisputed work of the Jesuit Father Kino.

Father Kino’s basic itinerary

The Jesuit Eusebius Chini, or “Kino”, was commissioned to evangelize the territory of Sonora, the arid “Pimería Alta”, in Arizona, where he founded several missions modeled on the first one, Nuestra Señora de los Dolores, which would be his base of operations for the next twenty-four years, and San Javier del Bac, among others. He was, moreover, a man of great exploratory and scientific curiosity. He traveled to Baja California in 1702 and affirmed that it was not the island it was believed to be, but rather a peninsula.

The Jesuit Father Kino, a tireless traveler, always travelled with a mule laden with gifts to attract the Indians.

As a missionary, his zeal was prodigious, and he expanded agriculture and livestock farming, which changed the lives of the Arizona Indians.

The San Xavier del Bac Mission, called the “White Dove of the Desert” in the southwestern United States.

In brief, Father Kino introduced livestock, plants, religion, language, construction techniques and music, some of European origin and others from New Spain, with the aid of which he successfully founded a network of villages in the most arid southwestern areas of the Viceroyalty. Thanks to this missionary network the nomadic Native Americans gradually settled in the area. Another result of his work was the establishment of a military force to defend the border and explore new territories to the north of the known lands, reaching as far as the north part of the Colorado River. For all these reasons, he is considered to be the first colonizer of Arizona.

One of the many statues of Father Kino in Arizona. He is considered the “Father of Arizona”.

"III. CALIFORNIA"

California was the last territory of the United States to be occupied by Spain. It occurred 250 years after the arrival of Ponce de León in Florida.

"The Holy Expedition 

(1769)"

The mission ordered by King Charles III to occupy the territory of California was called the “Holy Expedition".

First Spanish expeditions in California

The first European to land in California was Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo, who in 1542 led an expedition that discovered San Diego and died shortly afterwards. Later, in 1602, Sebastián Vizcaíno received the order to explore the coast, mapping it and drawing up a valuable cartographic document that served as the basis for subsequent expeditions.

The “San Carlos” was one of the supply ships of the Spanish missions in California, based at the San Blas port.

The secret map of the California coast drawn up in 1602 by Sebastián Vizcaíno and jealously guarded by Spain for years, served as a guide for Spanish expeditions of the 18th century.

This is what the original mission El Carmel in Monterey looked like. It was the first of the chain of Spanish missions in Florida.

In the 18th century, Charles III decided that Spain should occupy California, for which he organized the so-called “Holy Expedition” seeking to establish a Mission and a Presidio in Monterey as the bridgehead for the missionary, political and civil expansion of California. On the military side, Gaspar de Portolá led the expedition and on the religious side the Franciscan friar from Mallorca, Junípero Serra.

After founding the mission of San Diego, the expedition began the search for Monterey, which was not found during a first trip because of fog. A fresh attempt, both by land as well as by sea, was made at Serra’s insistence, and this time they found the port of Monterey in the exact location chosen and praised by Vizcaíno as the best coastal port from which to commence the Spanish colonization. There, the Manila Galleon, after several months of arduous navigation in those latitudes, found a place of refuge. That was also were the Carmel Mission was founded, where Junípero Serra made his residence and presided over the California missions. Over twenty missions were founded to evangelize the Indians and integrate them into western culture, as well as several cities, including Los Angeles.

Statue of Rodríguez Cabrillo in San Diego. As early as 1542, he was the first to explore the coast of California.

Charles III is credited with having driven the Spanish presence of California.

Nearly two and a half centuries passed since the navigator Rodríguez Cabrillo landed in San Diego and Junípero Serra founded the Mission of San Diego de Alcalá there.

The discovery of the bay of San Francisco had a casual origin, in the course of the expedition led by Gaspar de Portolá

"Junípero Serra (1769)"

Without the determination and organizational talent of Franciscan friar Junípero Serra, Spain would not have been able to settle in California.

Itinerary of the expedition commanded by Gaspar de Portolá and Junípero Serra.

He was a man of great human qualities and a striking personality that manifested itself in matters both spiritual and civil. As a missionary, he was tireless. He founded a dozen missions to evangelize and instruct the indigenous people. The stamp he left on California has been recognized by generations of residents and his tomb in Carmel is a testament to a life dedicated to the Spanish vision of the Mission.

The austerity of Junípero Serra, prior of the California missions, is evident in the extreme simplicity of his personal room at the general headquarters of the Monterey mission.

The San Juan Capistrano Mission is one in a great chain of missions established by Spain in California to integrate the Indians into western culture.

In the political sphere, Serra partnered closely with the visitor-general of New Spain, José de Gálvez who, after expelling the Jesuits from Baja California favored the arrival of the Franciscans to create a line of defense along with the Presidios of San Diego, Santa Barbara, Monterey, and San Francisco to protect New Spain along the northwestern border and to add to the Spanish monarchy large territories that were believed to be very resource-rich. This supposition was confirmed in the mid 19th century with the discovery of the gold mines.

Junípero Serra was a man of great humanity, devoted body and soul to the task of evangelizing the California Indians.

"Spanish Expeditions to the American Pacific"

At the end of the 18th century, Spain embarked on an exploration of the Pacific coasts, as far as the coasts of Alaska.  

Subsequent Spanish expeditions in the American North Pacific.

Spain sailed time and again along the California coast, a treacherous coastline, steep and prone to strong currents and headwinds.

After the first expedition to Alta California others followed in the 18th century, which explored the Pacific coastline of North America and Canada, naming and taking possession of numerous bays and inlets.  Noteworthy among the expeditions was that of Juan Francisco de la Bodega y Cuadra, who reached the environs of Alaska aboard the “Sonora”, a small 12-meter schooner; those of Bruno de Heceta, Juan Pérez, Mourelle and Arteaga, who sailed up the Pacific coast as far as the climatic conditions of the region allowed.

On board the small schooner Sonora, Juan Francisco de la Bodega y Quadra carried out an epic voyage to the area around Alaska. The entire crew either died or fell ill.

The expedition that reached the highest latitude was that of Esteban Martínez, who sailed up to the 61st parallel in 1787, the northernmost point reached by Spain on the coast of Alaska, where it came into contact with Russian settlements. Two years later, an incident in Nootka restricted expeditions in the region. From that moment on, Spain focused on developing and colonizing Alta California by creating several colonization villages that, along with the missions and presidios, formed the base settlements in the northernmost province of the Spanish empire.

Spanish fort on Nootka Sound, the northernmost outpost of the Spanish presence on the Californian Pacific coast.

Spain made its way a long way north, reaching Alaska and the Aleutian Islands, and claiming Spanish sovereignty over them.

Thanks to Spanish voyages and expeditions the mapping of the northwestern coast was completed. In that time the area was considered the farthest maritime coastline as it was farthest from Spain to be reached by ship. They also prepared reports and ethnographic descriptions that on many occasions are the most complete and earliest studies of the different peoples that inhabited these coasts where, years later, modern anthropology would be born with Frank Boas.

Autor—Borja Cardelús ©. Para el Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores y de Cooperación del Gobierno de España. www.borjacardelus.com

Spanish Institutions in the United States

Spanish legacy in the united states of america, the exploration of the pacific ocean: 500 years of history, spanish assistance in the independence of the united states, material heritage, intangible heritage, spanish trails in the united states.

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Juan Ponce de Léon

The state of Florida achieved a significant milestone in 2013, the 500th anniversary of Juan Ponce de León’s arrival on Florida’s east coast.

The 500th anniversary of Florida is noteworthy because it recognizes the state as the location of the first discovery of the land that would become the United States. Ponce de León’s convoy of explorers was the first group of Europeans to document such a landing and give the name La Florida to the discovery.

Who is Ponce de León?

Born in the village of Santervás de Campos in the province of Valladolid, Spain in 1474, Juan Ponce de León became a page to the prince of Castile who later became King Ferdinand of Castile. Ponce was a soldier, a sailor and explorer who lived from 1474 to 1521.

What did Ponce de León do?

In 1493, as a young man, Ponce de León was aboard one of the fleets of Spanish ships in what became known as Christopher Columbus’ second voyage. The expedition established a permanent Spanish colonial presence in the New World. As a prominent Spaniard, Ponce eventually was named Governor of Puerto Rico by King Ferdinand in 1511. Then on March 3, 1513, under a license the King granted him to explore and discover lands reputed to lie to the north of Hispaniola and the Island of Bimini, Ponce set sail with two caravels, Santiago and Santa María de la Consolación; and a galley like craft, the bergantín San Cristóbal.

By March 27 he’d seen the mainland of Florida and sailed north presuming it to be an island. At noon on April 2, 1513, Ponce de León’s navigator, Anton de Alaminos, recorded their location at thirty degrees eight minutes north latitude, just south of present day Ponte Vedra Beach. The next day Ponce de León and his men came ashore and claimed La Florida for Spain, becoming the first documented visitors of European culture to Florida’s coast. By stepping foot in Florida, Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León, by many accounts, discovered mainland America. La Florida in colonial times extended north to Canada and west to Mexico.

When Juan Ponce de León and his men arrived in 1513, the Americas were already populated by hundreds of thousands of Native peoples. The story of people in America begins thousands of years ago with Native Americans. The indigenous lifeways of the people before Ponce, as well as that intriguing period in history when New World cultures met old, will be interpreted in St. Augustine through 2015, the 450th commemoration of the city’s founding by Pedro Menéndez de Avilés. In addition, the rich cultural history of the native Timucuan Indians in St. Augustine and Florida will be celebrated.

Where did Ponce de León Come Ashore?

Ponce and his landing party first came ashore in La Florida on April 3, 1513. Because historical documents identifying the exact landing location have been lost, whether or not Ponce landed on Florida’s Historic Coast has been debated. Scholarly studies indicate that Ponce de León first sighted and named the land La Florida on Easter Sunday , March 27, 1513, and sailed north. On April 2, according to a surviving navigational fix from his voyage, Ponce’s three-ship fleet was at 30 degrees, 8 minutes north latitude – just south of present day Ponte Vedra Beach . The Herrera account states that Ponce and his landing party first came ashore in La Florida the following morning, April 3, 1513.

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Finding Ponce

Where can you find Juan Ponce de León on Florida’s Historic Coast?

See St. Augustine Like An Early Explorer

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Itinerary: St. Augustine History, From Spanish Influence to Spooky Haunts

Start with sites from the Old City’s Spanish period and end up in a graveyard.

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