Alonso Álvarez de Pineda

(1494–1520) was a Spanish Explorer and Cartographer.

Working for the governor of Jamaica, Francisco de Garay, Pineda was selected to

lead an expedition to explore the remainder of the Gulf.

Three ships, with two hundred and seventy soldiers, was placed under the

command of Alvarez de Pineda. He left Jamaica in early 1519 and sailed west to

Florida and followed the northern coastline of the Gulf.

The expedition established the remainder of the boundaries of the Gulf of

Mexico, while disproving the idea of a sea passage to Asia. He is the first explorer

to see the mouth of the Mississippi, though he did not explore it. The expedition

also verified that Florida was a peninsula instead of an island, and allowed Alvarez

de Pineda to be the first European to see the coastal areas of western Florida,

Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas, lands he called "Amichel.” He was the

first European to set foot on the land that is now Texas; which he claimed for the

Spanish Crown.

His map was the first map of the Gulf Coast region of the United States.

Pineda’s expedition ended in Mexico. Pineda died at Pánuco River, while fighting

with the Indians of the region

Tristan Luna y Arellano

(1519–1571) was a Spanish explorer and Conquistador

He came to New Spain in about 1530. During his years in Mexico, de Luna served

with Francisco Vásquez de Coronado on his expedition to the Seven Cities of

Cíbola and crushed an Indian rebellion in Oaxaca.

In 1558, De Luna was chosen by Luis de Velasco, viceroy of New Spain, to

establish a settlement on the Gulf Coast of what is now the United States and

clear an overland trade route to Santa Elena (in present day Georgia), where

another outpost would be founded. De Luna, however, proved an incompetent

leader, and the expedition was plagued by disaster.

On June 11, 1559, de Luna set out from Mexico with 500 soldiers, 1,000 colonists

and servants, and 240 horses. Around August 15, he sailed into Pensacola Bay,

and established the colony named Purto de Santa Maria on the shore.

With much of the colony's stores still on the ships, de Luna sent several exploring

parties inland to scout the area; they returned after three weeks having found

only one Indian town. Before they could unload the vessels, a hurricane swept

through and destroyed most of the ships and cargo. With the colony in serious

danger, most of the men traveled up the Alabama River to the village of

Nanipacana, which they found abandoned; they renamed the town Santa Cruz

and moved in for several months. Back in Mexico, the Viceroy sent two relief

ships in November, promising additional aid in the spring.

The relief got the colony through the winter, but the supplies expected in the

spring had not arrived by September. Soon after, another Spanish ship arrived in

Pensacola Bay and offered to take all who wished to leave on an expedition to

Cuba and Santa Elena. De Luna agreed to leave, eventually returning to Mexico.

The Pensacola settlement disbanded completely within several months of his

departure. De Luna was appointed governor of Yucatan in 1563 and remained in

that capacity until his death in 1571.

Pánfilo de Narváez

(1470–1528) was a Spanish conquistador and soldier in the Americas.

Born in Spain, he first embarked to Jamaica in 1510 as a soldier. He came to

participate in the conquest of Cuba and led an expedition to Camagüey escorting

the Spanish priest, Bartolomé de las Casas. Las Casas described him as

exceedingly cruel towards the natives.

Narváez took part in the Spanish conquest of Jamaica in 1509. In 1511 he went to

Cuba to participate in the conquest of that island under the command of Diego

Velázquez de Cuéllar. He led expeditions to the eastern end of the island in the

company of Bartolomé de las Casas, who reported that Narváez presided over the

infamous massacre of Caonao, where Spanish troops put to the sword a village

full of Indians who had come to meet them with offerings of food. Following the

massacre, Narváez asked de las Casas, "What do you think about what our

Spaniards have done?" to which de las Casas replied, "I send both you and them

to the Devil!"

Navarez returned to Spain, and in 1526 King Charles V appointed him adelantado

of Florida. He sailed from Spain on June 17, 1527, with a fleet of five ships and

600 men. The expedition arrived in Hispanola and made its way to Cuba, where in

March of 1528 Navarez and his forces sailed north to Florida.

The expedition arrived on the west coast of Florida in April 1528, weakened by

storms and desertions. He landed with 300 men near Tampa Bay—at what is

currently known as the Jungle Prada Site in St. Petersburg—among hostile

natives. From there, his expedition marched northward through interior Florida

fighting natives all he way, until it reached the territory of the powerful Apalachee

Indians.

Unable to find the gold and other riches he sought and tired of the hostilities with

the Indians, Narváez ordered the construction of four rafts to return to the sea

from the interior. He manned one raft for himself with the strongest men, the

other lead by Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca the second in command, who had had

several heated confrontations with Narvaez over his strategy. Cabeza de Vaca

pleaded with Narváez not to let the rafts become separated, but Narváez did so

anyway. Narváez party moved slowly westwards with some men on land and

others on the raft. As the party was crossing a river the wind pulled the raft to

sea, with Narváez on board, and he was never seen again.

The storm wrecked two of the four rafts, and the other two made it to the island

of Galveston off the coast of Texas where they were captured by the local Indians.

Only four of the 86 survivors escaped their captivity, the others having been

either killed or starved to death. Only four men survived the trek: Álvar Núñez

Cabeza de Vaca, Andrés Dorantes de Carranza, Alonso del Castillo Maldonado and

a slave named Estevanico.

Hernando De Soto

(1500 –1542) as a Spanish explorer and conquistador who led the first European expedition deep into the territory of the modern-day United States (Florida, Georgia, Alabama and most likely Arkansas), and the first documented European to have crossed the Mississippi River.

Early Life

Explorer and conquistador Hernando de Soto was born in 1500 to a noble but poor family in Jerez de los Caballeros, Spain. De Soto's family hoped he would become a lawyer, but he told his father he would rather explore the West Indies. In accordance with his wish, the young de Soto was invited to join Dávila, governor of Darién, on his 1514 expedition to the West Indies. An excellent horseman, de Soto was appointed captain of a cavalry exploration troop. Setting out from Panama to Nicaragua and later Honduras, de Soto quickly proved his worth as an explorer and trader, reaping large profits through his bold and commanding exchanges with the natives.

Conquest of Peru

In 1532, explorer Francisco Pizarro made de Soto second in command on Pizarro’s expedition to explore and conquer Peru. In 1536 de Soto returned to Spain a wealthy man. His share of the Incan Empire's fortune amounted to no less than 18,000 ounces of gold. De Soto settled into a comfortable life in Seville and married the daughter of his old patron Dávila a year after returning from Peru.

Return to Spain

Despite having a new wife and home in Spain, de Soto grew restless when he heard stories about Cabeza de Vaca's exploration of Florida and the other Gulf Coast states. Enticed by the riches and fertile land de Vaca had allegedly encountered there, de Soto sold all his belongings and used the money to prepare for an expedition to North America. He assembled a fleet of 10 ships and selected a crew of 700 men based on their fighting prowess.

Expedition to Florida

On April 6, 1538, de Soto and his fleet departed Sanlúcar. On their way to the United States, de Soto and his fleet stopped in Cuba. On May 18, 1539, de Soto and his fleet at last set out for Florida. On May 25 they landed at Tampa Bay. In May 1539, de Soto landed his ships with over 620 men and 220 horses in south Tampa Bay. He named it Espíritu Santo after the Holy Spirit.

For the next three years de Soto and his men explored the southeastern United States, facing ambushes and enslaving natives along the way. After Florida came Georgia and then Alabama. In Alabama, de Soto encountered his worst battle yet, against Indians in Tuscaloosa. Victorious, de Soto and his men next headed westward, serendipitously discovering the mouth of the Mississippi River in the process. De Soto's voyage would, in fact, mark the first time that a European team of explorers had traveled via the Mississippi River.

Death

After crossing the Mississippi de Soto was struck with fever. He died on May 21, 1542, in Ferriday, Louisiana. Members of his crew sank his body in the river that he had discovered. By that time, almost half of de Soto's men had been taken out by disease or in battle against the Indians.

Impact

The records of the expedition contributed greatly to European knowledge about the geography, biology, and ethnology of the New World. The de Soto expedition's descriptions of North American natives are the earliest-known source of information about the societies in the Southeast. They are the only European description of North American native habits before the natives encountered other Europeans. De Soto's men were both the first and nearly the last Europeans to witness the Mississippian culture.

De Soto's expedition led the Spanish crown to reconsider Spain's attitude toward the colonies north of Mexico. He claimed large parts of North America for Spain. The Spanish concentrated their missions in the state of Florida and along the Pacific coast.

Ponce De Leon

(1474 – July 1521) was a Spanish explorer and conquistador. He became the first Governor of Puerto Rico by appointment of the Spanish crown. He led the first European expedition to Florida, which he named. He was the first European to set foot on North American soil.

Early Years

Juan Ponce de León was born into a poor yet noble family in Santervás de Campos, Spain, in 1460. He served as a page at the court of Aragon, where he learned social skills, religion and military tactics. He eventually became a soldier and fought against the the Moors in Granada. Like other conquistadores, Ponce de León soon sought fame and fortune through exploration, and it is believed he began his quest as part of Christopher Columbus's second expedition in 1493. During his later explorations, he employed the skills and tactics he’d learned in the military to subdue and control the native peoples of the Caribbean.

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. 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 slaves as labor. Although some historical accounts make mention of his relatively nonviolent treatment of the native population, the overall effect of enslaving the native peoples, 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.

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 La Florida (meaning "flowered"), 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").

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 1521 Ponce de León organized a colonizing expedition on two ships. It

consisted of some 200 men, including priests, farmers and artisans, 50 horses and

other domestic animals, and farming implements.[69] The expedition landed on

the southwest coast of Florida, in the vicinity of Caloosahatchee River or Charlotte

Harbor. The colonists were soon attacked by Calusa braves and Ponce de León

was injured when, historians believe, an arrow poisoned with the sap of the

Manchineel tree struck his thigh.[70] After this attack, he and the colonists sailed to

Havana, Cuba, where he soon died of the wound. He was buried in Puerto Rico, in

the crypt of San José Church

Hernan Cortes

(1485 - 1547) was a Spanish Conquistador who led an expedition that caused the

fall of the Aztec Empire and brought large portions of mainland Mexico under the

rule of the King of Castile in the early 16th century.

Born in Medellín, Spain, Cortés chose to pursue a livelihood in the New World. He

left for Hispaniola in 1504. Upon his arrival in Santo Domingo, the capital of

Hispaniola, the 18-year-old Cortés registered as a citizen, which entitled him to a

building plot and land to farm. Soon afterwards, his relative, Nicolás de Ovando,

who was the governor of Hispanola, made him a notary of the town of Azua de

Compostela. During the next five years he helped his relative conquer the Islands

of Hispanola and Cuba from the natives. For his efforts he received a large estate

of land and Indian slaves.

Success in Cuba

The Governor of Cuba, Diego Velázquez, was so impressed with Cortés that he

made Cortes his personal secretary. Cortés was twice appointed municipal

magistrate (alcalde) of Santiago. In Cuba, Cortés became a man of substance with

Indian labor for his mines and cattle. This new position of power also made him

the new source of leadership.

Conquest of Mexico

In 1518, Velázquez put Cortés in command of an expedition to explore and secure the interior of Mexico for colonization. In February of 1519, Cortes stopped in Trinidad, Cuba, to hire more soldiers and obtain more horses. Accompanied by about 11 ships, 500 men, 13 horses, and a small number of cannon, Cortés landed on the Yucatan Peninsula. . In order to eliminate any ideas of retreat, Cortés purposefully sank his ships.

In March 1519, Cortés formally claimed the land for the Spanish crown. Then he proceeded to Tabasco, where he met with resistance and won a battle against the natives. He received twenty young indigenous women from the vanquished natives, and he converted them all to Christianity.

March on Tenochtitlan

Leaving a hundred men in Veracruz, Cortés marched on Tenochtitlan in mid-August 1519, along with 600 soldiers, 15 horsemen, 15 cannons, and hundreds of indigenous carriers and warriors.[9]

In October 1519, Cortés and his men, accompanied by about 1,000 natives that he had won over, marched to Cholula, the second largest city in central Mexico. In an effort to instill fear upon the Aztecs waiting for him at Tenochtitlan, Cortes massacred thousands of unarmed members of the nobility gathered at the central plaza, then partially burned the city.

On November 8, 1519, they were peacefully received by Moctezuma II. Moctezuma deliberately let Cortés enter the Aztec capital, the island city of Tenochtitlan, hoping to get to know their weaknesses better and to crush them later. Moctezuma gave lavish gifts of gold to the Spaniards which, rather than placating them, excited their ambitions for plunder. Cortes decided to take Moctezuma as a hostage in his own palace, indirectly ruling Tenochtitlan through him.

On July 1, 1520 Moctezuma was killed and the Spanish left the city due to the hostilities of the Aztec people. Buoyed by reinforcements arriving from Cuba. Cortés began a policy of attrition towards Tenochtitlan, cutting off supplies and subduing the Aztecs' allied cities. The siege of Tenochtitlán ended with Spanish victory and the destruction of the city. On August 13, 1521, with the capture of Cuauhtémoc, the ruler of Tenochtitlán, the Aztec Empire disappeared, and Cortés was able to claim it for Spain, thus renaming the city Mexico City. From 1521 to 1524, Cortés personally governed Mexico.

Francisco Pizarro

(1471 -- 1541) was a Spanish conquistador who conquered the Incan Empire.

Early Years

Conquistador Francisco Pizarro was born, an illegitimate child, circa 1476, in Trujillo, Spain—an area stricken by poverty. His father, Captain Gonzalo Pizarro, was a poor farmer. His mother, Francisca González, was of humble heritage. Pizarro grew up without learning how to read. Instead, he herded his father's pigs.

As young man, Pizarro heard tales of the New World and was seized by a lust for fortune and adventure. In 1510, he accompanied Spanish explorer Alonzo de Ojeda on a voyage to Urabá, Colombia. Although the expedition was unfruitful, Pizarro proved he could be relied on in a bind.

March to the Sea

In 1513, Pizarro joined conquistador Vasco Núñez de Balboa in his march to the "South Sea," across the Isthmus of Panama. During their journey, Balboa and Pizarro discovered what is now known as the Pacific Ocean, although Balboa allegedly spied it first, and was therefore credited with the ocean's first European discovery. Afterward, Pizarro stayed in Panama for a time, where he was awarded an estate, served as mayor of Panama City and amassed a small fortune.

Reconnaissance Voyages

IN the early 1520’s news and stories about "Pirú" – a great land to the south rich with gold began to circulate. These revelations, along with the accounts of success of Hernán Cortés in Mexico years before, caught the immediate attention of Pizarro, prompting a new series of expeditions to the south in search of the riches of the Incan Empire.

In 1524, while still in Panama, Pizarro formed a partnership with a priest, Hernando de Luque, and a soldier, Diego de Almagro, to explore and conquer the South. Pizarro, Almagro, and Luque later renewed their compact more explicitly, agreeing to conquer and divide equally among themselves the opulent empire

they hoped to discover. Pizarro would command the expedition, Almagro would provide the military and food supplies, and Luque would be in charge of finances and any additional provisions they might need.The group made three trips to scope out the land and the people in 1524, 1526, and 1528.

Conquering Peru

After the expedition in 1528, Pizarro went back to Spain and managed to procure a commission from Emperor Charles V. Pizarro was to conquer the southern territory and establish a new Spanish province there. In 1532, accompanied by his brothers, Pizarro marched and fought his way through the northern part of the Incan empire. In 1532 he captured the Inca leader Atahualpa and in 1533 he marched into Cuzco and conquered the Incas. In 1535, Pizarro founded the new capital city of Lima.

Death

Over time, tensions increasingly built up between the conquistadors who had originally conquered Peru and those who arrived later to stake some claim in the new Spanish province. As a result, conquistadors were torn into two factions—one run by Pizarro, and the other by his former associate, Diego Almagro. In 1538, Francisco’s brother, Hernando Pizarro captured and executed Almagro. On June 26, 1541, in Lima, Peru, members of the defeated party avenged Almagro's death by assassinating Francisco Pizarro.