De Soto National Memorial

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De Soto National Memorial
Bradenton FL DeSoto Natl Mem01.jpg
location Manatee County Florida , United States
surface 10.86 ha
Geographical location 27 ° 31 ′  N , 82 ° 39 ′  W Coordinates: 27 ° 31 ′ 26 "  N , 82 ° 38 ′ 40"  W
mark
De Soto National Memorial
Setup date 1948
administration National Park Service
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The De Soto National Memorial , eight kilometers west of Bradenton , Florida , commemorates the landing of Hernando de Soto in 1539 and the first extensive exploration that a European undertook in the southern part of what is now the United States.

De Soto expedition

Hernando de Soto

In May 1539, Hernando de Soto landed in Tampa Bay with an army of over 600 soldiers . Their new ships were loaded with 220 horses, a herd of pigs, dogs, cannons, muskets, armor, tools and provisions. They carried out the orders of King Charles V of Spain . They should sail to La Florida and "conquer, settle and pacify" the country.

The expedition did not drop as much gold and valuables as the men expected. Instead, they marched from place to place, grabbing groceries and enslaving the Indians to use as guides and porters. Hundreds of people died during this four-year, 6,400 km long expedition. The de Soto expedition changed the look of the American Southeast forever, forcing the Spanish to reassess their role in the New World. Ultimately, the reports on the Indian culture and the diversity of the landscape that the survivors wrote from their own experience became a lasting legacy of the expedition.

Historic recognition

The National Memorial was approved by the United States Congress on March 11, 1948 . On October 15, 1966, the De Soto National Memorial was inscribed on the National Register of Historic Places .

The job of the De Soto National Memorial is to preserve the controversial history of this exploration and interpret its significance to American history. Scenes from history are re-enacted for visitors, they can try on a piece of armor or follow a path in a replica of the Florida coastal landscape, as the conquistadors walked 500 years ago.

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Web links

Commons : De Soto National Memorial  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ DeSoto National Memorial in the National Register Information System. National Park Service , accessed August 6, 2017.