At the end of his program, he demonstrated the firearm that would have been carried by the expedition.
I know practically zero about De Soto's foray into the South and I'm thinking that you might not know much either. So let me pull a bit of information from the park brochure for you.
In the wake of Columbus, other adventurers sailed to America to see what could be made of it. Hernando de Soto, a Spanish soldier who had tasted the rewards of conquest, dreamed of matching the deeds of the celebrated conquistadores. When he was granted a license to explore La Florida, his prospects were good. De Soto was ambitious, seasoned by forays in Central and South America, and commander of one of the best armies to set foot in the Americas. After landing on Florida's west coast in May 1539, probably near Tampa Bay, his army spent the next four years threading its way some 4,000 miles across what is now the southeastern United States.
De Soto's march was difficult but it was not a trek entirely through wilderness. In the 1500's this land was settled by tens of thousands of Native Americans in hundred of villages. De Soto and his men spent much of their time moving from village to village, walking on Indian trails, led by Indian guides, and eating Indian food. Persevering despite the attrition of men, horses, weapons, and supplies, De Soto's troops were the first Europeans to push deep into North America, the first to see the Mississippi above its mouth.
Yet it was a futile mission, doomed by unfamiliarity with land, hostile Indians, and the leader's overzealous pursuit of riches. Three years after landing in Florida, he was felled by fever and burried in the Mississippi River. The expedition was inconsequential for Spain but disastrous for the Indians it encountered, leaving behind disease and social dislocation.
We took our time walking the Memorial Trail along the Manatee River to De Soto Point and back. Numbered posts along the way corresponded to names and descriptions on the self-guided trail guide we had. Our meandering took us through a thick red mangrove swamp where we saw the ruins of a tabby house and read historical plaques here and there. We then stopped just past the visitor center to see a large stone monument placed by the Society of the Colonial Dames of America to commemorate the expedition and mark the beginning of the De Soto Trail. I dearly love the smaller units of the National Park Service that allow me to get a good feel for the events that happened there. In a couple of hours, I learned more about De Soto and his expedition than I ever did in school. Thanks for traveling along with me and picking up today's De Soto Postcard! See ya later. |