Bradenton in Manatee County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic)
Hernando de Soto
Florida De Soto Trail
— Off to Seek His Fortune —
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, December 20, 2012
1. Hernando de Soto Marker
In Panama with Pedrarias
Hernando de Soto, second son of a country hidalgo, or minor noble, was born around 1500 in the Extremadura region of Spain. At age 13, he left home to seek his fortune in the New World. After proving he had the military training, health, and funds to be a worthy crew member, De Soto left for Panama. He accompanied the expedition of Pedrarias Davila, “El Furor Domini” or “The Scourge of God,” a man renowned for his inhumane treatment of native peoples.
Lessons Learned in Peru
In 1531, as an established military commander and wealthy landowner, De Soto joined Francisco Pizzaro's expedition to conquer Peru. There, he befriended Atahualpa, the Incan Emperor held hostage by Pizzaro. De Soto argued for the emperor’s life. Regardless, after Atahualpa handed over three rooms filled with gold, silver, and precious stones, Pizzaro had the Emperor executed.
Back Home to Spain
After returning to Spain with his share of the Incan plunder, he married Isabela de Bobadilla, the daughter of his former commander Pedrarias. By1536, De Soto had become a renowned conquistador, earning a prominent place in the court of King Charles V.
An Expedition of His Own
De Soto still desired the one thing he had been
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”The Emperor our lord made Hernando de Soto his Governor and Captain General of his island and province of Florida and its annexes on the mainland, to the northern part that the adelantado Juan Ponce de Leon had discovered.”
- Account by Rodrigo Rangel, The De Soto Chronicles
Erected by Florida De Soto Trail, Florida Department of Transportation, the Florida Park Service, and the National Park Service. (Marker Number 1a.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Colonial Era • Exploration • Settlements & Settlers.
Location. 27° 31.424′ N, 82° 38.651′ W. Marker is in Bradenton, Florida, in Manatee County. Marker can be reached from Desoto Memorial Highway (75th Street NW), 0.2 miles north of 24th Avenue NW when traveling north. Marker is located within the DeSoto National Memorial Park, along the walkway between the main front entrance and the park Visitor Center. This marker is the left-end
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2. Marker detail: A youthful Hernando de Soto
Portrait by J. Sartain and R. Telfer (1858)
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. La Florida's Early Peoples (here, next to this marker); De Soto Trail Monument (a few steps from this marker); The Spanish Crown (within shouting distance of this marker); DeSoto Trail (within shouting distance of this marker); The Landing (within shouting distance of this marker); Knight of Santiago (within shouting distance of this marker); Camp Uzita (within shouting distance of this marker); Tabby House Ruins (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Bradenton.
Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker. Florida De Soto Trail
Also see . . .
1. Hernando de Soto. By May 18, 1539, de Soto and his fleet at last set out for Florida. On May 25 they landed at Tampa Bay. 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
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3. Marker detail: Hernando de Soto’s ships sail from the Spanish port of Seville, April 7, 1538
Engraving by John William Orr (1858)
2. De Soto’s Expedition to North America. De Soto set out from Spain in April 1538, set with 10 ships and 700 men. After a stop in Cuba, the expedition landed at Tampa Bay in May 1539. They moved inland and eventually set up camp for the winter at a small Indian village near present-day Tallahassee. Ultimately, the passed through the Carolinas, Tennessee, Alabama, Arkansas and Louisiana, guided by Indians whom they took captive along the way. Early in 1542 De Soto took ill with a fever. After his death that May, his comrades buried his body in the Mississippi river. His successor, Luis de Moscoso, led the remnants of the expedition (which was eventually decimated by half) on rafts down the Mississippi, finally reaching Mexico in 1543. (Submitted on October 24, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
3. Hernando de Soto. Hernando de Soto, born c. 1496/97, Jerez de los Caballeros, Badajoz, Spain, died May 21, 1542, along the Mississippi River in
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, December 20, 2012
4. Hernando de Soto Marker (wide view; this marker is the left panel of a 3-panel kiosk)
4. Hernando de Soto. In May 1539, de Soto landed nine ships with over 620 men and 220 horses in an area generally identified as south Tampa Bay. He named the land as Espíritu Santo after the Holy Spirit. The ships carried priests, craftsmen, engineers, farmers, and merchants; some with their families, some from Cuba, most from Europe and Africa. Few of the men had traveled before outside of Spain, or even away from their home villages. (Submitted on October 25, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, December 20, 2012
5. Florida De Soto Trail Map (adjacent panel at center of marker kiosk)
1539-1540
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, December 20, 2012
6. De Soto Trail Map (located nearby, inside park Visitor Center)
Credits. This page was last revised on December 15, 2020. It was originally submitted on October 24, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 663 times since then and 41 times this year. Last updated on November 21, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on October 24, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.
