• De Soto Landing

    De Soto

    National Memorial Florida

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An Epic Journey into the New World

In May 1539, Conquistador Hernando de Soto’s army of soldiers, hired mercenaries, craftsmen and clergy made landfall in Tampa Bay. They were met with fierce resistance of indigenous people protecting their homelands. De Soto’s quest for glory and gold would be a four year, four thousand mile odyssey of intrigue, warfare, disease, and discovery that would form the history of the United States.

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Did You Know?

Did You Know?

Hernando de Soto invested all he had in his 1539 expedition to Florida that ultimately covered 4,000 miles of what is now the Southeastern United States. During the four year expedition he found no rich empire to conquer, but he lost both his fortune and his life. Visit De Soto National Memorial. More...