By: Daniel

O'Connor

Biographical Facts
   Hernando Desoto was born around 1500 in Barcarrota, Spain.  On his second expedition in Peru, he found gold and was rich when he came back to Spain.  In his life he met Pedro Arias, the governor of Panama.  He also met his daughter and later on married her.  He went on his last expedition in 1542.  He died looking for gold on the Mississippi River.   

Major Achievements
    Hernando's first adventure took place when he was younger.  He went on a treasure hunting expedition.  Even though he didn't find gold or riches, the idea exited him.  Later he joined Francisco Pizzaro on an expedition to conquer Peru.  There he unexpectedly struck gold, became rich and went home to Spain.  Years later he set off on his final journey to find more gold.  He took many men and horses across the Atlantic Ocean and around the Gulf of Mexico.  The party was the first European expedition to cross the Appalachian Mountains.  They also discovered the Mississippi river. 

Country
    The main reason why Hernando went on expeditions was because he was very greedy.  After he found gold in Peru, he went on a whole other trip to North America just to look for gold and riches!  Another reason was conquest, because Hernando wanted to conquer land.  And he also wanted fame, because then he would be respected.  Over all I think he explored chiefly because of self-benefit.  

Impact on Natives
    Hernando was very savage to the native people of America.  His expedition was known as 'The Men of Fire'.  He wanted to know were gold was so he asked natives.  If they didn't answer him, he killed and tortured them.  Most Indians told him a land of gold laid little ways off, even though there wasn't.  Once he met an Indian queen.  All she could offer them were pearls, so he kidnapped her, put up a ransom, and then killed her.  Hernando was so bad that once Chickasaw Indians ambushed the expedition and killed 12 of their men. 

Personal Reaction
    I think Hernando Desoto was a very greedy and horrible man.  His friends called him 'very reckless and brave' (and that was true), but I think he was just plain savage.  The way he tortured the natives was very evil.  I think Hernando had very bad morals and cared mostly about himself.  I don't think very highly of my explorer because he killed so many people, was very greedy, and was all around evil.

  B ibliography:
          Explorers
         Book of Knowledge
          Encyclopedia of World Biographies
           New Book of Knowledge
          World Book

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