Juan_Ponce_de_Leon

Juan Ponce de León Juan Ponce de León was a Spanish explorer and conquistador who influenced North American and his influence still lives on today. Ponce de León was born sometime in the year 1460. He came from a noble family, but was a younger son and would not inherit anything, so he decided to become a knight. He was sent, as a young boy, to the home of Núñez de Guzmán, a Spanish nobleman. He had several duties as a page, such as taking care of the master’s clothing, helping him dress, and serving food. In return for this, he was taught how to read and write, ride a horse, and fight with a sword. When he became about fifteen, León became the Spanish nobleman’s squire. As a squire, he had more important duties than a page. He cleaned and cared for his master’s armor and weapons and fought next to him in battle. This would help him for when he became a knight. In the 1480’s, León joined the army to help drive the Moors out of Spain. The Moors are Arabic-speaking, northern African people. They invaded Spain in A.D. 711. In the next seven years, the Moors conquered all of Spain, except the northern mountainous region. The Spanish fought back and the war against the Moors lasted for hundreds of years. The Spanish got control back of one part of Spain and then another and in the 1480’s, the Moors only had one part of Spain left. King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella, the Spanish rulers, were confident that Spain would beat the Moors and unite Spain. In January 1492, Spain finally defeated the Moors. Ponce de León was one of the Spanish knights at that battle. Meanwhile, Spain was also trying to find a new route to trade with Asia. Christopher Columbus, a Spanish explorer, went west and found what he thought was Asia, but was a new land. Columbus came back with great news of a new land and wanted to make a second journey and take other people to colonize. León, inspired by this and eager for the riches and glory awaiting him, volunteered to go on the journey. Ponce de León, Columbus, and other Spaniards left on September 25, 1493. They anchored to an island and named it San Juan Bautista, which today is known as Puerto Rico. Then Columbus claimed it for Spain. The Spaniards sailed to Hispaniola, where Columbus had established a small fort. When they got to Hispaniola, they found out that all of the forty people there were dead. The explorers learned what happened from the Taino Indians that lived there. The people who had died had stolen food and gold from the Taino. When they started going into their villages and stealing their women, the Taino fought back. When Ponce de León and the other Spaniards found this out, they abandoned the site. Many of the Spaniards left, but Ponce de León decided to stay in the Americas. In 1502, Ponce de León married a Spanish woman named Leonor. They had four children, three girls and one boy. The governor of Hispaniola decided to send Ponce de León to San Juan Bautista to look for gold. The Taino people on San Juan Bautista, Puerto Rico, welcomed and helped the Spaniards. Later on, Ponce de León founded a town on the north coast and called it Caparra. He named a bay near it Puerto Rico which means “rich port.” This is when people started calling the island Puerto Rico. In 1509, Ponce de León was appointed first governor of Puerto Rico. The Spanish conquered the Taino just like they did on Hispaniola and forced them to mine the gold, plant the crops, and build roads and houses. The Taino rebelled and attacked the Spaniards because they became angry with them. Thousands of Taino were killed, including their chief. The whole Taino population was wiped out. In 1511, the Spanish government decided that Diego Columbus, Christopher’s son, got to rule all the lands his father had discovered. Then, Diego Columbus fired all the officials and put his friends there and Ponce de León was no longer governor of Puerto Rico. This made Ponce de León mad, so he decided to leave and search for the island of Bimini. If he found this beautiful island it would be his to claim and Diego Columbus would have no part in it. Ponce de León had heard many stories about a mystical fountain that gave you eternal life and a youthful appearance if you drank from it. He heard this in Europe and from the Taino Indians. No one really knows if he believed this about the fountain of youth. He could have been looking for gold and fertile land to colonize. On March 3, 1513, Ponce de León set out for Bimini and the fountain of youth. For a month he explored the Bahamas looking for gold and the fountain, but he never could find it. On March 27, 1513, Ponce de León sighted an island and the next day went to the land. When he went ashore, he claimed the land for Spain and named it La Florida after Pascua Florida, which in Spanish means Easter because he was there during the Easter season. On April 8, 1513, Ponce de León discovered the Gulf Stream, one of the most powerful ocean currents in the world. This was important because if you rode on it could get back to Europe a lot faster. Later on, the Gulf Stream became an important trade route between Europe and the Americas. Ponce de León sailed down the southern coast of Florida. After a while, there were some Ais Indians and they were signaling the Spaniards to land. When they landed, the Indians tried to take the boat and a fight broke out. The Ais Indians fought fiercely. During the fight many people were wounded, including Ponce de León. He was struck by an arrow in his thigh. After he was wounded, León was taken to Cuba to get the right medical help. When they got there, though, his wound refused to heal. It also became very infected. In July 1521, Ponce de León died in Havana, Cuba. In 1908, Ponce de León’s remains were shipped to Puerto Rico Did you know that we might not be her today if the Spaniards, like Ponce de León, hadn’t discovered these mysterious lands and explored them' Nobody knew about these lands except the Indians who lived there. Ponce de León made major effects on his discoveries. A lot of these effects had to with the people who lived there. Even though he was nonviolent, there were still some people who hurt and killed the Taino. Most of this was not Ponce de León’s fault. He was the first Spanish explorer to explore La Florida and this name is still used today. Ponce de León taught me that you should explore or try new things because it could have a positive outcome. He also taught me to be brave and bold and to not hesitate. I will never forget what the inscription on his tomb stone reads: “Beneath this stone repose the bones of the valiant Lion whose deeds surpassed the greatness of his name.”