De Soto National Memorial on:
[Wikipedia]
[Google]
[Amazon]
De Soto National Memorial, in
In May 1539, Hernando de Soto and an army of over 600 soldiers landed in the
Hernando de Soto Historical Society
{{authority control Archaeological sites in Florida National Register of Historic Places in Manatee County, Florida National Memorials of the United States Spanish colonization of the Americas Spanish Florida Museums in Manatee County, Florida History museums in Florida Biographical museums in Florida Native American museums in Florida Protected areas established in 1948 National Park Service areas in Florida Monuments and memorials in Florida Parks in Manatee County, Florida Florida Native American Heritage Trail Monuments and memorials on the National Register of Historic Places in Florida
Manatee County
Manatee County is a county in the Central Florida portion of the U.S. state of Florida. As of the 2020 US Census, the population was 399,710. Manatee County is part of the North Port-Sarasota-Bradenton Metropolitan Statistical Area. Its county s ...
west of Bradenton, Florida
Bradenton ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Manatee County, Florida, Manatee County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, the city's population is 55,698.
History
Late 18th and early 19th centuries ...
, commemorates the 1539 landing of Hernando de Soto
Hernando de Soto (; ; 1500 – 21 May, 1542) was a Spanish explorer and '' conquistador'' who was involved in expeditions in Nicaragua and the Yucatan Peninsula. He played an important role in Francisco Pizarro's conquest of the Inca Empire ...
and the first extensive organized exploration by Europeans of what is now the southern United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
.
The memorial includes , where the Manatee River
The Manatee River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed April 18, 2011 river in Manatee County, Florida. The river forms in the northeastern corner of Manatee County an ...
joins Tampa Bay
Tampa Bay is a large natural harbor and shallow estuary connected to the Gulf of Mexico on the west-central coast of Florida, comprising Hillsborough Bay, McKay Bay, Old Tampa Bay, Middle Tampa Bay, and Lower Tampa Bay. The largest freshwater in ...
. It has of coastline; eighty percent of the area is mangrove swamp
Mangrove forests, also called mangrove swamps, mangrove thickets or mangals, are productive wetlands that occur in coastal intertidal zones. Mangrove forests grow mainly at tropical and subtropical latitudes because mangroves cannot withstand fre ...
.
De Soto expedition
In May 1539, Hernando de Soto and an army of over 600 soldiers landed in the Tampa Bay
Tampa Bay is a large natural harbor and shallow estuary connected to the Gulf of Mexico on the west-central coast of Florida, comprising Hillsborough Bay, McKay Bay, Old Tampa Bay, Middle Tampa Bay, and Lower Tampa Bay. The largest freshwater in ...
area. They arrived in nine ships laden with supplies: two hundred and twenty horse
The horse (''Equus ferus caballus'') is a domesticated, one-toed, hoofed mammal. It belongs to the taxonomic family Equidae and is one of two extant subspecies of ''Equus ferus''. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million y ...
s, a herd of pig
The pig (''Sus domesticus''), often called swine, hog, or domestic pig when distinguishing from other members of the genus '' Sus'', is an omnivorous, domesticated, even-toed, hoofed mammal. It is variously considered a subspecies of ''Sus s ...
s, war dogs, cannon, matchlock muskets, armor, tools, and rations. They were executing the order of King Charles V to sail to '' La Florida'' and "conquer, populate, and pacify" the land.
The expedition did not yield the gold and treasure these men sought. Instead, they marched from one village to the next, taking food and enslaving the native peoples to use as guides and porters. Hundreds of people died on this calamitous four-year, journey. The de Soto expedition changed the face of the American Southeast and caused Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, i ...
to reevaluate their role in the New World. It was the first-hand accounts of survivors, describing the native cultures and the richness of the land, which became the journey's enduring legacy.
Historic recognition
Thenational memorial National memorial or National Memorial may refer to:
* National Memorial (Thailand)
* National memorial (United States)
*National Martyrs' Memorial, in Bangladesh
* National Memorial of the Republic of Belarus
See also
*Memorial (disambiguation)
...
was authorized by Congress on March 11, 1948, codified as and . As with all historic areas administered by the National Park Service
The National Park Service (NPS) is an agency of the United States federal government within the U.S. Department of the Interior that manages all national parks, most national monuments, and other natural, historical, and recreational propertie ...
, the memorial was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
on October 15, 1966, with the name Shaw's Point Archeological District.
The mission of the De Soto National Memorial is to preserve the controversial story of this exploration and interpret its significance in American history. Visitors can attend living history demonstrations, try on a piece of armor, or walk the nature trail through a Florida coastal landscape similar to the one encountered by conquistadors almost five hundred years ago. with
Activities
Exhibits at thevisitor center
A visitor center or centre (see American and British English spelling differences), visitor information center, tourist information center, is a physical location that provides tourist information to visitors.
Types of visitor center
A visit ...
include historic armor, 16th-century weapons, and period artifacts. A theater displays the movie ''Hernando de Soto in America'', about the DeSoto Expedition and the area's Native American population. A bookstore is also available.
During the cooler months, visitors can observe Camp Uzita, a living history
Living history is an activity that incorporates historical tools, activities and dress into an interactive presentation that seeks to give observers and participants a sense of stepping back in time. Although it does not necessarily seek to ree ...
camp which runs from December through April. The season ends with a re-enactment of DeSoto's landing on the beaches of Tampa Bay
Tampa Bay is a large natural harbor and shallow estuary connected to the Gulf of Mexico on the west-central coast of Florida, comprising Hillsborough Bay, McKay Bay, Old Tampa Bay, Middle Tampa Bay, and Lower Tampa Bay. The largest freshwater in ...
.
Other park activities include nature trails and guided trail walks, fishing, bird watching, and picnicking. Park admission is free.
See also
* List of National Memorials of the United States *De Soto National Forest
De Soto National Forest, named for 16th-century Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto, is of pine forests in southern Mississippi. It is one of the most important protected areas for the biological diversity of the Gulf Coast ecoregion of North Ame ...
, in southern Mississippi
Mississippi () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States, bordered to the north by Tennessee; to the east by Alabama; to the south by the Gulf of Mexico; to the southwest by Louisiana; and to the northwest by Arkansas. Miss ...
*Narváez expedition
The Narváez expedition was a Spanish journey of exploration and colonization started in 1527 that intended to establish colonial settlements and garrisons in Florida. The expedition was initially led by Pánfilo de Narváez, who died in 1528. M ...
, the predecessor to De Soto's, having also begun near Tampa Bay
Tampa Bay is a large natural harbor and shallow estuary connected to the Gulf of Mexico on the west-central coast of Florida, comprising Hillsborough Bay, McKay Bay, Old Tampa Bay, Middle Tampa Bay, and Lower Tampa Bay. The largest freshwater in ...
on ''La Florida'''s west coast
* National Register of Historic Places listings in Manatee County, Florida
References
Further reading
* ''The National Parks: Index 2001–2003''. Washington:U.S. Department of the Interior
The United States Department of the Interior (DOI) is one of the executive departments of the U.S. federal government headquartered at the Main Interior Building, located at 1849 C Street NW in Washington, D.C. It is responsible for the mana ...
.
External links
*Hernando de Soto Historical Society
{{authority control Archaeological sites in Florida National Register of Historic Places in Manatee County, Florida National Memorials of the United States Spanish colonization of the Americas Spanish Florida Museums in Manatee County, Florida History museums in Florida Biographical museums in Florida Native American museums in Florida Protected areas established in 1948 National Park Service areas in Florida Monuments and memorials in Florida Parks in Manatee County, Florida Florida Native American Heritage Trail Monuments and memorials on the National Register of Historic Places in Florida