Hernando De Soto (Creative Writing)

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. In the spring, De Soto led his men north,
through Georgia, and west, through the Carolinas and
Tennessee, guided by Indians whom they took captive
along the way. With no success finding the gold they
sought, the Spaniards headed back south into Alabama
towards Mobile Bay, seeking to rendezvous with their
ships, when they were attacked by an Indian contingent
near present-day Mobile in October 1540. In the bloody
battle that followed, the Spaniards killed hundreds of
Indians and suffered severe casualties themselves.

After a month’s rest, the ever-ambitious De Soto made

the fateful decision to turn northward again and head
inland in search of more treasure. In mid-1541, the
Spaniards sighted the Mississippi River. They crossed it
and headed into Arkansas and Louisiana, but early in
1542 turned back to the Mississippi. Soon after, De Soto
took ill with a fever. After his death that May, his comrades buried his body in the great river.

Your assignment is to put yourself in the mindset of the native cultures of North America and
write about the encounters you and your communities or tribes had with the Spanish explorer
and his men. Keep in mind that many of the native cultures and tribes had never seen a European
white man (even though this may not be you) and all that they brought with them on their explorations
through the southern territories of North America. Describe, in detail, your thoughts, feelings,
observations, and the questions you may have had when you first saw these men and as you began to
learn more about their possible intentions in the New World.

Remember to incorporate the 3 G’s into your writing

Include your response below in this document.

Make sure your writing includes:
The 3 G’s( Gold , God , and Glory)
The purpose of Spanish Missions
Consequences of De Soto contact with the Native Americas
Just make it amazing and explain everything you can!
Hernando De Soto (Creative Writing)