See Fuson, pp. Failing to take into account the powerful currents pushing them eastward, they struck the northeast shore of Cuba and were initially confused about their location.[61]. [58] Here Ponce de León anchored for several days to take on water and repair the ships. Juan Ponce de León[1] (Spanish pronunciation: [xwam ˈponθe ðe leˈon]; 1474 – July 1521[2]), commonly known as Ponce de León (/ˌpɒns də ˈliːən/,[3] also UK: /ˌpɒnseɪ də leɪˈɒn/,[4] US: /ˌpɒns də liˈoʊn, ˌpɒns(ə) deɪ -/[5][6]), was a Spanish explorer and conquistador known for leading the first official European expedition to Florida and serving as the first governor of Puerto Rico. Ponce de León returned to Spain in 1514 and was knighted by King Ferdinand, who also re-instated him as the governor of Puerto Rico and authorized him to settle Florida. east, and Pensacola on the west. There was one engagement in Guadeloupe on his return to the area and possibly two or three other encounters. Another point of interest is Lake DeFuniak, said Though stories of vitality-restoring waters were known on both sides of the Atlantic long before Ponce de León, the story of his searching for them was not attached to him until after his death. They had three daughters (Juana, Isabel and Maria) and one son (Luis). horses are a main source of enjoyment in this area. [27] Although a few crops were planted, the settlers spent most of their time and energy searching for gold. [54], They continued down the coast hugging the shore to avoid the strong head current. Ovando rewarded his victorious commander by appointing him frontier governor of the newly conquered province, then named Higüey also. His relatives included Rodrigo Ponce de León, Marquis of Cádiz, a celebrated figure in the Moorish wars. major industry is agriculture, which is growing all the time, if Ponce de León could have been seeking it as a potential entrepreneurial venture. Ponce de Leon is a [20] Ponce de León was actively involved in the Higüey massacre, about which friar Bartolomé de las Casas attempted to notify Spanish authorities. However, Colón's position as Viceroy made him a powerful opponent and eventually it became clear that Ponce de León's position on San Juan was not tenable. And of course, [37], Rumors of undiscovered islands to the northwest of Hispaniola had reached Spain by 1511, and Ferdinand was interested in forestalling further exploration and discovery by Colón. He found a ready market for his farm produce and livestock at nearby Boca de Yuma where Spanish ships stocked supplies before the long voyage back to Spain. After a long court battle, Columbus replaced Ponce de León as governor in 1511. He left Puerto Rico in April 1514 and was warmly received by Ferdinand when he arrived at court in Valladolid. [15] Ponce de León was a member of this expedition, one of 200 "gentleman volunteers. Things to Do in Ponce de Leon, Florida Panhandle: See Tripadvisor's 398 traveler reviews and photos of Ponce de Leon tourist attractions. all that it has to offer, you will probably become a return visitor In 1513, Ponce de León led the first known European expedition to La Florida, which he named during his first voyage to the area. In 1521, Ponce de León finally returned to southwest Florida with the first large-scale attempt to establish a Spanish colony in what is now the continental United States. Most historians hold that the search for gold and the expansion of the Spanish Empire were far more imperative than any potential search for such a fountain.[67][68]. He was authorized to explore the neighboring island of Puerto Rico in 1508 and for serving as the first Governor of Puerto Rico by appointment of the Spanish crown in 1509. wonderful climate. Juan Ponce de León was born in the village of Santervás de Campos in the northern part of what is now the Spanish province of Valladolid. Leon, may have searched for the Fountain of Youth here. Spanish slave expeditions had been regularly raiding the Bahamas since 1494 and there is some evidence that one or more of these slavers made it as far as the shores of Florida. This appointment was later confirmed by Ferdinand II on 14 August, 1509. Ponce de León reached Puerto Rico on 19 October after having been away for almost eight months. By 4 May the fleet reached and named Biscayne Bay and took on water at an island they named Santa Marta (now Key Biscayne) and explored the Tequesta Miami mound town at the mouth of the Miami River. the natural magnets that draws families and industries to the This latitude corresponds to a spot north of St. Augustine between what is now the Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve and Ponte Vedra Beach. or perhaps a resident. The explorer suspected that Colón was working to further undermine his position on the island and perhaps even to take his claims for the newly discovered Florida. rate, low taxes, and a uniquely central location are just a few of [13] In September 1493, some 1,200 sailors, colonists, and soldiers joined Christopher Columbus for his second voyage to the New World. Ponce de Leon Blue Creek It is located just 40 miles from the Gulf of Mexico [33] For several years Diego Colón had been waging a legal battle over his rights to inherit the titles and privileges granted to his father. There he was knighted,[20] and given a personal coat of arms, becoming the first conquistador to receive these honors. The expedition landed somewhere on the coast of southwest Florida, likely in the vicinity of Charlotte Harbor or the Caloosahatchee River, areas which Ponce de León had visited in his earlier voyage to Florida. [14], Once the war against the Emirate of Granada ended, there was no apparent need for his military services at home, so, like many of his contemporaries, Ponce de León looked abroad for his next opportunity. Ponce de Leon is a small, tucked-away treasure that you definitely meteor crashing to earth centuries ago. In 1504, when Tainos overran a small Spanish garrison in Higüey on the island's eastern side, Ovando assigned Ponce de León to crush the rebellion. In his Historia general y natural de las Indias of 1535, Gonzalo Fernández de Oviedo y Valdés wrote that Ponce de León was looking for the waters of Bimini to cure his aging. In addition to the usual directions for sharing gold and other valuables with the king, the contract was one of the first to stipulate that the Requerimiento was to be read to the inhabitants of the islands prior to their conquest. In 1508 King Ferdinand (Queen Isabella having opposed the exploitation of natives but dying in 1504) authorized Ponce de León to conquer the remaining Taínos and exploit them in gold mining. [17] In particular they anchored on the coast of a large island the natives called Borinquen but would eventually become known as Puerto Rico. [23], As provincial governor, Ponce de León had occasion to meet with the Taínos who visited his province from neighboring Puerto Rico. By the early 1500s, Ponce de León was a top military official in the colonial government of Hispaniola, where he helped crush a rebellion of the native Taíno people. [38], The contract stipulated that Ponce de León held exclusive rights to the discovery of Benimy and neighboring islands for the next three years. (1935) "History of Juan Ponce de León's Voyages to Florida: Source Records.". This earlier trip was done quietly because the Spanish crown had commissioned Vicente Yáñez Pinzón to settle the island in 1505. In addition, Ponce de Leon is de Leon High School [54] Eventually they found a gap in the reefs and sailed "to the north and other times to the northeast" until they reached the Florida mainland on 23 May, where they encountered the Calusa, who refused to trade and drove off the Spanish ships by surrounding them with warriors in sea canoes armed with long bows. team penning, trail rides, and family fun days are popular leisure From here the little fleet disbanded. here. amusements include a Championship Rodeo held in Bonifay Many of the Spaniards treated the Taínos very harshly and newly introduced diseases like smallpox and measles took a severe toll on the local population. In early 1521, Ponce de León organized a colonizing expedition consisting of some 200 men, including priests, farmers and artisans, 50 horses and other domestic animals, and farming implements carried on two ships.

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