Ponce+De+Leon

=Ponce De Leon =

===Ponce was not only an explorer, he was a soldier too, a spanish soldier and explorer in more detail. He was the first european to explore Florida. He also founded the oldest european colony in Puerto Rico and observed the Gulf Stream (a flowing movement in the Atlantic Ocean) Ponce de Leon also serached for a certain "Fountain of Youth" and other valuable treasures. === ===   === ===He was born in Santervas in Spain 1460, his birthdate is unknown. Ponce de Leon was a soldier fighting against muslims, in South Spain in the early 1490's. He sailed with Christopher Columbus on his second expedition to America which was held in 1493. After that he did not return to Spain with Columbus he continued his life in Santo Domingo (which is now called the Dominican Republic). ===

 
===Ponce was now nominated governer of the Dominican province of Higuey. Later he heard of gold on the island of Borinquen (now called Puerto Rico). He then viciously explored the island, then he claimed that island for Spain. Ponce de Leon was then again nominated governer but of this island. Since he was brutal with the native americans he was fired in 1511. ===


===Ponce de Leon had the opportunity to find the island of Bimini in the Bahamas; he was looking for the Fountain of Youth and some other riches. He sailed to Bimini on March 3rd 1513. He left with three ships. The Santa Maria, The Santiago and The San Cristobal, with at least 200 men. They stopped at the Grand Turk island and at San Salvador. After their trip, they finally arrived in the East coast of Florida (Saint Augustine) on Sunday April 2nd 1513. Ponce named the land "Pascua de Florida" which meant feast of flowers in Spanish. Before leaving he claimed the land for Spain. ===


===They stayed longer and left on April 8th (1513) heading to the South, in the warm current known as the G ulf Stream. On their return trip, Ponce de Leon's men had a little fight with the native americans in Southern Florida. They then sailed to Cuba, heading North this time trying to find Bimini, but with no luck they landed on an other island, called Andros island. ===


===After that he retuned to Puerto Rico, Ponce continued fighting the native americans. When he returned to Spain he was named Captain General by the King of Spain on September 27th 1514, and again he sailed to Puerto Rico to find the island of Bimini. ===

<span style="color: #c431b6; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype', 'Book Antiqua', Palatino, serif;"> <span style="color: #c431b6; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype', 'Book Antiqua', Palatino, serif;">
===<span style="color: #c431b6; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype', 'Book Antiqua', Palatino, serif;">His last sail to try and find Bimini was in 1521. He and his 200 men had the force to land on the West coast of Florida. They were met by native american warriors, who shot alot of arrows, and shot Ponce De Leon. He died later in Havana in Cuba from the arrow. He was buried in San Juan, Puerto Rico .=== =__Bibliographies__=

- - -. "Ponce de Leon's first voyage to Florida." __Poncedeleon__. 4 Feb. 2009. 5 Feb. 2009 http://www.poncedeleon.com/explorers/page/d/deleon.shtml.

- -. "Ponce de Leon and the Fountain of Youth." __ponceintel__. 2 Feb. 2009. 5 Feb. 2009 http://www.ponceinlet.org/history.html.

De Leon, Juan Ponce. "Juan Ponce de Leon." __wikipedia__. 26 Jan. 2009. 5 Feb. 2009 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juan_Ponce_De_Leon.

"Juan Ponce De Leon." __Enchanted Learning__. 5 Feb. 2009 http://www.enchantedlearning.com/explorers/page/d/deleon.shtml.

"Juan Ponce de Leon." __Elizabethan-Era__. 5 Feb. 2009 http://www.elizabethan-era.org.uk/juan-ponce-de-leon.htm.

"Juan Ponce De Leon." __Baker Block Museum__. 5 Feb. 2009 http://www.bakerblockmuseum.org/biopdeleon.htm.

__Encyclopedia__. 5 Feb. 2009 <http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/ 1B1-375622.html>.

"Leon." __Corning__. 11 Feb. 2009 <http://www.corning.k12.ia.us/images/verna/ WebQuest_files/Leon.jpg>.