Changes

==Early life==

==Early life==

De Soto was born into wealth about 1496 or 1497, in Jerez de los Caballeros, Badajoz, Spain.  His father intended him to enter the practice of law, but he left for Seville in 1514, intending to gain a part on an expedition to the newly-discovered West Indies.  Staying in [[Panama]] for several years, de Soto became a wealthy man by 1520 through trading (including slave trading) and organizing his own expeditions; this included partnerships with future conquistadors Ponce de León and Francisco Campañón. In the period of 1524–27 de Soto succeeded in winning control of [[Nicaragua]] from a major rival, and was able to expand his trading operations there.

De Soto was born into wealth about 1496 or 1497, in Jerez de los Caballeros, Badajoz, Spain.  His father intended him to enter the practice of law, but he left for Seville in 1514, intending to gain a part on an expedition to the newly discovered West Indies.  Staying in [[Panama]] for several years, de Soto became a wealthy man by 1520 through trading (including slave trading) and organizing his own expeditions; this included partnerships with future conquistadors Ponce de León and Francisco Campañón. In the period of 1524–27 de Soto succeeded in winning control of [[Nicaragua]] from a major rival, and was able to expand his trading operations there.

==South America==

==South America==