Changes

==In North America==

==In North America==

In April 1538 de Soto left Spain with 10 ships and 700 men, landing in Florida near present-day Tampa Bay in May of 1539 after a brief stop in Cuba.  His expedition moved northward into Georgia, through the Carolinas then westward into Tennessee, believing that he would find a civilization of comparable wealth to the Inca that he could conquer and plunder.  A large cache of pearls at Cofitachequi in eastern Georgia would be the closest he would come to riches during this expedition.

In April 1538 de Soto left Spain with 10 ships and 700 men, landing in Florida near present-day Tampa Bay in May 1539 after a brief stop in Cuba.  His expedition moved northward into Georgia, through the Carolinas then westward into Tennessee, believing that he would find a civilization of comparable wealth to the Inca that he could conquer and plunder.  A large cache of pearls at Cofitachequi in eastern Georgia would be the closest he would come to riches during this expedition.

But friendly to the native peoples he was not; he had earlier kidnapped Indians in Florida and forced them to act as guides and interpreters along the way.  Tribes he had encountered were roughly handled and treated with contempt, if not outright attacked.  Worse was the disease his men had carried - principally [[smallpox]] - which had ravaged many of the tribes in much of the country south of the Tennessee River; by the time de Soto had arrived in the vicinity of Lookout Mountain in south Tennessee and turned towards Alabama, word was going around to the scattered tribes about the mysterious white men who were bringing death with them.  In October of 1540, de Soto attempted a rendezvous with his ships near Mobile Bay; in the process he rashly decided to attack a well-fortified Indian town named Mauvila.  Although he defeated a counter-attack, de Soto lost a number of men, most of their equipment, and all of the pearls.

But friendly to the native peoples he was not; he had earlier kidnapped Indians in Florida and forced them to act as guides and interpreters along the way.  Tribes he had encountered were roughly handled and treated with contempt, if not outright attacked.  Worse was the disease his men had carried - principally [[smallpox]] - which had ravaged many of the tribes in much of the country south of the Tennessee River; by the time de Soto had arrived in the vicinity of Lookout Mountain in south Tennessee and turned towards Alabama, word was going around to the scattered tribes about the mysterious white men who were bringing death with them.  In October 1540, de Soto attempted a rendezvous with his ships near Mobile Bay; in the process he rashly decided to attack a well-fortified Indian town named Mauvila.  Although he defeated a counter-attack, de Soto lost a number of men, most of their equipment, and all of the pearls.

After a month of rest, de Soto took his expedition back north through Alabama, then towards the Mississippi River, still with the conviction that he would find treasure.  Unfortunately, his reputation had preceded him and his men were relentlessly attacked by Indians, who knew if they used ambush techniques and did not touch them personally, they would not catch the white man's sickness.  He succeeded in reaching the Mississippi River in May, 1541, becoming the first European to see it; he crossed into Arkansas a short time later and headed south.  Sometime in 1542, he unexpectedly ordered a march back towards the Mississippi, but died of fever in May before he could reach it.  The surviving members of the expedition, in rags with most of their tools and weapons gone, made rafts, floated down the river towards the coast, and marched west towards [[Mexico]] and relief.

After a month of rest, de Soto took his expedition back north through Alabama, then towards the Mississippi River, still with the conviction that he would find treasure.  Unfortunately, his reputation had preceded him and his men were relentlessly attacked by Indians, who knew if they used ambush techniques and did not touch them personally, they would not catch the white man's sickness.  He succeeded in reaching the Mississippi River in May, 1541, becoming the first European to see it; he crossed into Arkansas a short time later and headed south.  Sometime in 1542, he unexpectedly ordered a march back towards the Mississippi, but died of fever in May before he could reach it.  The surviving members of the expedition, in rags with most of their tools and weapons gone, made rafts, floated down the river towards the coast, and marched west towards [[Mexico]] and relief.