PONCE DE LEON BY:BRIANNA,KARA,LILLY,ISAAC

SUMMARY BORN INTO SPANISH NOBILITY, JUAN PONCE DE LEÓN ( ) MAY HAVE ACCOMPANIED CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS ON HIS 1493 VOYAGE TO THE NEW WORLD. A DECADE LATER, HE WAS SERVING AS GOVERNOR OF THE EASTERN PROVINCE OF HISPANIOLA WHEN HE DECIDED TO EXPLORE A NEARBY ISLAND, WHICH BECAME PUERTO RICO. IN PURSUIT OF A RUMORED FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH LOCATED ON AN ISLAND KNOWN AS BIMINI, PONCE DE LEÓN LED AN EXPEDITION TO THE COAST OF WHAT IS NOW FLORIDA IN THINKING IT WAS THE ISLAND HE SOUGHT, HE SAILED BACK TO COLONIZE THE REGION IN 1521, BUT WAS FATALLY WOUNDED IN AN INDIAN ATTACK SOON AFTER HIS ARRIVAL.

EXPLORATIONS ( ) HE DISCOVERED FLORDIA HE LED THE FIRST AND SECOND TRIP TO FLORDIA HE WAS ON THE SECOND VOYAGE TRIP WITH COLUMBUS HE ALSO VOYAGED TO PUERTO RICO AND SOME ISLANDS

THE MYTH OF PONCE DE LEÓN AND THE FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH ON APRIL 2, 1513, SPANISH EXPLORER JUAN PONCE DE LEÓN AND HIS CREW BECAME THE FIRST RECORDED EUROPEANS TO SET EYES ON FLORIDA. LEGEND HOLDS THAT THEY MADE THIS DISCOVERY WHILE SEARCHING FOR THE FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH, A MAGICAL WATER SOURCE SUPPOSEDLY CAPABLE OF REVERSING THE AGING PROCESS AND CURING SICKNESS. ANTONIO DE HERRERA TORDESILLAS, WHO WAS APPOINTED CHIEF HISTORIAN OF THE INDIES IN 1596, DECADES AFTER PONCE DE LEON'S JOURNEYS. HERRERA'S INFORMATION WAS LIKELY THIRD-HAND AT BEST. HE MENTIONS THE FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH IN REFERENCE TO PONCE'S FIRST VOYAGE TO FLORIDA IN 1513.

FUN FACTS!!!!! ACCORDING TO ONE STORY, PONCE DE LEON CAME UP WITH THE NAME FLORIDA BECAUSE OF ALL THE FLOWERS THAT GREW THERE. THE SPANISH WORD FLORIDA MEANS FLOWERY. IN 1492 HE FOUGHT WITH SPANISH TROOPS THAT DROVE THE MOORS FROM GRANADA THE LAST MUSLIM STRONGHOLD IN SPAIN.

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