Juan Ponce De Leon

By Andrew Slade

Ponce De Leons day of birth is uncertain but is

assumed to be in Spain during the year 1474. He was

also sent away to become a squire by the age of

nine.

Ponce De Leon became an experienced fighter and

sailer from fighting in the war against the Moors.

In September 1493 Colombus returned to Spain and

declared he had found new land and got Permission

to start a settlement there .

He soon sailed there with a fleet of around 20 ships

carrying over 1200 men and women and everything

he Needed to start a setlement. Ponce De Leon was

one of these men.

The fleet arrived the next November and claimed the

land for Spain it's now known as Puerto Ricco.

Ponce De Leon was awarded the role of governor for

his heroic actions defending Putrto Ricco from a

native attack .

While there he heard stories of a magical water

source that the people called the fountain of youth.

They said that drinking it's water kept you young

forever. Ponce De Leon decided he must find this

water source.

For the next few years Ponce De Leon tried to find

out were it is. Untill he finaly thought he knew. He

asked Spain for permission To find the fountain of

youth and was allowed but he had to buy everything

for it himself.

The young explorer did so redely and they were off

in march 1513 they sailed for Bimi .

They sailed for days but didnt see the island. On

march 27th they came within sight of the Florida

coast. On april 2nd he landed on what he called st.

augustin. This was the first Spanish setlement On

the mainland of north america

But sadly by the time he got there he was in need of

more supplies and returned to perto ricco. He soon

sailed back to Florida to start a settlement.

During one of his hunting trips accomponied by some

of his men he was attacked by some natives and

was wounded in the thigh by an arrow. he never

recovered and died of it sadly never finding the

fountain of youth.

To this day nobody has found the legendary fountain

of youth. It remains just a story for now but we

never know what could happen.

Resourses

http://www.enchantedlearning.com/explorers/pag

e/d/deleon.shtml

http://www.socialstudiesforkids.com/articles/worl

dhistory/juanponcedeleon1.htm

Resources

The Expedition of Juan Ponce de Leon (1513). (n.d.).

Retrieved aprill 15, 2011, from

dicoveryeducation.com:

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