1539day.year
In Florida, Hernando de Soto lands at Tampa Bay with 600 soldiers with the goal of finding gold.
In 1539, explorer Hernando de Soto landed at Tampa Bay with an expedition aiming to discover riches and new territories in Florida.
Departing from Havana with over 600 men, de Soto sought gold and glory in the uncharted lands of La Florida.
On May 30, 1539, he made landfall at modern-day Tampa Bay, marking one of the first European incursions into the North American interior.
The expedition encountered native Calusa tribes, forging tense exchanges that foreshadowed conflict.
De Soto’s party pressed northward, chronicling the region’s geography and indigenous cultures.
Although wealth proved elusive, the voyage opened the southeastern continent to Spanish colonization and map-making.
1539
Florida
Hernando de Soto
Tampa Bay
gold