Hernando De soto Spanish explorations

SS8H1 The student will evaluate the development of Native American cultures and the impact of European exploration and settlement on the Native American cultures in Georgia. b. Evaluate the impact of European contact on Native American cultures; include Spanish missions along the barrier island, and the exploration of Hernando de Soto.

Hernando de soto

Hernando de soto cont. 1539, Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto left for Havana, Cuba with a huge group of men and animals and landed in Florida 1540, he and his men entered southwestern Georgia, close to present day Albany Their main purpose for moving across the state was their desire to find gold

Havana, cuba

When de Soto arrived in Georgia, the native tribes saw white men and horses for the first time.

De soto’s soldiers Soldiers fighting with weapons vs bow and arrows Soldiers in full body armor

Exploration outcome De Soto’s expedition into North America was a failure He found no gold or treasure Most of his army was lost to starvation and disease De Soto died along the Mississippi River De Soto’s march through Georgia changed the lives and culture of the American Indians forever

Search for Gold During their search for gold, de Soto’s soldiers killed thousands of American Indians. Many also died from diseases brought to the New World by the Spanish and other explorers. It is believed that half of the Native American population died from measles, smallpox, influenza, and whooping cough.

Spanish missions 1565, Spain sent Captain General Pedro Menedez to found a colony in St. Augustine, Florida. Colony: a group of people who settle in a new land but who keep their ties to their homeland.

Spanish mission cont. 1566: Spanish founded a mission-Santa Catalina-on St. Catherines Island. They named the regions Guale (pronounded “Wallie”) for Indians living in the area. They later established missions on St. Simons Island and at Sapelo at the mouth of the Altamaha River.

Spanish missions cont. Main purpose of missions was to convert the Indians to the Catholic faith Place where trade took place between the Indians and the Spanish as missionaries tried to force the Indians to conform to their ideas of faith and village life There were uprisings, some Indians moved away; others died because of diseases brought by the Europeans Tensions increased as further when the British settled in present- day Charleston, South Carolina around 1670. The British encouraged argruments between the missionaries and the Indians The British encouraged pirates to raid Spanish mission Spanish eventually withdrew 1685: all of the missions were abandoned

European Exploration De Soto was followed by many other European explorers from Spain, France and England; they all established settlements in Georgia and competed with one another and Native American tribes for control of the land. For most of the 1500s, Spain was very important in the race for control as a result of the gold they took from the New World. They were rich and powerful.

Closing Activity Using blank map of Georgia county map, trace de Soto’s trail based on Map 20, page 108 of textbook. -write in counties along trail -identify today’s towns or cities including: Sulphur Springs Milledgeville Hiawassee Macon Rome Byron Cartersville Montezuma Waynesboro Americus Sandersville Blakely