He asked for and was granted royal permission to explore for lands to the northwest. The trip to Florida was abandoned. Ponce de León returned once again to Spain to meet with the regent, Cardinal Cisneros, who assured him his rights to Florida were intact. Later in 1506, Ponce de León led his own expedition. He had captured Puerto Rico in 1508 and become governor there (1509-12). pr. …a commission of inquiry under Luis Ponce de León, and, when he died almost immediately, Cortés was accused of poisoning him and was forced to retire to his estate.…. Corrections? At best, he was keeping an eye out for the fountain and any number of other legendary things as he went about the business of exploration and colonization. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Juan-Ponce-de-Leon, The Civil War - Biography of Juan Ponce De Leon, Heritage History - Biography of Ponce de Leon, Juan Ponce de León - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11), Juan Ponce de León - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up), Miami, Florida: Juan Ponce de León statue, Survey Florida's history, culture, and people from Juan Ponce de León to Ray Charles. School. Juan Ponce de Leon because he accompanied Christopher Columbus on his 1493 voyage Ponce de León was a member of this expedition, one of 200 "gentleman volunteers." On this occasion he was wounded by an arrow during an Indian attack, and he died after being returned to Cuba. https://www.thoughtco.com/biography-of-juan-ponce-de-leon-2136435 (accessed April 3, 2021). 1474: Juan Ponce de León was born and baptized in 1474 in the village of Santervás de Campos, in Spain. In 1493 he accompanied Columbus on his second voyage to America. De ascendencia noble, fue paje en la corte de Fernando el Católico y combatió en la conquista de Granada. Not really. Are Puerto Ricans Immigrants in the U.S.? Juan Ponce de León, c.1460-1521, Spanish explorer, was the first Westerner to reach Florida. He is an actor, known for Franco Buenaventura, el profe (2002), Autumn Sun (1996) and Amor latino (2000). He went to Hispaniola to find supplies and financing and sailed on Feb. 20. Florida's written history begins with the arrival of Europeans; the Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León in 1513 made the first textual records. By 1504 he was well-known as a skilled soldier and had seen much action fighting the natives of Hispaniola. Still, most other Spanish landowners and enslavers were much worse. They sailed northwest and on April 2 discovered what they took for a large island. In 1508–09 he explored and settled Puerto Rico, founding the colony’s oldest settlement, Caparra, near what is now San Juan. On March 3, 1513, Ponce de León set out from San Juan Bautista with three ships and about 65 men. Ponce de León went to Cuba in the hopes that he would recover there, but it was not to be. This is a particularly ugly statue and there is no credible evidence that Ponce d’Leon landed in Melbourne Beach. Although evidence is uncertain, it is believed that Ponce de León first landed near present-day Cockburn Town on Grand Turk in the West Indies but soon settled in Hispaniola. Ponce de Leon was again enticed by the idea that the Calusa chief had gold to trade with him if he would wait a day by some Indians he met well out taking soundings of a harbor. They had settled on an island named Hispaniola, which is present day Dominican Republic, where Ponce de Leon had … or. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. Narración por Frank Arredondo. The Caribbean World of Ponce de León and His Discovery of FloridaDr. Juan Ponce De Leon was a Spanish explorer and the first Governor of Puerto Rico. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. Captained the the first recorded landing of Europeans in Florida , on 2 April 2 1513. He was a product of his time. Juan Ponce de León (1460 or 1474–1521) was a Spanish conquistador and explorer who was most active in the Caribbean in the early part of the 16th century. According to legend, he came to the New World in search of the mythical fountain of youth, but his principal motivation was probably the pursuit of gold and riches. best unanswered all. ThoughtCo, Dec. 1, 2020, thoughtco.com/biography-of-juan-ponce-de-leon-2136435. Juan Ponce de León (1460 or 1474–1521) was a Spanish conquistador and explorer who was most active in the Caribbean in the early part of the 16th century. Juan Ponce de León (Spanyolország, San Servos, León, 1460 – Kuba, 1521 júliusa) spanyol konkvisztádor (spanyol felfedező). ?n [key], c.1460?1521, Spanish explorer, first Westerner to reach Florida. Restaurants near Juan Ponce de Leon Statue, San Juan on Tripadvisor: Find traveler reviews and candid photos of dining near Juan Ponce de Leon Statue in San Juan, Caribbean. Minster, Christopher. (2020, December 1). He was given some prime land and soon became a wealthy planter and rancher. Ponce de León's governorship was later validated by King Ferdinand of Spain, but in 1511, a Spanish court ruled in favor of Columbus. Community See All. He was known, however, for brutal attacks on Indigenous populations. Español: Juan Ponce de León (Santervás de Campos, Valladolid, 8 de abril de 1460 – Cuba, julio de 1521) fue el conquistador castellano de Puerto Rico y descubridor de Florida . ThoughtCo. Tse JUAN PONCE De LEÓN. Ponce de Len, Juan p?ns d? Learn more about Florida and its geography, people, economy, and history. He then returned to Hispaniola and was named governor of Puerto Rico but was soon displaced from the governorship through the political maneuvering of rivals. Columbus himself claimed to have found the Garden of Eden, and countless men died in the jungles searching for El Dorado, "the gilded one," a mythical place of gold and precious jewels. Juan Ponce de León, Actor: Franco Buenaventura, el profe. He named the region Florida because it was discovered at Easter time (Spanish: Pascua Florida). Premier gouverneur de Porto Rico, il est souvent considéré comme le premier Européen à avoir exploré la Péninsule de Floride. Ponce de León was shot in the thigh by an arrow and was seriously wounded. Another dubious legend states that Ponce de León was searching for the Fountain of Youth on the island of Bimini, based on information from natives. Looking for gold and a rumored "Fountain of Youth, he landed on the southeast coast of North America near present-day St. Augustine, Florida. Juan Ponce de Leon was born in the Spanish kingdom of Castile around the year 1474. The settlers decided to abandon the settlement and sail back to Cuba. Many of Ponce de León's soldiers were killed, and he was seriously wounded in his thigh by an arrow that was possibly poisoned. They took the second voyage to America He and his family settled on an island in the Caribbean named Hispaniola (Dominican Republic). In 1502 he was in the West Indies as a captain serving under Nicolás de Ovando, governor of Hispaniola. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... A statue of Juan Ponce de León, gifted by Spain, in Miami, Florida. Ponce de León was born in the Spanish village of Santervás de Campos in the current-day province of Valladolid. Juan Ponce de León, (born 1460?, Santervás de Campos, Valladolid, León [Spain]—died 1521, Havana, Cuba), Spanish explorer who founded the first European settlement on Puerto Rico and who is credited with being the first European to reach Florida (1513). At the time he did not realize that he was on the mainland of North America and instead supposed he had landed on an island. Juan Ponce de León was born in the village of Santervás de Campos in the northern part of what is now the Spanish province of Valladolid. 543 people like this. From 1502 to … Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. But over his decades-long career, Juan Ponce de León was the governor of Puerto Rico, a colonizer, and battled the Native peoples of … Omissions? Tradition holds that he had learned from Indians of an island called Bimini (in the Bahamas) on which there was a miraculous spring or fountain that could rejuvenate those who drank from it (the Fountain of Youth). 1490: fought as a soldier in the Spanish army in southern Spain, after serving as page to Don Pedro Nunuz de Guzman, a Spanish knight. "Biography of Juan Ponce de León, Conquistador." best unanswered all. 5 out of 5 stars. ?n, Span. He decided to go to Spain. Descendiente de una familia noble; el apellido de León fue a través del matrimonio de uno de los Ponces y Doña Aldonza de León, una hija de Alfonso IX. The Spanish crown encouraged Ponce de León to continue searching for new lands. They also discovered the Gulf Stream. Ponce de Leon sailed with Christopher Columbus on his second expedition to the Americas in 1493. He will forever be associated with the Fountain of Youth, although he was far too practical to waste much time on such an endeavor. His date of arrival in the New World isn't certain: Many historical sources place him on Columbus' second voyage (1493), while others claim that he first arrived with Spaniard Nicolás de Ovando's fleet in 1502. He served against the Moors of Granada, and in 1493 he accompanied Columbus on his second voyage to America. Ponce de León might have been looking for the Fountain of Youth, but it would certainly have been secondary to his search for gold or a good place to establish his next settlement. The exact location is unknown. Nació en Santervás de Campos (Valladolid). The Second Voyage of Christopher Columbus, Biography of Christopher Columbus, Italian Explorer, Biography of Bartolomé de Las Casas, Spanish Colonist, The Capital of Puerto Rico Celebrates Its Long and Vibrant History. He led a privately outfitted expedition from Puerto Rico in March 1513 and in April of that year landed on the coast of Florida at a site between modern Saint Augustine and Melbourne Beach. He died of his wounds in Havana sometime in July 1521. Museo Juan Ponce de León. Diego Columbus used this as an excuse to enslave any Indigenous peoples, a policy that Ponce de León didn't support. Argumento original de Pedro Juan Soto. The Controversy Over Columbus Day Celebrations, A Timeline of North American Exploration: 1492–1585, 10 Notable Spanish Conquistadors Throughout History, Biography of Arturo Alfonso Schomburg, African History Expert, searched for the legendary Fountain of Youth. The 1,351 sq. Ponce de León had many friends, and Columbus couldn't get rid of him completely, but it was apparent that Columbus was going to win the legal battle for San Juan Bautista. 1512 : given a royal contract which outlined his rights and authorities to search for the 'Islands of … In 1521 Ponce de León sailed again for Florida, with two ships and 200 men, and landed near Charlotte Harbor. 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