Hernando de Soto was a Spanish explorer born in approximately 1500 in Villanueva de la Serena, Badajoz, Spain. He is believed to have been the first European explorer to lead an expedition deep into what is now the United States. It is also believed he m
Hernando de Soto(bornc.1496/97, Jerez de los Caballeros,Badajoz, Spain—died May 21, 1542, along the Mississippi River [in present-dayLouisiana, U.S.]) was a Spanish explorer andconquistadorwho participated in theconquestsofCentral AmericaandPeruand, in the course of exploring what was to ...