Transcript Juan Ponce de Leon - AES Fourth Grade News

Juan Ponce de Leon
(1460-1521)
Let’s tell the story about Juan Ponce
de Leon before he became famous
for his discovery.
He was born in Santervas, Spain, in 1460.
• Ponce de Leon sailed on Christopher Columbus'
second expedition to the Americas in 1493. Ponce de
Leon did not return to Spain with Columbus; he
stayed in Santo Domingo (now called the Dominican
Republic).
He was appointed governor of the
Dominican province of Higuey. He later
heard of gold in the neighboring island
of Borinquen (now called Puerto Rico)
and brutally conquered the island,
claiming it for Spain. He was then
appointed governor of this island. Due
to his extreme brutality to Native
Americans, he was removed from office
in 1511.
Since he was kicked out of office, then Leon set out on
another voyage. This time he landed in Cuba. While in
Cuba the natives told him of gold and a magical fountain on
an island called Bimini that was just north of Cuba. Juan
Ponce de Leon left Cuba to find the fountain that he was
told could cure people of all illnesses and keep a person
young. Spain said he could claim it as a reward for his
service and paid for his voyage!
Goal
• To find GOLD and the legendary fountain of
youth.
Exploration
• Instead of finding Bimini, he landed on the east
coast of Florida in St. Augustine and claimed the
land for Spain.
• The Spanish word for flowers is Flora. When he
landed in Florida, he named it Florida for all the
beautiful flowers he saw.
• Ponce de Leon explored the area that later
became St. Augustine, the first Spanish
settlement in the New World. It is also the
oldest city in America.
• Juan Ponce de Leon was a Spanish explorer.
• Was searching for the Fountain of youth
• He established the oldest European
settlement in Puerto Rico and discovered the
Gulf Stream (a current in the Atlantic Ocean).
• He thought he had landed on an island. He
named it Florida because he saw lots of
flowers (florida in Spanish means flowery).
Ponce de Leon did not find the fountain of youth or any
gold and left disappointed. After returning home, he set
out on another expedition to find Bimini. When he
landed in Florida again his crew was met by Native
Americans who shot arrows and wounded Ponce de
Leon and his men. Ponce de Leon left and died from his
injuries in Cuba.
Character Traits???
• What do you think?