Juan Ponce De Leon

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Juan Ponce de Leon
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Jamileth Ramirez
3/15/2012
Dr. Gilliam |

Abstract

Juan Ponce de Leon (Santervás de Campos, Valladolid, it is believed that was born April 8, 1460 - Cuba, July 1521) was the Castilian conqueror of Puerto Rico and discoverer of Florida.
Of noble descent, was a page at the court of Ferdinand and fought in the conquest of the kingdom of Granada. It isdoubtful if their first trip to America with Christopher Columbus did in 1493, or with Ovando in 1502. In any case, collaborated with him in the conquest of Spanish and received from him the task of conquering the nearby island of San Juan Bautista or Borinquen (Puerto Rico) in 1508.

Despite the opposition of Diego Columbus succeeded in being appointed governor in 1510. The island is submittedwithout difficulty, through the conversion of the chief Agüeybaná, Ponce de Leon was able to devote to the founding of cities and gold mining. But after the death of the cacique, Native Americans revolted against Spanish rule and the system of charges to which they had been subjected to forced labor. After a hard fight, Ponce de Leon was imposed on the natives and took bloody reprisals.
He laterdiscovered an area north which he named La Florida, and was discovered on Easter Sunday, called in Spain "Easter" by always playing in the early spring.
He spent the rest of his life searching for the fountain of youth, which according to legend was there.

Arrival in the New World

It is likely that Ponce de León will arrive first to the New World where he currently is Cockburn Townon Grand Turk Island in the Turks and Caicos, but soon moved to the Spanish.
Assisted in the conquest of the Taino people in the eastern Spanish. For such participation was rewarded with the governorship of the newly created province of Higuey. During his stay, he heard the stories of the riches that exist in Borinquen. At that moment, concentrated all their efforts in order to go to that site,by being granted the necessary permission.

The chief Agueybana receiving the conquistador Juan Ponce de León.

In 1508, Ponce de León founded the first settlement in Puerto Rico, Caparra, now San Juan. He was received with open arms by Agüeybaná, Taino cacique, and quickly took control of the island. For this, Ponce de Leon was appointed Governor of Puerto Rico in 1509. Ponce de Leon, alongwith other conquistadors forced the Tainos to work in mines and building fortresses. Killed a large number of Taíno because of exposure to diseases brought by European sailors and the lack of immunity to these diseases. Ponce de Leon, however, made ​​a fortune serving as governor.

Step to Governor of Puerto Rico and subsequent removal
In 1506, after the death in the Convent of San Francisco deValladolid of Christopher Columbus, who had been appointed military governor of his discoveries, the Spanish authorities refused to grant the same privilege to his son Diego. The Crown then had selected Ponce de León to colonize and govern the island of Puerto Rico. Meanwhile, Diego Columbus had filed a complaint in Superior Court in Madrid and won their rights: Ponce de León was removed fromoffice in 1511. Feeling that his good name had been tainted and not wishing to serve Diego, won the title needed to explore the areas north of Cuba.

Maps of Ponce de Leon
The Fountain of Youth

According to legend, Ponce de Leon discovered Florida looking for the fountain of youth. Although they knew the stories of returned vitality waters on both sides of the Atlantic long before his arrival,the story that he wanted these sources was attributed to his death. In its General and Natural History of the Indies, 1535, Gonzalo Fernández de Oviedo wrote that the conqueror sought the waters of Bimini to cure his sexual impotence.
In 1575, Hernando de Escalante Fontaneda, a survivor of a shipwreck who had lived with Native Americans in Florida for seventeen years, had published its report in...