From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia De Soto National Memorial
De Soto National Memorial
De Soto National Memorial Designated NMEM: March 11, 1948
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Memorial,
De Soto National Memorial 5 miles (8 km) west of
U.S. National Memorial Bradenton, Florida, commemorates the 1539 landing of
Hernando de Soto and the first extensive organized ex-
ploration by Europeans of what is now the southern Unit-
ed States.
De Soto expedition
Main article: De Soto Expedition to Florida
Hernando de Soto
Location: Manatee County, Florida, USA
Nearest city: Tampa, Florida In May of 1539, Hernando de Soto and an army of over
Coordinates: 27°31′26″N 82°38′40″W / 27.52389°N 600 soldiers landed in the Tampa Bay area. They arrived
82.64444°W / 27.52389; in nine ships laden with supplies: two hundred and twen-
-82.64444Coordinates: 27°31′26″N ty horses, a herd of pigs, war dogs, cannon, matchlock
82°38′40″W / 27.52389°N 82.64444°W / muskets, armor, tools, and rations. They were executing
27.52389; -82.64444 the order of King Charles V to sail to La Florida and "con-
Area: 26.84 acres (10.86 ha) quer, populate, and pacify" the land.
The expedition did not yield the gold and treasure
Built: 1539
these men sought. Instead, they marched from one vil-
Visitation: 240,172 (2005) lage to the next, taking food and enslaving the native
peoples to use as guides and porters. Hundreds of lives
Governing body: National Park Service
were lost on this calamitous four year, 4,000 miles
NRHP Reference#: 66000078 (6,400 km) journey. The de Soto expedition would change
Significant dates the face of the American Southeast forever, and cause
Spain to reevaluate her role in the New World. Ultimate-
Added to NRHP: October 15, 1966[1] ly, it was the first hand accounts of survivors, describing
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia De Soto National Memorial
the native cultures and the richness of the land, which Exhibits at the visitor center include historic armor,
became the journey’s enduring legacy. weapons and period artifacts. A theater displays the
movie Hernando de Soto in America, about the DeSoto Ex-
Historic recognition pedition and the area’s Native American population. A
bookstore is also available.
The national memorial was authorized on March 11, Visitors can attend Camp Uzita, a living history camp
1948. As with all historic areas administered by the Na- that runs from December through April. The camp sea-
tional Park Service, the national memorial was listed on son ends with a re-enactment of DeSoto’s landing on the
the National Register of Historic Places on October 15, beaches of Tampa Bay.
1966. Other park activities include the nature trails and
The mission of De Soto National Memorial is to pre- guided trail walks, fishing, bird watching, and picnicking.
serve the controversial story of this exploration and in- Admission to the park and Visitor Center is free.
terpret its significance in American history. Visitors can
attend living history demonstrations, try on a piece of ar-
mor, or walk the nature trail through a Florida coastal
Notes
landscape similar to the one encountered by conquista- [1] "National Register Information System". National
dors almost five hundred years ago. Register of Historic Places. National Park Service.
2008-04-15. http://nrhp.focus.nps.gov/natreg/
docs/All_Data.html.
Activities
References
• The National Parks: Index 2001–2003. Washington: U.S.
Department of the Interior.
External links
• Official NPS website: De Soto National Memorial
• Manatee County listings at National Register of
Historic Places
• Hernando de Soto Historical Society
• DeSoto Seafood Fest
• Photo Gallery of De Soto National Memorial
Junior Ranger Activity Book
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=De_Soto_National_Memorial&oldid=436618845"
Categories:
• National Memorials of the United States
• Archaeological sites in Florida
• National Register of Historic Places in Manatee County, Florida
• Spanish colonization of the Americas
• Museums in Manatee County, Florida
• History museums in Florida
• Biographical museums in Florida
• Native American museums in Florida
• Protected areas established in 1948
• United States National Park Service areas in Florida
• Monuments and memorials in Florida
• Parks in Manatee County, Florida
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia De Soto National Memorial
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