Hernando de Soto

High school (ages 12+)
History & Culture

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/hernando-de-soto

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. When was Hernando de Soto born?Circa 1497
2. When did Hernando de Soto die?May 21, 1542 (age approximately 45)
3. Where was Hernando de Soto born?Extremadura, Spain
4. Who was Hernando de Soto?Hernando de Soto was a Spanish explorer born around 1497 who led a large expedition into the southeastern United States. He had earlier helped conquer the Inca Empire in Peru. His fame came from his daring travels across many new lands.
5. What did de Soto's expedition do?The expedition traveled through Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama, North Carolina, South Carolina, Mississippi, and Arkansas. It met many Native American societies and was the first European group to see the Mississippi River. The journey helped Europeans learn about the interior of North America.

Conquistador: Spanish soldiers and adventurers who played a role in the conquest and colonization of the Americas.
Inca Empire: A vast and sophisticated empire in western South America, conquered by the Spanish in the 16th century.
Indigenous Peoples: The original inhabitants of a particular region or country, who have lived there for generations.