While many of associate Juan Ponce de León with the search for the Fountain of Youth, his real contributions were as a conquistador and explorer. As a conquistador, Juan Ponce de León was important in the subjugation of Hispaniola and Puerto Rico. He founded the first European settlement on the latter. He then conducted two voyages of exploration – becoming the first European to reach Florida.
Episodes
Juan Ponce de León – Part 1 – Conquistador
In part one of our story, we look at Ponce de León’s life as a conquistador – including his part in the subjugation of Hispaniola, then his exploration, conquest, and settlement of Puerto Rico, and finally his preparations to find the mysterious island of Beniny – aka – Florida.
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Maps
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Explorers Podcast 