Hernando De Soto first arrived in the Americas around 1510, a mere 28 years after Columbus found a continent between Europe and his destination of Asia. He returned to Spain years later quite wealthy but wanted more. He wanted to lead his own exploration for gold in Florida and, in 1539, received the blessing of the Spanish king to do so.

The De Soto National Memorial marks the approximate location he came ashore, south of present-day Tampa. After subduing the local native population, he began his search for gold. The local leaders told him lots of gold was just to the north.

Unfortunately for De Soto, Florida is known for great weather, Disney World, and rocket launches, not gold. Each new village he encountered told him he was close, but the gold was just to the north. He treated the locals poorly, enslaving some to act as porters and servants to his force. Word traveled ahead to other villages and he found he was not welcome at them!

His trek took him into Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, and Arkansas with no success. He had been searching for over three years and his men (those still alive) were tired. When De Soto died of disease, they promptly headed for Spanish settlements in Mexico, ending his trek.

His thirst for riches only brought suffering and death. Half of the men he brought never went home, and the diseases and his brutality decimated the local peoples with most of the native civilizations wiped out in less than 40 years.

The De Soto National Memorial has a small Visitor Center with a very informative video about De Soto and his venture. Outside, a small, replica fort was built with demonstrations of armor, weaponry, and living conditions of the 1500s. There is also a replica native hut and a couple of short trails along the coastline and inland.