- De Soto National Memorial
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De Soto National Memorial
Location: Manatee County, Florida, USA Nearest city: Tampa, Florida Coordinates: 27°31′26″N 82°38′40″W / 27.52389°N 82.64444°WCoordinates: 27°31′26″N 82°38′40″W / 27.52389°N 82.64444°W Area: 26.84 acres (10.86 ha) Built: 1539 Visitation: 240,172 (2005) Governing body: National Park Service NRHP Reference#: 66000078 Significant dates Added to NRHP: October 15, 1966[1] Designated NMEM: March 11, 1948 De Soto National Memorial, 5 miles (8 km) west of Bradenton, Florida, commemorates the 1539 landing of Hernando de Soto and the first extensive organized exploration by Europeans of what is now the southern United States.
Contents
De Soto expedition
Main article: De Soto Expedition to Florida
Hernando de Soto
In May of 1539, Hernando de Soto and an army of over 600 soldiers landed in the Tampa Bay area. They arrived in nine ships laden with supplies: two hundred and twenty horses, a herd of pigs, war dogs, cannon, matchlock muskets, armor, tools, and rations. They were executing the order of King Charles V to sail to La Florida and "conquer, populate, and pacify" the land.
The expedition did not yield the gold and treasure these men sought. Instead, they marched from one village to the next, taking food and enslaving the native peoples to use as guides and porters. Hundreds of lives were lost on this calamitous four year, 4,000 miles (6,400 km) journey. The de Soto expedition would change the face of the American Southeast forever, and cause Spain to reevaluate her role in the New World. Ultimately, it was the first hand accounts of survivors, describing the native cultures and the richness of the land, which became the journey's enduring legacy.
Historic recognition
The national memorial was authorized on March 11, 1948. As with all historic areas administered by the National Park Service, the national memorial was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 15, 1966.
The mission of De Soto National Memorial is to preserve the controversial story of this exploration and interpret its significance in American history. Visitors can attend living history demonstrations, try on a piece of armor, or walk the nature trail through a Florida coastal landscape similar to the one encountered by conquistadors almost five hundred years ago.
Activities
Junior Ranger Activity BookExhibits at the visitor center include historic armor, weapons and period artifacts. A theater displays the movie Hernando de Soto in America, about the DeSoto Expedition and the area's Native American population. A bookstore is also available.
Visitors can attend Camp Uzita, a living history camp that runs from December through April. The camp season ends with a re-enactment of DeSoto's landing on the beaches of Tampa Bay.
Other park activities include the nature trails and guided trail walks, fishing, bird watching, and picnicking.
Admission to the park and Visitor Center is free.
Notes
- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. 2008-04-15. http://nrhp.focus.nps.gov/natreg/docs/All_Data.html.
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
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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