Exploration

**Explorations:**
Bahamas) in 1512
 * In 1494, Christopher Columbus returns to Spain, but Juan Ponce de Leon stays in the Dominican Republic
 * As a reward for his earlier efforts, King Charles V gave Juan Ponce de Leon a grant to explore the island of Bimini (in the
 * After traveling through the Bahamas, he spotted the Florida coastline
 * His friend, Pedro Nunez de Guzman, gave Juan Ponce another grant, which allowed him to go to Florida
 * In 1513, Juan Ponce de Leon claimed the land in the name of Spain
 * He decides to name it "Pascua de Florida" (Feast of Flowers) because they first saw it on Palm Sunday

**Secret Obsession:**

 * During his adventures, Indians told Ponce de Leon stories about a body of water that had the power to restore ones youth
 * Legend said, the water was in the Garden of Eden located somewhere in the New World
 * Throughout his travels, Juan Ponce de Leon desired to be the one to find the Fountain of Youth
 * This was actually the reason Ponce de Leon wanted to go to Florida in the first place



Finance and equiptment:

 * Juan Ponce De Leon was able to finance the trip by the support of the Royal family of spain, doing so by gaining their support.
 * With the support he was able to travel but most of the finances were to be done by Juan Ponce De Leon himself.
 * The equiptment that he brought was of normal standards. He brought materials such as food and water as well as the basic weapons spain had at the time(long swords).
 * Juan Ponce De Leon had also brought goods that these tribes had never seen in order for exchange of their gold and many goods.
 * The equiptment and financial aspects of his exploration made the exploration a success.
 * without the nessacary equiptment that they had brought along they would not have been able to get far or reason with the natives as easily.
 * The importance of the exploration:**
 * The exploration was of great imortance since it would help give spain more territory as well as more resources to bring back to the home land.
 * The exploration would also bring back wealth and riches to the home land as well as a new understanding of land that has been unfound for generations.
 * The exploration was also of great importance to Juan Ponce De Leon since his belief in the "Legendary fountain of youth".

**His Death:**

 * While building on the new land, they were attacked by Native Americans
 * Ponce de Leon was wounded in battle by a poisoned arrow
 * He died a few days later after returning to Cuba in Havana

**Summary:**
Juan Ponce de Leon was the first Spanish explorer to set foot in Florida, and he claimed it in the name of Spain. He was originally searching for the Fountain of Youth, but found a different type of immortality instead.