Important to history, Ponce de Leon traveled seeking the fountain of youth and gold. What he found was Florida.
Juan Ponce de Leon was born in San Tervas de Campos, Spain in 1474. He was the grandson of a famous war hero, and was trained to be a soldier and public servant. After distinguishing himself in the wars with the Moors, Ponce de Leon set out with Christopher Columbus, in 1493, on his second voyage to the new world.
After arriving in Haiti and Dominican Republic, then known as Hispaniola, he retired as governor for a time with his family. However, Diego Columbus, the son of Christopher Columbus, challenged the courts of Spain citing that since his father had been given lifetime governorship of this territory, then the office of governor should have passed to him upon his father's death. Diego won his claim. Because Ponce de Leon did not wish to serve under Diego he gained permission to colonize a nearby island named Borinquin. With few men and a greyhound dog that the Indians were afraid of, Ponce de Leon easily conquered Borinquin, which would later become known as Puerto Rico. He was awarded the governorship of that island and served for a period of two years.
During this time Ponce de Leon began to hear fantastic stories from the natives about a paradise land in the area known as Bimini. The land was said to have trees that bore huge, golden delicious fruit, and a river whose waters when bathed in or drank from would restore youth. It was said beautiful and friendly natives inhabited this place. Flowers were abundant. And, perhaps best of all, the earth there was rich with gold.
Historians argue whether Ponce de Leon was most interested in finding the miraculous waters referred to as the "˜fountain of youth', or more gold to add to his wealth. Regardless of his reasons, in early spring 1512, Ponce de Leon sailed from Puerto Rico with ships rigged at his own expense, to find the land spoken of by the Puerto Rican Indians.
He first explored the Bahamas. Traveling from island to island he and his men would taste the waters and search for the trees bearing the huge fruits and earth rich with gold. Not finding the paradise he was looking for, he extended his search in a northwesterly direction. After only a few days of sailing they once again came upon land. The beautiful shore had great trees upon which were magnificent flowers that permeated the air with their fragrance. Joy and hope filled Ponce de Leon when he and his crew landed on the shores of what would become known as Florida.
Ponce de Leon was 38 years old when he discovered Florida. During his lifetime he was considered a giant among men, literally. He stood 4'11" in height, whereas the average Spaniard was only 4'8" - 4'10". The life expectancy of a Spaniard in those days was also quite short. If you were to live 50 years you were quite lucky. So, at the age of 38, Ponce de Leon was well into mid-life.
Soon after landing at what would eventually be named St. Augustine, Ponce de Leon met the native Indians of the area. They stood 6-7 feet tall, and were living well into their eighty's! This was proof, Ponce de Leon believed, that they had reached the land where he would find the waters preserved youth. He claimed the land in the name of the sovereign of Castile, and continued his exploration of what he assumed was a large island. He named it Pascua Florida meaning feast of flowers. He had as yet found neither gold nor the fountain of youth.
He continued sailing south down the coast of Florida eventually coming to a small group of islands he named the Tortugas because of the many large turtles living there. On one of the islands he found one very old woman living there. He took her with him hoping she could lead him to source of the fountain of youth and the gold that was supposed to be in abundance there. The old woman led them to the island of Bimini. A beautiful island indeed, but with no fountain of youth, or gold. So, Ponce de Leon entrusted one of most trusted captains to continue the search and he returned first to Puerto Rico and a few months later to Spain.
In Spain he told of the beautiful land, Florida, he had discovered. He was granted governorship of this new territory with the condition that he colonize it. Ponce de Leon agreed and once again set sail for Puerto Rico where he outfitted ships and gathered colonists for his return to Florida. Eight years after his first trip to Florida, at the age of 47, Ponce de Leon was ready to return. Using almost all of his wealth he and a band of 500 others including priests, farmers, and artisans along with many domestic animals, set out to establish a permanent colony in south Florida.
This time they traveled up the west coast of Florida choosing to land in the vicinity of what is now know as Charlotte Harbor and Estero Bay. He was aware that the Calusa Indians of this area were unfriendly and fierce warriors. However, they were in need of fresh water, so, they came ashore intending to establish their colony here despite the fierce Indians.
After they had come ashore the Calusa Indians ambushed them and a daylong battle took place. Ponce de Leon was badly wounded by a poisoned spear and the Spaniards retreated, boarding their ships and leaving Florida. One of the ships was blown to Mexico while the other, the one on which Ponce de Leon traveled, ended up in Cuba. It was there that Ponce de Leon died of his wounds. Never finding the fountain of youth, yet he still is immortalized by his discovery of Florida.
The following inscription, in Latin, was written upon his tomb:
IN THIS SEPULCHRE REST THE BONES OF A MAN WHO WAS LION BY NAME AND STILL MORE BY NATURE.
