Essay - History the Dreams and the Legacy of Ponce De Leon...

History

The Dreams and the Legacy of Ponce de Leon

Juan Ponce de Leon lived during a pivotal time in human history. European explorers ***** adventurers were discover*****g a new world in the Americas. In the wake of Columbus' voyages, Spanish conquistadores set out ***** search ***** treasures in gold, silver, and o*****r precious commodities. The cultures of the Old World clashed with those of the *****. ***** changes wrought resulted in the deaths of untold millions of Native Americans, the destruction ***** their civilizations, and the implanting of European ideas and concepts in the l*****s claimed by Spanish and other colonists. Christianity largely replaced Native religions, ***** Spanish - and later other ***** tongues - became the primary language through***** much of North and South America. ***** de Leon was born in Spain in 1460 and fought with the Catholic Monarchs, Ferdinand and Isabella, ***** the campaign to conquer Granada - last Moorish stronghold on the Iberian Peninsula.

Catholic militancy and the drive to preserve ***** spread Spain's triumphant culture would be dominant themes of Spanish culture and politics for centuries to come. They ***** profoundly influence P*****ce de *****, and many others like him. Ponce ***** Leon would make his name in the New World. He would accompany Columbus on Second Voyage, be***** the first Governor of Puerto Rico, found its first European town, and ultimately be credited with be*****g ***** first European to set foot in what is now Florida. The Conquistador would enslave the Taino Indians of ***** Rico and force them to labor in the mines for the enrichment of himself ***** ***** associates. Legend would say that he sought the Fountain of Youth in ***** unknown wilderness ***** Florida. It was there, ***** battle with the Calusas that he received his fatal injury from a poisoned arrow. His career typified ***** of the early European experience in the Americas. Juan Ponce de Leon left an in*****lible mark on future history and helped shape the world we know today.

Columbus believed to his dying day that he had indeed discovered ***** outer reaches ***** the Far East.

While most ***** quickly realized that Columbus' Indies *****re in fact previously ***** lands, *****y nevertheless ***** that these new***** territories c*****tained potentially vast riches *****, silver, gems, spices, and other ***** goods. They were also home to many different peoples; peoples whom the first Spanish explorers believed could provide the ***** necessary to exploit the wealth of these ***** *****. Further, these ***** were, in Spanish eyes, savage idolaters without the light of Christianity. For hundreds of years prior ***** Columbus' first voyage, Spanish ********** had been def*****ed ***** the Reconquista - the fight to ***** the Muslim Moors from Spain and reunify ***** country under a Catholic king. This reunification was accomplished in the very year ***** Columbus set sail on his first voyage ***** discovery. In that same year too, King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella issued ***** decree expelling *****'s large Jewish population from the