Who was the first European explorer to come to MS?
conquistador Hernando de Soto
On May 8, 1541, south of present-day Memphis, Tennessee, Spanish conquistador Hernando de Soto reaches the Mississippi River, one of the first European explorers to ever do so.
Who inhabited the Mississippi River Valley before European colonists?
The Natchez Indians were among the last American Indian groups to inhabit the area now known as southwestern Mississippi. Archaeological evidence indicates that the Natchez Indian culture began as early as A.D. 700 and lasted until the 1730s when the tribe was dispersed in a war with the French.
What country was Hernando de Soto from?
Spanish
Hernando de Soto/Nationality
Like many of the era’s conquistadors, Hernando de Soto was a native of the impoverished Extremadura region of southwestern Spain. He was born in 1496 in Jerez de los Caballeros, Bajadoz province.
What is De Soto best known for?
Hernando de Soto is more known for being a conquistador. He helped conquer many lands in parts of Central and South America, including those of the Inca Empire. But he was also an explorer. De Soto explored and mapped parts of nine states in the southeastern part of the United States.
Who was the first European to visit Mississippi?
The first European to enter what is now Mississippi was the Spanish explorer Hernando De Soto, who crossed from east to west near the northern border in 1540. The French explorer Sieur de La Salle claimed the country for his country in 1682.
Who was involved in the exploration of the Mississippi River?
Canoeing down the Mississippi River from the Illinois country (the upper Mississippi River Valley), Father Jacques Marquette, a Jesuit missionary, and Louis Joliet, a coureur de bois (a trader who lived in Indian country), led a French expedition that was much smaller than de Soto’s.
When did Hernando de Soto cross the Mississippi River?
De Soto reaches the Mississippi. On May 8, 1541, south of present-day Memphis, Tennessee, Spanish conquistador Hernando de Soto reaches the Mississippi River, one of the first European explorers to ever do so. After building flatboats, de Soto and his 400 ragged troops crossed the great river under the cover of night,…
Where did the Spanish cross the Mississippi River?
The Spaniards, now under the command of Luis de Moscoso, traveled west again, crossing into north Texas before returning to the Mississippi.