The End of Hernando de Soto

Play episode

In this episode, we follow the Soto expedition in the American south from the aftermath of the battle of Mabila to the “discovery” of the Mississippi River with more than the usual number of qualifiers, Soto’s anticlimactic death, the first true exploration of northeastern Texas, a journey past the site of New Orleans, the ultimate escape of almost half the expeditionaries and, as promised, a short review of the weird recommendations of the Federal government’s De Soto Expedition Commission. Enjoy!

Selected references for this episode

David Ewing Duncan, Hernando De Soto: A Savage Quest in the Americas

Final Report of the United States: De Soto Expedition Commission

Quigualtam (Wikipedia)

Luis de Moscoso Alvarado (Wikipedia)

Rex W. Strickland, “Moscoso’s Journey through Texas,” The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, October 1942.

Join the discussion

More from this show