Juan Ponce de
Leon
By: Matthew
LoPresti
Country of Origin


Juan Ponce de Leon was
born in San Servas, what
is now Spain. The exact
date of his birth is
unknown.
Pictured to the left, is
Spain’s flag.
Juan Ponce de Leon



Juan Ponce de Leon was a Spanish explorer who
claimed lands for the Spanish king and queen in
the 1500s.
He was the first European to establish a colony
on what is now known as the island of Puerto
Rico.
He was the first Spanish explorer in Florida, but
his attempt to build a colony failed.
Dates of Exploration

1493 - Ponce de Leon joins Christopher Columbus’ second voyage to the New World.

1502 – He becomes the governor of Higuey

1506 - Ponce de Leon discovered a nearby island, Borinquen.

1508 - He was granted permission to colonize Borinquen, which he renamed Puerto
Rico.

March 4, 1513 – He set sail from Puerto Rico with three ships searching for an island
called Bimini.

April 3, 1513 – His ships land on Florida's east coast near present-day St. Augustine.
He claimed the land for Spain and named it La Florida.

October, 1513 - Ponce de Leon and his crew return to Puerto Rico.

1521 – He left for his second voyage to La Florida. In July, natives attacked and he
was wounded. He died from his injury.
Reason for Exploration

Juan Ponce de Leon went searching for the
Fountain of Youth and wanted the glory of
finding this amazing treasure.

Juan Ponce de Leon was also searching for a
better life filled with wealth and power.
His Sponsor

On his first voyage, in 1493, Ponce de Leon was
sponsored by Spain.
The Journey of Ponce de Leon

This is the route Juan Ponce de Leon took on
his first expedition in 1513. He made two
voyages to Florida.
The Ships




Ponce de Leon led three ships during his voyages. They
were called the Santiago, the Santa Maria and the San
Cristobal.
The Santiago was a ship built for sailing in the high waves
of the Atlantic. It was light and fast and could carry about
20 people.
The Santa Maria was his ship that sailed with the Spanish
flag at the front, during his first voyage to Florida. It was
the largest and could carry up to 38 people.
The San Cristobal was the smallest ship, it could only carry
15 people. It was great for sailing close to shore or up
rivers.
Effects of Exploration


Juan Ponce de Leon discovered the Gulf Stream
in 1513. This discovery was very important for
sailors headed across the Atlantic. The quick
route was helpful for sailors to escape pirates
and bring goods back from the New World.
He is also known as the Spanish explorer who
discovered Florida.
Important Facts



The second expedition was not successful. He
wasn’t able to establish a Spanish colony at La
Florida. Many of the colonist who joined him
were killed in the Calusa attack.
Ponce de Leon was wounded during an attack
and later died from his injuries. He was buried
at the San Juan Cathedral in Puerto Rico.
A Spanish colony was not established in Florida
for another 38 years!
Interesting Facts




Ponce de Leon was governor of Borinquen for one year
and was replaced by Christopher Columbus’ son, Diego
Columbus.
When they discovered Florida, they thought it was an
island. Ponce de Leon named the new land, La Florida.
It means “the flowered one” in Spanish.
He never found the Fountain of Youth, because it
never existed.
The city of Ponce, Puerto Rico was founded in 1670,
and was named after him.