Caption:
Map of the southern United States outlined with the path of march of de Soto and his men. Hernando de Soto (1496/98 - May 21, 1542) was a Spanish explorer and conquistador. He led the first European expedition deep into the territory of the modern-day US, becoming the first European documented to have crossed the Mississippi River. Bormay & Company, 1898 (cropped and cleaned).