EXPLORER OF THE NEW WORLD: Ponce de Leon <body> EXPLORER OF THE NEW WORLD: Ponce de Leon <br> <h3> PONCE DE LEON<br> by RL<br> <p> I’m Ponce de Leon, a Spanish explorer, conquistador, and colonizer of the new world. <p> I sailed with Columbus in 1493. <p> I conquered Puerto Rico and am famous for discovering Florida. <p> After hearing reports that there were gold deposits in Puerto Rico, I requested and received permission from the Spanish authorities to explore and colonize the island. <p> I sailed from Spain and landed on the island of Cuba in 1508 where I built the settlement Caparra. <p> In1510 I was named Puerto Rico’s governor. I had reach the Mainland of the present day of the United States instead of the island I was seeking. I explored the southern and western coasts of the Florida Peninsula before returning to Puerto Rico. <p> In 1514 I was named military governor of Bimini and Florida. Then I spent the next few years in Puerto Rico fighting the Natives. <p> In 1521 I returned to Florida with a party of colonists, but my men were attacked and I was wounded by an arrow. After that the expedition sailed for Cuba, where I died. <p> </h3> <p> </body> </html>