"Hernando de Soto and the Indians of Florida"

Paper Summary:

This paper examines how "Hernando de Soto and the Indians of Florida" by Jerald T. Milanich and Charles Hudson which chronicles the expedition of the titular Spanish explorer through which what was to de Soto's eyes a New World and to the Native inhabitants a homeland. It analyzes how the New World that promised to enrich de Soto and his nation of Spain ultimately proved the cause of his demise and how de Soto's expedition, more importantly, caused the demise of the Native way of life of those whom de Soto engaged in combat and in contact with. It looks at how the authors Milanich and Hudson attempt to present a more three-dimensional, non-European counter and compliment to de Soto's work through the use of archaeological evidence.

From the Paper:

"Milanich and Hudson do not take issue with the characterization of de Soto as a man bent on personal enrichment as well conquest, though they do view his reportage of his encounters with interest as well as trepidation. But their new archeological information regarding Native life provides the "other side" that has so long been missing from accounts of de Soto's expedition. Providing this "other side" is particularly important, given that de Soto's relationship with the Native Americans were more often than not, adversarial. Relying solely upon de Soto's accounts as an objective source is not unlike relying solely upon the winning side's words in evaluating a war."

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