De Soto Expedition

In this episode, we focus on the Hernando de Soto expedition of 1539–1543, a sweeping Spanish journey through the American Southeast driven by the search for gold and conquest. De Soto led hundreds of men across regions inhabited by powerful Mississippian societies, creating some of the first major European encounters with Indigenous communities in what is now the southeastern United States. The episode examines archaeological evidence from sites such as Berry and Parkin, the violence and disruption caused by battles like Mabila, and the devastating effects of disease, warfare, and colonization on Native populations. It also follows the expedition’s collapse after de Soto’s death, when Luis de Moscoso Alvarado led the remaining survivors by water toward Mexico.