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Juan Ponce de León Facts & Worksheets

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Juan Ponce de León was a Spanish explorer who is credited for discovering Florida in the United States. His first voyage was alongside Christopher Columbus but he later made a name for himself as he became governor of Puerto Rico. See the fact file below for more information about Ponce de León:

  • Juan Ponce de León was born in 1474 in Castile, Northern Spain, and is famous for being an explorer and conquistador (a term given to Spanish soldiers).
  • It’s believed that Ponce de León was born into Spanish nobility.
  • Up until 1493, Ponce de León was a soldier for the Spanish military, but when the war against the Emirate of Granada ended, his services were no longer needed.
  • In 1493, Ponce de León joined Christopher Columbus, alongside 1200 other sailors, soldiers and colonists, as a volunteer on his 2nd voyage to the New World.
  • One of the first places in the New World that Ponce de León helped to discover was Puerto Rico.
  • In 1504, Ponce de León was asked to assist the Spanish governor, Ovando, with the trouble he was having with the people of Hispaniola. He succeeded in his role and was given land and the new title of ‘provincial governor’.
  • Ponce de León established a town in the Dominican Republic called Salvaleón de Higüey.
  • Ponce de León married an innkeeper’s daughter in 1508 and had 3 daughters and 1 son.
  • After 1508, Ponce de León received permission from Ovando to explore Puerto Rico and learn more about the gold that could be mined there. His boat anchored at San Juan.
  • Ponce de León was appointed as governor of San Juan Bautista (the Spanish name for Puerto Rico) in 1509 by Ferdinand II of Spain.
  • In 1512, Ferdinand ordered Ponce de León to go and discover new islands to the northwest of Hispaniola, which he called the Islands of Benimy.
  • In 1513, Ponce de León took 3 ships to go and explore the islands. He named one of them ‘La Florida’ because of the rich vegetation that he saw there.
  • Ponce de León discovered Florida around Easter time.
  • According to a legend, Ponce de León only discovered Florida because he was searching for the Fountain of Youth: a water spring that supposedly restored the youth of anyone who bathed in it.
  • In 1521, Ponce de León organised 2 ships to go and colonize Florida. He took with him 200 men, 50 horses, other animals and farming toold.
  • However, on this final trip, Ponce de León was injured by a poisoned arrow fired by the native people. He was taken to Havana, Cuba, where he died from his wound in 1521, aged 47.

Juan Ponce de León Worksheets

This bundle includes 13 ready-to-use Juan Ponce de León worksheets that are perfect for students to learn about Juan Ponce de León was a Spanish explorer who is credited for discovering Florida in the United States.

This download includes the following worksheets:

  • Juan Ponce de León Facts
  • Bon Voyage!
  • The Conquistadores
  • Modified TRUE or FALSE
  • The Biographical Data
  • Name the Flag
  • Word Search
  • Treasure Hunt Time
  • The Legend: The Fountain of Youth
  • Let’s Sing!
  • (your name) :The Explorer

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These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.

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