Question 1

True or false: De Soto was the first European to see the Pacific Ocean from North America.

Accepted Answer

False. That credit goes to Vasco Núñez de Balboa in 1513. De Soto never reached the Pacific; he died in the Southeast.

Question 2

True or false: De Soto served as governor of Cuba before his North American expedition.

Accepted Answer

True. He was appointed governor of Cuba in 1537, using the island as a base to launch his search for gold in Florida.

Question 3

True or false: De Soto was the first European to cross the Mississippi River.

Accepted Answer

True. He and his expedition crossed the Mississippi near present-day Memphis in 1541, predating later explorers by decades.

Question 4

True or false: De Soto discovered the Grand Canyon during his travels.

Accepted Answer

False. De Soto never ventured west of the Mississippi; the Grand Canyon was first seen by Spanish explorers like Coronado around the same time.

Question 5

True or false: De Soto died peacefully in bed in Spain after a long career.

Accepted Answer

False. He died of a fever in 1542 near the Mississippi River, and his body was sunk in the river to hide it from native tribes.

Question 6

True or false: De Soto enslaved and executed indigenous people during his journey.

Accepted Answer

True. His brutal tactics included enslaving natives as guides and porters, and executing chiefs to intimidate tribes, fueling resistance.

Question 7

True or false: De Soto's expedition introduced pigs to the American Southeast.

Accepted Answer

True. He brought over 200 pigs, which escaped or were traded, becoming the ancestors of feral hogs that still roam the region.

Question 8

True or false: De Soto's expedition was funded entirely by the Spanish crown.

Accepted Answer

False. He financed much of the expedition himself, selling his possessions and borrowing heavily, expecting to find gold like Pizarro in Peru.

Hernando de Soto Trivia Questions