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4th Grade ESL Tennessee History Part Two: Explorers and Long Hunters 
This is what de Soto and some of his men might have looked like.
 Who was Hernando de Soto?1) Hernando de Soto was a Spanish explorer who had traveled to South America, and he wanted to find gold in North America. 2) In 1539, he landed near present-day Tampa, Florida, with 600 of his men. His men wore armor and carried weapons such as axes, swords and cross-bows. They also brought cattle and pigs. 3) De Soto and his men traveled for two years.  Look at this map. The dotted line shows de Soto's route through Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and into present-day Chattanooga, Tennessee.
4) Next, he went to Alabama, where he fought with the Cherokee and Chickasaw. He and his men made some Native Americans their slaves and forced them to carry things and help them navigate. 5) De Soto and his men also brought diseases such as smallpox from Europe that killed many Native Americans. 
Here is the spot in Memphis where some believe de Soto discovered the Mississippi River.
6) On May 8, 1541, de Soto became the first explorer to discover the Mississippi River near present-day Memphis, Tennessee.
7) Next he traveled to Arkansas, where he died on May 21, 1542. His surviving men built rafts, floated down the Mississippi River and traveled to Mexico. 8) Juan Pedro, also a Spaniard, passed through Tennessee with 700 men, 25 years after de Soto. 
Enlarge this timeline of de Soto's travels in North America by clicking on it
Our New
Tennessee History Words * Spanish or Spaniard: People who are born in Spain are called Spanish or Spaniards. * present-day: Something as it is today is present-day. * navigate: You navigate when you give directions. * smallpox: Smallpox is a skin disease that can make you very sick and that used to kill many people. * discover: If you see something for the first time, you discover it. * surviving: Anything that continues to live is surviving.   Tell me some interesting facts about Daniel Boone.2) Long hunters and trailblazers had a difficult life. They traveled and lived on their own. They lived off the land and had to be ready to defend themselves against Native Americans. They slept outside whether it was hot or cold. 3) Trailblazers could easily get lost. Daniel Boone was asked if he had ever gotten lost. He replied, "No, but I was bewildered for three days." What did Daniel Boone mean by this?  4) Daniel Boone enjoyed exploring. It was said that if Boone could see the smoke from another chimney from his log cabin, it was time to move away from civilization. What did Daniel Boone mean by this?
5) Daniel Boone was not a good speller. On a tree in Washington County, Tennessee, there is a tree that has Boone's words carved on it. It reads, "D. Boon cilled a Bar on tree in the year 1760." What was Daniel Boone trying to say?  Our New
* long hunter: A long hunter is an explorer and hunter who makes expeditions into the wilderness for as much as six months at a time. (They were gone a LONG time and carried LONG guns!)Tennessee History Words * trailblazer: A trailblazer guides people through newly-discovered land. * lived off: If you live off the land, you will find all your food, clothing and shelter there. * bewildered: A bewildered person is a confused person. * civilization: A nation of people is a civilization. |
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