Discoveries Made
Ponce de Leon is most famous for his discovery of St. Augustine, Florida. He also conquered the island of Borinquen, which led to the discovery of much gold. In Puerto Rico, De Leon forced the natives to be slaved and started a successful operation. Ponce de Leon discovered land, gold, and slaves. His journey was originally for the search of the Fountain of youth. During this time period searching for mythical places was frequent. Christopher Columbus reported to have found the Garden of Eden. Many other explorers went off in search for giants and other creatures. It is not unreasonable that de Leon was in search of this fountain. It is reported by some historians that he discovered a fountain, but there is no evidence supporting it was the Fountain of Youth. Lastly, Ponce de Leon is accredited with discovering the Gulf Stream. This is a powerful stream in the Atlantic Ocean that is was by Spanish explorers to help them return to Spain.