Question

What was an effect of Hernando de Soto's expeditions into what is today the Southeastern United States?

Choose 1 answer:
De Soto's expedition convinced the Native American tribes living in the area, including
Seminoles and Cherokees, to band together against future European incursions
De Soto's expedition spread Eurasian diseases into the interior of the country, inadvertently
killing thousands of Native people
De Soto's discovery of the Fountain of Youth led Florida to become a popular place to retire

Answer 1

De Soto's expedition spread Eurasian diseases into the interior of the country, inadvertently killing thousands of Native people.

Really Basic Explanation:

Hernando de Soto, obviously a European, traveled to Florida and explored around. While exploring around the Florida area, he came into contact with Native Americans. The Spanish carried a deadly disease called smallpox. Since the Spanish had already come into contact with smallpox before, they developed immunity. Unfortunately for the Indians, none of them had ever experienced a smallpox outbreak in their region. The new introduction to smallpox devastated the Native American population, and in certain tribes over 90% of the Native Americans died.