Final answer:
Hernando de Soto had advantages over the Native Americans primarily due to the spread of European diseases and superior military technology including steel armor and weapons. These factors facilitated the Spaniards' exertion of dominance despite not achieving their primary goal of finding substantial gold and silver.
Step-by-step explanation:
Advantages of Hernando de Soto:
Hernando de Soto had significant advantages over the Native Americans during his expeditions from 1539 to 1542 in what is today the southeastern United States. The two main factors that contributed to his upper hand were the introduction of European diseases to the native populations and the superior military technology that the Spanish conquistadors possessed.
Throughout their exploration of the region that includes now Florida, Georgia, the Carolinas, and other states, de Soto and his men unwittingly spread diseases such as smallpox, which had devastating effects on the indigenous people who had no immunity against them. This led to significant population declines, weakening the native societies they encountered. Moreover, de Soto's participation in Pizarro’s conquest of the Inca gave him experience in using European military tactics and technology, including steel armor and swords, which proved to be far more effective than the traditional weapons used by Native Americans.
These advantages allowed de Soto and his fellow travelers to exert dominance over the Native Americans they encountered, although their ultimate goal of finding gold and riches similar to those discovered by Cortés in Mexico or Pizarro in Peru were not realized before de Soto’s death in 1542.