Answer:
The correct answers are B) Columbus was the first explorer they sponsored. D) they started the settlement on the island of Hispaniola. E) Ponce de Leon found cities of gold in Puerto Rico.
Step-by-step explanation:
The following statements are true of the Spanish exploration and conquest in America: Columbus was the first explorer they sponsored, they started the settlement on the island of Hispaniola, and Ponce de Leon found cities of gold in Puerto Rico.
Spanish exploration to discover new maritime routes was sponsored by King Ferdinand of Aragon and Queen Isabella de Castile, monarchs of Spain. They sponsored the trip of Christopher Columbus to discover a new route to the Indians but Columbus arrived at a new territory on October 12, 1492. The American continent had been discovered by the Europeans.