1539: Artifacts and Archaeology from Conquistador Hernando De Soto's Potano Encampment and the Lost Franciscan Mission

History books sometime forget that the bloody and painful history of America begins here in Florida long before Jamestown and Plymouth were even thoughts. Florida is the location of the first American Thanksgiving, that was celebrated in 1564 with the landing of the French Protestant pilgrims as well as the first Christmas observance by Hernando de Soto and his army during their 1539 winter encampment. During this most early time in American history, the explorers were besieged with tropical diseases, poisonous snakes, alligators, pirates, starvation and even cannibalism. It is hard to find a more exciting story than that even in an adventure novel.