Followers of Hernando de Soto during his exploration?

• A. Conquistadors
• B. Settlers
• C. Explorers
• D. Missionaries

Answer: (A)

Followers on Hernando de Soto’s expedition were conquistadors. In the 1530s and 1540s, de Soto led a group of Spanish soldiers and adventurers who joined with the aim of claiming new lands and wealth for Spain, not just settling or teaching religion. The term conquistadors describes those fighting explorers who undertook campaigns to conquer and extract resources, which is exactly what de Soto’s journey embodied as they traveled through Florida and the southeastern lands.

Settlers would be people who plan to live in and establish new communities, which wasn’t the primary purpose of this voyage. Explorers is a broad label for anyone who travels to discover new lands, but the specific group accompanying de Soto were the military-backed adventurers—the conquistadors. Missionaries would focus on religious work and conversion, which also doesn’t capture the main role of the expedition’s followers.