Biography

Ponce De Leon: The First Conquistador (1995x58)

Air date: Oct 12, 1995

He was one of the first and most famous of a breed of men who would carve out an empire in the New World. His name is forever linked to the futile search for the Fountain of Youth. Ponce de Leon is remembered for his misguided quest, but ""the first Conquistador"" deserves better. BIOGRAPHY; travels back in time to stand with the Spanish adventurer on the edge of the New World. Contemporary historians and period accounts bring his remarkable accomplishments to life he sailed with Columbus, discovered Florida and was the first governor of Puerto Rico. He was also extremely successful at laying waste to the existing cultures and planting the seeds of the colonization that followed. Leading experts examine his motivations in the context of the time and culture he lived in, and dramatic re-enactments relive his stirring adventures. Soldier, adventurer and explorer, this is the complete story of the man who chased one of humanity's most illusive dreams and left an indelible mark on the New World."