Which explorer was the first European to explore the interior of what is now Georgia?

Which explorer was the first European to explore the interior of what is now Georgia?

• A. Christopher Columbus
• B. Juan Pardo
• C. Hernando de Soto
• D. Jacques Cartier

Answer: (C)

Hernando de Soto’s 1539–1540 expedition from Florida into the southeastern interior was the first European push into what is now Georgia. As his party moved through the region, they charted rivers and landscapes and met Native communities, marking the first documented inland exploration of Georgia. Later inland ventures, like those of Juan Pardo, came several decades after De Soto. By contrast, Jacques Cartier explored Canada along the St. Lawrence River, and Christopher Columbus never reached the interior of North America. So, the earliest European to explore Georgia’s interior was de Soto.

Hernando de Soto’s 1539–1540 expedition from Florida into the southeastern interior was the first European push into what is now Georgia. As his party moved through the region, they charted rivers and landscapes and met Native communities, marking the first documented inland exploration of Georgia. Later inland ventures, like those of Juan Pardo, came several decades after De Soto. By contrast, Jacques Cartier explored Canada along the St. Lawrence River, and Christopher Columbus never reached the interior of North America. So, the earliest European to explore Georgia’s interior was de Soto.