The De Soto expedition had completed the first detailed exploration of nine states in the interior of the southeastern part of the United States, and they were the first to cross the Mississippi River north of the Gulf of Mexico. Only 311 members of the De Soto expedition reached Panuco, four years after beginning their exploration of conquest. Their legacy with the Indians they met during their violent and tragic expedition lasted for years. Other Conquests in the New World The Spanish Conquest was not the only conquest with a long legacy. In Australia, Africa, the Arctic, Hawaii, Canada, and the United States there are many examples of conquest, colonization, and conflict that have left a lasting mark – both positive and negative – on the humans, cultures, environment, and animals in these areas. For example, let's jump across another ocean and look at what happened in Australia when it was "discovered."   [more]