Skip to main content

Secondary sourcePainting1847

Discovery of the Mississippi by De Soto

William Henry Powell · 1847

A large 1847 history painting showing Hernando de Soto on horseback encountering Native Americans at the Mississippi River.

This painting depicts de Soto as the heroic 'discoverer' of the Mississippi, a legend built long after his death.

Ask Hernando de Soto about this sourceView the original(opens in new tab)
Large painting of Spanish explorers in armor on horseback and on foot beside a river, with Native Americans near teepee-like tents, a cannon, weapons, a chest, and a cross being carried in the foreground. A red flag with a black eagle is raised at left.
William Henry Powell, Discovery of the Mississippi by De Soto, 1847. United States Capitol Rotunda.

About this source

What it is

This monumental oil painting by William Henry Powell, completed in 1847, hangs in the Capitol Rotunda in Washington, D.C. It shows Hernando de Soto on a white horse, presented as the first European to see the Mississippi River, approaching Native Americans near their tents while soldiers, weapons and a crucifix appear in the foreground.

Why it matters

Painted over two centuries after de Soto's expedition, this work reflects how nineteenth-century America wanted to remember its history, casting de Soto as a heroic discoverer. Its placement in the Capitol shows how national myths were built around early explorers, often leaving out the violence and suffering of the Native peoples they encountered.

Look closer

  • What does the painting choose to show, and what might it be leaving out?
  • Why do you think de Soto is shown on a white horse, calm and commanding, while a jumble of weapons suggests recent conflict?
  • Why might the United States Congress have wanted this scene in the Capitol building?

This painting is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Hernando de Soto on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

More Hernando de Soto sources

Meet the AI Hernando de Soto →
Title page of the 1605 first edition of La Florida del Inca, printed in Lisbon. Large capital title at top, followed by a long subtitle about Hernando de Soto and the Florida region, dedicated to the Duke of Braganza, with licence and printer lines at the bottom.Book

Secondary source

La Florida del Inca

Inca Garcilaso de la Vega · 1605

Scan of a dark brown, mottled book cover with a white library label at the top reading 'UC-NRLF' above a barcode and the call number '$B 284 962'. No title text is visible on the cover.Book

Primary source

Verdadera relación de la conquista del Perú

Francisco de Jerez · 1534 (this edition 1891)

Front entrance of the Florida Museum of Natural History: a modern brick building with a curved, sloped silver roof, glass double doors, palm trees, a green banner, and a bench in front under a clear blue sky.Artifact

Primary source

Florida Museum of Natural History

A bound manuscript volume lies open in a glass case on a white pedestal, showing two pages with handwritten Spanish text and a pen-and-ink drawing of figures with a Spanish-style scene at left. A numbered tag reading 35 sits beside it. Colorful graphic wall art surrounds the case.Book

Primary source

El primer nueva corónica y buen gobierno

Felipe Guaman Poma de Ayala · c. 1615

Illustration of a golden-brown bell with a loop handle at the top, a rounded body, and a small irregular opening at the lower front. The image has a warm yellow-orange tint and appears to be a drawing or engraving.Artifact

Primary source

Hawk's Bell from a Tennessee Mound

16th century

Ready when you are

Start chatting with Hernando de Soto now.

20 messages free · No credit card · Available in 50+ languages.

Trial Humy for freeGet a quote for institutions