Soto marching, illustration by Shaw

What it is

This is a black-and-white engraving of a Spanish column marching through dense forest. A mounted man in armor and a plumed hat leads, carrying a flag and a cross. Chained Native men carry bundles, and a robed friar holds a palm frond. The record gives little information about its date or origin, and the engraving is credited to Shaw in its title.

Why it matters

Hernando de Soto's expedition moved through the southeastern part of what is now the United States in the 1500s, and it relied on forced labor from Native people. This image shows that coercion directly through the chains. Because the picture is an illustration rather than a contemporary record, it reflects how the march was later represented, and it helps students see how the expedition's violence could be shown or hidden.

Look closer

• How does the artist show the difference between the armored leaders and the chained men carrying loads?
• What do the flag, the cross and the friar suggest about the purpose of the expedition?
• What questions would you need answered about this image's date and artist before trusting it as evidence?