The primary goal of Hernando de Soto as he explored the American southeast was to find gold.
The primary goal of Hernando de Soto as he explored the American southeast was to find gold. To determine this, we can refer to historical records, such as journals and accounts of de Soto's expeditions. These sources detail his quest for precious metals and his interactions with indigenous peoples in his search for wealth. Some of these records describe encounters with Native Americans who possessed gold and the disappointment of de Soto and his crew when they were unable to find significant amounts of it. Thus, finding gold was a major motivation behind de Soto's exploration in the American southeast.
