Hernando de Soto was the first European explorer in Georgia. Hernando was known for three G's, which were god, glory, and gold. They wanted to spread Christianity, find land and name it after themselves, and find many valuable items. Mr.Soto carried many diseases with him like smallpox. This caused the population to decrease rapidly, and that was known as the end of the Mississippian Indians. Hernando was the first Spanish explorer to sail the Atlantic Ocean. By doing this, he found Florida and the southeastern United States.