Who was the first European to document the Native Americans in the Georgia region?

The first European to document the Native Americans in the Georgia region was Hernando De Soto. He was a Spanish explorer who led an expedition through the southeastern part of what is now the United States between 1539 and 1542. During this journey, he encountered various Native American tribes, such as the Muscogee and the Creek, and his accounts provide some of the earliest European documentation of these groups and their cultures.

De Soto's exploration was significant not only for its documentation of Native American life but also for its implications in terms of European imperial ambitions in North America. His detailed descriptions included information on the social structures, living conditions, and interactions with the indigenous peoples he met, making his accounts crucial for historians studying this period.

The other options, while influential figures in the exploration of the Americas, either did not document Native Americans in the Georgia region specifically or did so at a later date or in different contexts.