Trade shortcut explorations begin Christopher Columbus In 1492 Columbus ___________________ sailed the ocean blue… Trade shortcut explorations begin Spain sends Christopher Columbus to find a short cut to India…he finds the Americas instead. “Glory” “Gold”

Christopher Columbus Christopher Columbus was an Italian explorer who sailed across the Atlantic Ocean in 1492, hoping to find a route to India (in order to trade for spices). Though Columbus was Italian he sailed to the Americas under the flag of Spain

Christopher Columbus Christopher Columbus led man expeditions. He explored much of India and several islands off the coast of North America After Columbus’s many accomplishments he return to Spain Columbus died in 1506

Hernan Cortez In February of the year 1519 Hernan Cortez sailed from Cuba and landed his army of about 500 soldiers on the eastern coast of Mexico

Hernan Cortez Once there Cortez conquered the wealthy Aztec city of Tenochtitlan Upon the ruins of Tecnochtitlan Cortez built a new city and named it Mexico Hernan Cortez returned to Spain in 1540 He died there in the year 1547

Alvarez De Pineda Alvarez De Pineda was a Spanish explorer In 1519 Alvarez de Pineda became the first European to map the Texas coast

Alvarez de Pineda As Pineda sailed along the uncharted coastline from Florida to Mexico he observed and mapped the land Alvarez Pineda reported his findings to his superior Francisco Garay, governor of Jamaica and went to Mexico Pineda died in Mexico in 1520

Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca Cabeza de Vaca was a member of a large expedition sent to conquer the area between Florida and Mexico The expedition failed

Cabeza de Vaca Cabeza de Vaca and his followers built a boat and sailed along the coast toward Mexico In November of 1528 the boats were sunk in a terrible Storm and driven a ground near present-day Galveston, they called the island Malhado(the island of misfortune) The survivors were the first Europeans to enter what is now Texas.

Cabeza de Vaca The Karankawas, who lived on the coast were kind and generous their starving visitors they brought them fish and roots for food Cabeza de Vaca and his men survived by adapting the ways of the Karankawas After spending six year with the Karankawa de Vaca and his companions journey west to Mexico

Cabeza de Vaca Cabeza de Vaca explored Galveston, Texas De Vaca died in Africa around the year 1545

Francisco Vasquez de Coronado After hearing rumors that there was a city made entirely of gold Spanish explorer Francisco Vasquez de Coronado was chosen to lead an expedition to find the legendary city of Cibola

Francisco Vasquez de Coronado On July 1540 Coronado found Cibola Instead of Gold and treasures, the expedition found only mud, stone, and angry Zuni warriors

Francisco Vasquez de Coronado Rather than go back to Spain empty handed Coronado continued exploring Eventually explored what is now New Mexico, Arizona, Kansas and Texas

Francisco Vasquez de Coronado Coronado died in Mexico City in 1554

Desoto & Moscoso While Coronado was exploring the Great Plains Hernan De Soto landed in Florida with several hundred Spanish troops From Florida Coronado traveled west into Mississippi Desoto died near the Mississippi River in 1542

Desoto & Moscoso Luis de Moscoso took control of the expedition and continued moving west Moscoso continued west until they reached East Texas Finding no gold Moscoso returned to Mexico Moscoso died in Peru in 1551

Robert de La Salle In 1682 Robert La Salle was the leader of the French expedition into Texas La Salle navigated the Mississippi River and claimed the region surrounding the Mississippi for France. La Salle named this land Mississppi in honor of the French King Louis XIV

Robert La Salle La Salle returned to France, and proposed that another French colony be founded at the mouth of the Mississippi He hoped from there the French could capture the rich silver mines of New Spain

Robert La Salle Unfortunately this new expedition missed the mouth of the Mississippi and continued sailing west along the Gulf of Mexico After sailing up and down the Texas coast La Salle decided to take the expedition ashore

Robert de La Salle La Salle went ashore close to Galveston and built a crude stockade, named Fort St. Louis From there many hardships plagued the expedition including disease, starvation and attacks from the Karankawa Indians La Salle decided to once gain try to find the Mississippi

Robert de La Salle His men refused and chose to murder La Salle rather than keep exploring

What’s the Point Exploring and Trading leads to…colonies! What better way to keep getting the riches from a country than living there?

Gold Glory God What’s the Point The main reason for Spanish exploration in Texas were for the 3 G’s But mostly Gold The Spanish were funding a very costly war with France Gold Glory God

What’s the Point? The French were at war with Spain and wanted to compete with the Spanish for territory The French were much kinder to the Native Americans than the Spanish In many cases they chose to trade and befriend the Native Americans rather than conquer or convert them