New Spain

Christopher Columbus Christopher Columbus discovered America for Spain in 1492. Columbus thought that he could reach the Indies quicker if he sailed west. The islands that he first reached are still called the West Indies. Columbus on the Santa Maria, 1492

New Spain Spanish soldiers, known as conquistadors, came to the Americas for riches, power, wealth, and glory for Spain.

New Spain Friars came to the Americas to convert Native Americans to the Catholic faith since Spain was a Catholic nation. They created missions.

Hernan Cortes Cortes sailed from Cuba and landed in present day Mexico in February of 1519 with an army of 500. He met the Aztecs who welcomed him because they thought he was their legendary god who had sailed east many years earlier and promised to return. Cortes meeting Montezuma

Tenochtitlan

Hernan Cortes Cortes wanted the marvelous city of Tenochtitlan, so he took Moctezuma hostage. (the Aztec leader) Cortes defeated Moctezuma with the help of Aztecs and renamed the city Mexico, after the Aztec name for themselves. Mexico City became the capital for New Spain.

Pineda Pineda became the first European to explore the Texas coast in 1519. He sailed along the uncharted coastline from Florida to Mexico, mapping his journey along the way.

Cabeza de Vaca He was shipwrecked by a terrible storm near present day Galveston. These survivors were the first Europeans to enter present day Texas.

Cabeza de Vaca The Karankawas helped the visitors. As a result, many of them died due to diseases along with half of the shipwrecked. From then on, Europeans were associated with diseases to the Indians. Houston Indian Village

Cabeza de Vaca Cabeza de Vaca became known as a shaman or healer amongst the Natives. He mixed with the Natives for the next six years and learned much of the way of life and geography of Texas.

Fray Marcos Leads a New Expedition Cabeza de Vaca returned to Mexico and reported he saw buffalo but no gold. He told stories which he had heard about cities of gold. New Spain sent Marcos, a priest, to check out the stories

Fray Marcos Leads a New Expedition He received news of seven cities of gold known as Cibola. This was in present day Arizona and New Mexico. Fray Marcos continued the expedition until he saw Cibola from a distance and returned to Mexico. Cibola was actually a pueblo, but Marcos saw it at sunset and the reflection looked like gold.

Coronado The Viceroy chose Francisco Vasquez de Coronado to lead the new expedition. After 5 months, they found Cibola with only mud, stone and angry Zuni warriors ready to fight.

Coronado Coronado decided to continue exploring. They found a Native American named Turk. He told them of another city of gold in present day Kansas. They went and found sticks and mud, so they killed Turk and returned home. On their way back they explored Texas and reported it as a good place for farms.

Spanish Interests Die With no gold in Texas, the Spanish cleared out. A few trading posts and missions were established, but those too were later abandoned.

New France

French Flag over Texas La Salle landed on the shore of Matagorda Bay and built a stockade. The outpost became known as Fort St. Louis after the French King.

French Flag over Texas La Salle decided to explore leaving about 280 people to stay at the fort. He returned to find that only 40 were still alive. Others had been killed by Karankawas, starved, left by ship, or diseases had got them. La Salle left the outpost with 17 colonists and headed for Quebec. (6 made it)

Result of France in Texas Spanish now had a renewed interest in East Texas. They began to explore again and lay claims. A later effect was that the United States considered Texas a part of France and that it should be included in the Louisiana Purchase of 1803.