Explorers

(Era of European Exploration 1500-1600) Age of Contact (Era of European Exploration 1500-1600) Spanish French Cabeza De Vaca LaSalle Fort St. Louis Pineda mapping Texas Spanish conquistador

Imagine you are an explorer – You are going to a dangerous land you have never seen before. You don’t know what to expect but you take the challenge.

What will be the purpose of the voyage? What are you expecting to find on the voyage? What kind of preparations do you think you have to do to go on a voyage? What kind of dangers would people face when exploring new places?

Did they have a purpose in coming? Do you think that the people who came to explore Texas had to do the same preparation? Same dangers? Did they have a purpose in coming?

The Impact of the Spanish Defeat of the Moors on Overseas Exploration The Moors gain control of Spain 800 years of struggle (Reconquista), begin as Spain fights to retake land Spain drives the Moors out The defeat of the Moors inspires Spain to explore other lands Spain funds Columbus’s overseas voyage His success leads to the voyages of more explorers

Voc Conquistador – conqueror – leaders in the Spanish conquests of the Americas – 1st Europeans to explore Texas

3 G’s GOLD GLORY GOD

 Gold – the Spanish heard that there was gold in Texas by Native Americans. The Spanish wanted to increase their global wealth.  Glory – expeditions were led by conquistadors looking for wealth and fame for themselves.  God – the Catholic Church agreed to help support the expeditions to convert Native Texans to Christianity and increase wealth of the Church.

was the first explorer to map the coast of Texas. 1519 Alvarez de Pineda was the first explorer to map the coast of Texas. 1519

Panfilo de Narvaez Disaster from the start – landed in Florida – men built rafts and floated into the Gulf – 1 raft survived and landed near Galveston – named the island Malhado (misfortune) – 1st group to step foot on Texas soil Many died from disease

Alvar Nunnez Cabeza de Vaca Member of the Narvaez expedition – lived among Native Americans (probably Atakapans or Karankawas Trader – (met up with Estevanico) (Shaman) - Once performed surgery using a stone knife and a deer bone needle – he removed an arrowhead from a man’s chest

1537 – Cabeza de Vaca reports on Texas Known as the first European to explore what is now Texas and the Southwest. After being shipwrecked in 1528 on what is now Galveston Island, he was captured by the Karankawas and enslaved. He traveled as a captive throughout southern and western Texas for seven or eight years; during which time he was recognized as a healer or shaman. Upon his return to Spain, he wrote La Relacion, an account of his time in the Southwest. Written in 1542, it describes the natives and their way of life. He was the first European to see the American buffalo. The name Cabeza de Vaca means “head of a cow”; it was given to an ancestor who won a great battle, the place of which was marked with the skull of a cow.

Marcos de Niza and Estevanico In search of the Seven Cities of Cibola

Fransico Vasquez de Coronado Searched for the Cities of Gold – followed a Native American (Turk) – looking for Quivera – expedition went across the Texas plains – no gold Said land north of Mexico had little to offer

Francisco Vasquez de Coronado – A Spanish explorer, while looking for gold, explored and wrote about the plains of Texas and named the settlement of Amarillo. He failed in his quest for treasure as he searched for the Seven Cities of Cibola in what is now Arizona.

De Soto and Moscoso Searched for wealth – no luck 1st to discover the Mississippi Entered East Texas Discovered black gold – petroleum

Juan de Onate Crossed the Rio Grande near present day El Paso – established a settlement – found no treasure

Spanish government begin to lose interest in northern territories When other nations started to show interest, Spain revived their interest

French The French never found much gold, but they did find a different sort of treasure – furs Trade

Rene Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle Rene-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de LaSalle was given ships, colonists, and soldiers by the French King to start a new colony at the mouth of the Mississippi. He landed at Matagorda Bay instead. He tried to establish a colony, but failed because of attacks by Native Americans and disease. LaSalle left the colony to find a way home and was believed to be shot by his own men. The survivors were found by Spanish soldiers. Spain feared that France would try to claim Texas and renewed their colonization efforts in Texas. 1685 – LaSalle establishes Fort St. Louis

Spain learned that they would need to pay more attention to Texas if they wanted to control it. Conflicts reinforced Spanish claim to Texas, which led to more missions and presidios in Texas.

What was the main purpose of European explorations? 2. Do you think motivation is behind all exploration? 3. What event happened in Spain that led to the exploration of Texas? 4. Who were the important explorers that explored Texas? 5. What are the 3 - G’s? 6. What prompted France to claim land for France?

Did Spain and France have similar reasons for exploring Texas? What was the same and what was different?

Create a timeline Identify the major explorers who settled Texas Create a timeline Identify the major explorers who settled Texas. Identify what country each explorer is associated with. Identify major events Draw an illustration of each event. 1519 - 1721