The Age of Exploration

During the Renaissance period Europe experienced a rebirth in knowledge. One of the results was exploration.

The inventions and uses of the caravel, and new type of ship, and sextant, a tool to follow the stars, plus the realization that the world was not flat encouraged countries to send sailors to trade with other places. Caravel Sextant

“In 1492 Columbus sailed the ocean blue.”

Cristoforo Colombo, Cristobol Colón (Christopher Columbus), born in Genoa, Italy sailed under the Spanish flag, for the monarchs, King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella.

Columbus sailed west to get to the East, meaning India. On October 12, 1492 three ships, La Niña, La Pinta, and La Santa Maria discovered San Salvador, an island in the Bahamas.

Columbus named it San Salvador because it saved their lives, especially his. He named the natives Indians because he thought he had discovered India. Today the islands in the Caribbean Sea are call the West Indies.

On his 4 journeys, Columbus never set foot on North America - only on the West Indies, South America, and Central America. Cuba became the capital of Nueva España (New Spain) in the early 1500’s.

New expeditions were sent out in 1519 to explore South, Central, and North America. Great wealth was found in South and Central America but not in North America.

The men sent were conquistadores (conquerors) and friars (priests). The 3 G’s were God, Gold, and Glory.

1519 Three expeditions Cortes Pizarro Pineda

Central America had gold and silver. Hernando Cortes conquered the Aztec Empire led by Montezuma in his capital Tenochtitlan. Cortes was able to do this with 600 soldiers and help from thousands of other natives who hated the Aztecs. Tenochtitlan

South America had gold and silver. Francisco Pizarro conquered the Incas. The Spaniards had steel, gunpowder, horses, and disease that helped destroy vast civilizations. By the late 1500’s 15,000 Spanish controlled 5,000,000 Indians in the Americas.

Also in 1519 an expedition was sent to North America to map the Gulf of Mexico. It was led by Alonso Pineda. He reported seeing giants, pygmies, and large amounts of gold. He stayed at the Rio de las Palmas (Rio Grande).

In 1528, a new expedition led by Pánfilo de Narváez, better know as the unlucky explorer, was sent to North America. In an earlier unsuccessful attempt to overthrow Cortes, an eyeball was plucked out. The Spanish now referred to him as Narvaez the Unlucky. He was given 4 ships, 400 men, and 82 horses.

His assignment was to follow Pineda’s route, but being Narvaez, he decided to go inland against the advice of his treasurer Alvar Nuñez Cabeza de Vaca and a Moorish fortune teller. After a few months, he only had 200 men left, no horses, and he had sent his ships to the Rio de las Palmas.

He had found no gold, but hunger, disease, and Indians had killed his men. They built 5 leaky tubs, and they set sail for the ships at the Rio de las Palmas.

Only 80 men will make it to Isla Malhado (Galveston Island) in November of By spring of 1529 only 16 were left, and they became the slaves of the Karankawa Indians.

Within 5 years, 1534, only 4 would still be alive. The most famous of the survivors were Alvar Nuñez Cabeza de Vaca, and Esteban the Moorish slave.

These 4 men eventually were allowed to roam free because after a few strategically said words, the Karankawa thought they were shaman (medicine men).

In 1536, the 4 men made it back to Mexico City, the new capital of Nueva España. They reported: 1.Humped back cows. 2.Hearing of Golden Cities 3.The Indescribable

The Viceroy (Governor) wanted Cabeza de Vaca to return, but he said NO! Esteban was forced to return to North America because he was a Moorish slave.

1539 – The Viceroy (governor) appointed a friar, Fray (Friar) Marcos de Niza to lead the expedition into the Northern lands with Esteban as a guide. They were looking for the Seven Cities of Cibola or better known as the Seven Cities of Gold. Some referred to them as El Dorado.

Legend of the Crosses – Fray Marcos was not a brave man so he sent Esteban on ahead to check things out. Fray Marcos gave him a way to report about his findings.

Little cross = Little gold Medium cross = Medium gold Big cross = Big gold

According to legend a big cross came back to Fray Marcos. When the priest got to the place in New Mexico he found out that Esteban was dead.

What he saw in the distance created the story of seven great golden cities = Cibola. What did he see? Adobe villages at sunset. To what tribe? Zuni- Pueblo culture. Fray Marcos returned to Mexico City now the capital of Nueva España, and told of great golden cities.

1540 – Now a huge expedition to Cibola was assembled led by a 29 year old, blond hair, blue eyed Spaniard. Francisco Coronado led 300 Spaniards, 1000 Indians, 1,000 horses, 600 pack animals, and droves of cattle, sheep, goats, and hogs.

There were 6 bronze cannons, several dozen crossbowmen. Everyone knew the leader Coronado because he wore golden armor.

After 77 days and many hardships they found the villages. The village People put up a big fight but were eventually defeated due to the better weapons and armor of the Spanish. Fray Marcos was sent home in disgrace.

Coronado sent out 2 expeditions – one to the west and one to the east. West Lopez de Cardenas found the Grand Canyon

Coronado sent out 2 expeditions – one to the west and one to the east. East Hernando de Alvarado found Tiguez and stories of great wealth to the east. What direction did Coronado go? East

When he got to Tiguez, a slave told a story of Gran Quivira where gold grew in bells on trees and golden fish in the river. Coronado took El Turco the slave with him as a guide to Gran Quivira.

They crossed the Panhandle of Texas and saw Palo Duro Canyon and the High Plains. They named the plains of Texas Llano Estacado (Staked Plains).

They observed the first Thanksgiving with a group of Indians who had helped them in 1542, 80 years before the Pilgrims. By the time they made it to Gran Quivira they suspected there would be no wealth. They made it to Kansas. Coronado had El Turco’s tongue cut out and then executed. Coronado’s recommendations about Texas was, “Don’t go back.”

1540 – Another expedition was sent from Florida led by Hernando de Soto. He discovered the Mississippi River for the Spanish.

When he died there, Luis Moscoso took over and made it to East Texas. He saw bubbling black stuff coming out of the ground. He said it was good to keep the torches going. But they found no gold. He recommended Don’t Go Back.

1598 – Juan de Oñate established El Paso del Norte a shallow crossing of the Rio Grande, important because it was on the way to Santa Fe, New Mexico which was founded in He recommended Don’t Go Back.

What made the Spanish suddenly want Texas for themselves? In 1685 the French landed at Matagorda Bay led by Rene Robert Cavalier Sieur de la Salle.

He established Fort Saint Louis. He brought 150 men, women, children, eight small cannons. After 2 years only 40 colonists were left. He took 12 men and marched toward the Mississippi River to try to bring back help. But La Salle’s men mutinied and killed LaSalle.

What happened to the colonists? Died from disease and from Karankawa Indian attack.

Now, why did the Spanish want Texas? The Spanish wanted Texas because they didn’t want France to have it.