What’s Important!

Cortes  Date: Feb, 1519  Country: Spain  Area Explored: Eastern coast of Mexico  Accomplishments:  Aztecs welcome him because they though he was a god  Conquered Aztec capital (Tenochtitlan) and made it the Capital of New Spain (Mexico City)  Inspired more Spanish to come to America

De Pineda  Date: 1519  Country: Spain  Area Explored: Texas coast  Accomplishments:  Observed and mapped the coast of Texas

Narvaez  Date: 1527  Country: Spain  Area Explored: Area between S. Texas and N. Mexico  Accomplishments:  First Spaniard to enter Texas

Cabeza de Vaca  Date: 1527  Country: Spain  Area Explored: Galveston Island area  Accomplishments:  After shipwreck he adopted the ways of the Kawakawa to survive and lived with them for 6 years and became a Shaman  First to report buffalo and fertile lands in Texas  Passed along tales of cities with magnificent houses and lands rich in precious metals

Estevanico  Date: 1527  Country: Spain  Area Explored: Galveston Island area  Accomplishments:  1 st known African American in Texas  Reported news of an area called Cibola, filled with riches and gems  Accompanied Fray Marcos to ensure friendship with the Native Americans

Fray Marcos  Date: 1539  Country: Spain  Area Explored: New Mexico and Arizona  Accomplishments:  Saw Cibola from a distance and reported as a city of Gold  Took Estevanico as a guide

Coronado  Date: 1540  Country: Spain  Area Explored: New Mexico, Arizona, Texas, and Kansas  Accomplishments:  saw: Palo Duro Canyon, Grand Canyon, and Great Plains (Feared losing his way because the grass “never failed to become erect after if had been trodded on”  Found Cibola – disappointed because it was only a Zuni Village  Founded Wichita and claimed for Spain while traveling North to Quivira  Killed the Turk who told him gold was in Quivira when it was never there

De Soto  Date: 1539  Country: Spain  Area Explored: Florida to Mississippi River  Accomplishments:  1 st European to reach the Mississippi River  Died at the Mississippi River in Spring 1542

Moscoso  Date: 1542  Country: Spain  Area Explored: Mississippi to Brazos  Accomplishments:  Explored East Texas

La Salle  Date: 1582 and 1584  Country: France  Area Explored: Mississippi to Texas coast  Accomplishments:  Claimed all land around the Mississippi river for Spain  Went with 300 colonists to Louisiana in 4 ships, all were separated, they missed the mouth of Mississippi river and ended up in Matagorda Bay Texas  Built Fort St. Louis  Gave French a claim to Texas