1. 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”

2. 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

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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

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

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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.

10. 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

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

12. 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

13. 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

14. 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

15. Francisco Vasquez de Coronado
Coronado died in Mexico City in 1554

16. 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

17. 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

18. 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

19. 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

20. 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

21. 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

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

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

24. 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

25. 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