1. Early Explorers Chapter 5

2. First Steps in a New Land Christopher Columbus sailed across the Atlantic Ocean in 1492 with three small ships looking for a new route to the riches of Asia.

3. First Steps in a New Land (continued) Columbus discovered several islands in the Caribbean Sea. He had reached the Americas, which he claimed for Spain.

4. Conquerors of New Spain The conquistadors (adventurers) led the way for Spain’s success in the Americas and hoped to gain riches and power for themselves and wealth and glory for Spain. They strengthened Spain’s claim to the regions through which they traveled and made it possible for others to follow.

5. Conquerors of New Spain (continued) Another group that helped Spain gain a foothold in the Americas were the friars, missionaries of the Catholic Church, who wanted to convert the Native Americans to the Catholic faith.

6. Conquerors of New Spain (continued) As the friars traveled north, they established missions, often the first permanent settlement in an area.

7. The Conquest of Mexico In 1519, Hernando Cortes sailed from Cuba and landed on the eastern coast of Mexico near what is Veracruz today.

8. The Conquest of Mexico Even though the powerful Aztec people ruled a large empire, Cortes persuaded thousands of Native Americans to join his army as he marched toward the capital city, Tenochtitlan.

9. The Conquest of Mexico (continued) At first the Aztecs welcomed Cortes, because they believed he was their legendary god, Quetzalcoatl. The Spaniards admired the palaces, pyramids, gold, clean streets, gardens, zoos, long bridges, and complex art.

10. The Conquest of Mexico (continued) Eventually Cortes and his forces imprisoned and killed the Aztec emperor, Moctezuma. They also burned Tenochititlan, plundered the treasure, and built a new city, Mexico City, upon the ruins of Tenochtitlan. Mexico City became the capital of New Spain.

11. Spanish exploration of the New World was inspired by Cortes’s success. Spanish explorers journeyed into the uncharted lands in search of treasure, for sheer adventure and curiosity, possibilities for settlement, and to spread the Catholic faith.

12. Exploration of the Texas Coast Alonso Alvarez de Pineda became the first European to explore the Gulf Coast from Florida to Mexico. He found no treasure, but he mapped the land he observed, wrote enthusiastically about the new land, and encouraged settlements there.

13. Journey of Pineda

14. Narvaez’s Failed Expedition A large expedition was led by the conquistador, Panfilo de Narvaez, who was sent to conquer the area between Florida and Mexico for Spain. The ships sent to pick up the explorers after they shipwrecked never appeared. Two of the boats built by de Narvaez and his followers were lost in a terrible storm, while one landed on what was probably Galveston Island.

15. de Narvaez’s Expedition

16. Exploration of Cabeza de Vaca Cabeza de Vaca and his companion, Esteban, survived the failed Narvaez expedition and were the first Europeans to enter present- day Texas. The Karankawa Indians welcomed the survivors and allowed Cabeza de Vaca to become a trader as well as a shaman (healer).

17. Cabeza de Vaca’s Journey (continued) Cabeza de Vaca and Esteban spent nearly six years among Native American people in South Texas. The explorers then journeyed west and south through central and west Texas until they reached Culiacan, Mexico.

18. Cabeza de Vaca’s Sudden Appearance in Mexico Astonished the Spanish as he recounted tales of herds of huge “cows” with small horns-probably buffalo Said he saw no gold, but he passed on tales he had heard about cities with houses and lands rich with copper, emeralds, and turquoise. Encouraged an expedition to look for “The golden city”

19. Fray Marcos and Esteban Expedition Viceroy Mendoza sent Fray Marcos and Esteban to search for Cibola. Esteban was sent ahead of the main expedition. He reported he had seen Cibola which was made up of seven cities.

20. Report of Fray Marcos to Spanish Viceroy After Estebans’s murder by Zuni Indians, Fray Marcos continued northward until he could see Cibola from a distance. Fray Marcos returned to Mexico City to report to the Viceroy that he had seen a glimpse of a golden city filled with treasures.

21. Fray Marcos and Esteban Expedition (continued)

22. Cibola Cibola was actually a pueblo built near the border of present- day Arizona and New Mexico.

23. The Coronado Expedition Viceroy Mendez organized a large expedition and chose Francisco Vasquez de Coronado to lead it. After five months of travel, Coronado reached Cibola and disappointment because he found only mud, stone, and angry Zuni. Fray Marcos returned to Mexico City in disgrace.

24. The Coronado Expedition (continued) Rather than go back to New Spain empty handed, Cornado decided to stay and explore. He divided his forces into two groups-sending one group west across present-day Arizona and New Mexico and the other group set up camp at the village of Tiguex.

25. Coronado’s Expedition (continued) At Tiguex, Coronado met a Pawnee Indian, called the Turk, who told of a place called Quivira which was filled with riches. After traveling across the plains of Texas northward as far as present-day Kansas, the expedition reached a Native American settlement but found no treasure. This angered Coronado who put the Turk to death. Coronado and his troops claimed the whole Wichita country for Spain and returned to Mexico.

26. Coronado’s Report In a report to the Spanish king, Coronado noted that Texas was “a country of fine appearance” with rich soil good for farming. Coronado also reported, “There is not any gold nor any other metal— nothing but little villages.” This report of Native Americans settled in villages would in time attract Spanish settlers.

27. Coronado’s Journey

28. The De Soto- Moscoso Expedition In 1539, Hernando de Soto led another large Spanish expedition which landed in Florida. De Soto moved slowly westward. This was the first European expedition to reach the Mississippi River.

29. The De Soto-Moscoso Expedition (continued) De Soto died at the Mississippi River in 1542, so Luis do Moscoso took command and led the expedition into East Texas where they met many Native Americans and got grain for their horses. However, they found no riches. Moscoso then returned to the Mississippi River and eventually sailed along the coast to Mexico.

30. The De Soto—Moscoso Expedition

31. Spanish Failures Between 1528 and 1543, Spaniards had seen much of the land that is now Texas. However, the conquistadors had found no treasure, so attempts to build settlements in Texas were delayed.

32. Spanish Successes In 1609, the Spaniards set up a permanent settlement in present- day Santa Fe, New Mexico. The efforts of the explorers reinforced Spain’s claim to Texas, Spanish friars established missions, and soldiers and settlers began founding towns in northern New Spain

33. La Salle La Salle led the French quest for an empire in North America. In 1682, La Salle led the first European expedition to navigate the Mississippi River to the Gulf of Mexico.

34. La Salle (continued) La Salle claimed the entire inland region surrounding the Mississippi River for France. He named the land Louisiana after the French king, King Louis XIV

35. Land La Salle Claimed for France

36. La Salle (continued) When La Salle returned to France, he proposed that a French colony be set up at the mouth of the Mississippi River. King Louis XIV approved, so La Salle set sail with four ships carrying more than 300 colonists. From the beginning, the expedition had troubles.

37. La Salle’s Troubles 1.La Salle had a difficult personality and quarreled with the ship captains. 2.The Spaniards captured one of the ships. 3.The other three ships got separated in a storm. 4.Worst of all, the expedition missed the mouth of the Mississippi and sailed on to the west along the coast of Texas.

38. The French Flag Over Texas La Salle finally decided to go ashore at Matagorda Bay on the Texas coast. They built a stockade and flew the French flag. Later the settlers built small huts in which to live.

39. The French Flag Over Texas (continued) La Salle ordered some of the colonists to stay and defend Fort St. Louis, while he led the others west toward New Spain to look for settlements. La Salle found no settlements, so he returned to Fort St. Louis only to discover that disaster had struck while he had been gone.

40. Disaster at Fort St. Louis 1.One of the ships had sailed back to France. 2.The colonists were stranded in the wilderness and hungry because the crops had failed. 3.Disease had struck and killed one colonist after another. 4.The Karankawas had killed many of the colonists.

41. Disaster at Fort St. Louis (continued) 5. La Salle left only 45 colonists and headed east to try to find the mouth of the Mississippi River. 6. La Salle’s men murdered him in the woods of East Texas and refused to continue the expedition. 7. With the death of La Salle, all hope for the success of the French colony was gone.

42. La Salle’s Journeys

43. Results of La Salle’s Efforts 1.Fort St. Louis failed as a permanent settlement. 2.In time, the French would return to trade with Native Americans of the Mississippi Valley. 3.France had claim to Texas. 4.There was a major change in Spanish policy, as Spain decided to settle Texas by establishing missions and settlements.

44. Routes of the Early Explorers