1. Early Explorers Chapter 4
Texas History
Coach Fletcher

2. The Conquest of New Spain
The spread of more explorers from Spain came about soon after Christopher Columbus discoveries.
It was a great honor to sail under the Spanish flag.
The Spanish Government paid for many explorations.

3. Spain and Portugal

4. Reasons for Exploration
1. Create a Spanish Empire
2. Spread the Roman Catholic belief
3. Find gold and silver
4. Out due their rival Portugal
The land in America claimed by Spain was called “New Spain.”

5. Conquistadores
The Spaniards who led the invasion into the Americas were called Conquistadores.
Conquistadores meant “conquerors.”
The Conquistadores were noblemen, believing their mission was to serve Spain and God.
They wore suits of armor and steel helmets, rode the finest horses.

6. Conquistadores & Friars

7. Conquistadores Many Indians thought they were gods.
Their job was to claim land for Spain and convert Indians to Christianity.
Many friars or priest would travel with the Conquistadores.
The job of the friar was to establish churches, schools, and missions.

8. Hernando Cortes Cortes was one of the most famous Conquistadore.
In 1519, Cortes sails from Cuba to Mexico and attacks the great Aztec Indian empire.
He later killed the Aztec leader Montezuma.

9. Hernando Cortes- riches 1756

10. Cortes vs. Aztec The Aztecs greatly outnumber the Spanish invaders.
Cortes won because of cannons, guns, and other Indians from other tribes.
Cortes took over the city of Tenochtitlan, later named Mexico City.
All gold, silver, and jewels were sent back to Spain.
Mexico City became the capital of New Spain.

11. Alonzo Alvarez de Pineda
In 1519, Pineda landed on the coast of Texas.
He camps at the mouth of the Rio Grande, called it Rio de las Palmas, meaning “River of Palms”
It is not known if Pineda explored deep into Texas, but he urged Spanish officials to build permanent settlements along the coast.

12. Diego de Camargo
In 1520, Camargo was sent by the Spanish government to build along the Texas coast.
Fight between the Coahuiltecans and the Spaniards breaks out.
The Indians kill 18 Spaniards, this only postpones the more explorations to come.

13. The Narvaez Expedition
Started , lead by Narvaez.
Route- go to Florida looking for gold
Problem- while on land they got lost from their ships off the coast of Florida
Solution- built five small boats to sail to Mexico

15. Narvaez & Crew
While sailing from Florida to Mexico 3 of the 5 ships were lost at sea.
The surviving crew included:
1. Panfilo de Narvaez (Leader of Crew)
2. Cabezo de Vaca (Treasurer of Crew)
3. Esteban (Moroccan slave)
4. Two other Spaniards

16. “Isle of Misfortune” The crew was shipwrecked on the coast of Texas.
Vaca described it as the “isle of misfortune.”
They were captured and held by the Karankawas. They were almost slaves to the Indians.

17. Shaman Cabeza de Vaca became a shaman, or healer to the Indians.
One day a Karankawa warrior had an arrow stuck in him and Vaca used a knife to cut it out.
This event allowed the Spaniards to travel to other tribes and treat the sick. Eventually they escaped to Mexico.

18. Cities of Gold
Vaca went back to Mexico City with stories of “cows” with humps.
Also with stories that the Indians said about cities with gold and silver streets and buildings.
Indian legend was tempting, and soon the Spaniards in Mexico were planning to search for “Cities of Gold.”

19. Niza Expedition
The king or viceroy of New Spain in Mexico City orders an expedition north to find the golden cities.
Leader- Francisca (friar)
Fray Marcos de Niza (explorer)
Esteban (slave)
Started- March 1539
Search of- Seven Cities of Cibola

20. Seven Cities of Cibola
Esteban knew the land and was sent out ahead of the group.
He returns a message to the group that yes he had seen the “Seven Cities of Cibola.”
Word gets back to the group that Esteban was killed, the expedition continues into New Mexico and Arizona.
As the expedition reaches the border of New Mexico and Arizona they see the cities.

21. Seven Cities of Cibola
Marcos de Niza is afraid to enter the cities because of what had happened to Estaban.
In reality the cities they saw were Zuni Indian villages in the desert.
Marcos de Niza returns to Mexico and tells of the great cities.
This makes Viceroy Mendoza put together a larger expedition together in hopes of taking the cities.

22. The Coronado Expedition
Francisco Vasquez de Coronado was chosen to lead the second expedition.
Coronado was 29 years old, wealthy, and well respected by the viceroy.
He wore a steal helmet with purple feathers.

23. The Expedition included:
Spanish soldiers
2. 1,000 Christian Indians
3. 1,000 horses
4. Herd of cattle
5. Herd of sheep
Started- April 1540
Goal- to capture the “Cities of Gold.”

24. Reaching the Cities
Coronado reaches the Zuni village and a short hard fight breaks out.
The Spaniards win with their guns and cannons.
It was at this time Coronado felt lied too, there was no gold or riches.
Coronado wasn’t going to return until he did some more exploring.

25. Coronado in Texas
Coronado divided his group into several smaller expeditions.
One group went west and discovered the Grand Canyon.
Coronado took his group east looking for gold.

26. Things Coronado Saw
In April 1541, Coronado goes east into Texas. He reports seeing:
1. “Sea of grass”- the plains
2. “no trees except by rivers”- prairies
3. “staked plains”- Caprocks
4. “hard wood”- trees of Palo Duro Canyon
5. “cows” with humps- Buffalo

27. Hernando de Soto
He explored into Florida and southeastern United States, he dies around the Mississippi River.
Soto left his expedition to Luis de Moscoso.
Moscoso explores into East Texas, and also reports back to Mexico that no gold was found, but that a thick black liquid was seeping from the ground. (“Black Gold,” oil)

28. End of Spanish Explorations
Some 60 years passed between Coronado and the next Spanish exploration began.
1601- Juan de Onate explores Texas Panhandle
Result- no gold and no exploring by the Spanish for another 75 years

29. Results of Spanish Exploration
1. Spain had all claims to Texas
2. Explorers made maps and had knowledge of the land
3. Texas provided a barrier from Indians and the rich land of Mexico.

30. 4. Texas provided a barrier from other European explorers that were coming into North America
5. Indians viewed Texas as home, Spain viewed Texas as their property.
6. No gold in Texas made Spain more interested in Mexico and its rich land

31. The French Challenge
The Spaniards became concerned when in 1685 the first French explorer landed in Texas.
The center of the French empire in the North America was in Canada.
The French also began to explore deep into Ohio, Missouri, and Mississippi River.

32. Sieur de La Salle
Sieur de la Salle was the first Frenchman to be a threat to the Spaniards in Mexico.
La Salle in 1682 sailed down the Mississippi River to the Gulf of Mexico.
La Salle claimed all land around the Mississippi as belonging to the French.
He called the area Louisiana after the king of France, Louis XIV.

33. La Salle
La Salle went back to Louis XIV asking to establish a settlement at the mouth of the Mississippi.
Good for the French because:
1. Strengthen French control over the river.
2. French would control the fur trade down the river.
Louis XIV thought the plan was good.

34. La Salle Expedition The expedition started in 1684. The trip included:
1. Four ships
soldiers
colonist or settlers
4. Food and supplies
From the beginning the expedition had problems.

35. La Salle Expedition One ship was captured by the Spaniards.
The remaining three ships became seperated from the other in a storm.
The 3 ships miss the mouth of the Mississippi and land Matagorda Bay on the Texas coast in 1685.
Another ship sinks in the bay with important supplies, leaving 2 ships.

36. La Salle Expedition
The captain of one of the remaining ships decides to sail back to France with some of the colonist. Leaving La Salle with 1 ship.
La Salle was stranded in Texas with:
1. Less than 100 soldiers
colonist
3. Little food and supplies
4. A lack of readiness for the wilderness

37. Fort St. Louis
La Salle realized they couldn’t live on the marsh land of the coast so they moved inland.
They built wooden fort on Garcitas Creek.
The fort was called Fort St. Louis.
Fort had:
1. Five or six houses
2. A chapel
3. 8 cannons

38. Fort St. Louis Problems Problems at the fort: 1. Disease-small pox
2. Fighting with Indians
3. Crops failing
After disease and fighting there were only 45 people left at the fort.

39. La Salle Going For Help
La Salle decided to go to Canada looking for help.
Jan. 1687, La Salle and 17 men march eastward looking for the Mississippi to take them into Canada.
During the trip La Salle was murdered by his own men.

40. Fate of the Expedition
After the soldiers killed La Salle they were later attacked by Indians and killed.
A few escaped into Canada.
Back at the fort small pox and the Karankawas kill the remaining people.
The fort was destroyed, only six people survived to tell the story.

41. Smallpox-60 million Europeans died from this disease in the 18th Century

42. Results of the La Salle Expedition
1. France had a claim to parts of Texas, it was a weak claim though.
2. It made the Spaniards realize they must build settlements north of the Rio Grande in order to keep the French out.

43. Key Terms
Conquistador- A Spanish soldier who sought riches for the glory of Spain
Friar- A priest of the Catholic religion
Viceroy- A governor who rules as a representative of a king
Pueblo- A Native American village
Mission- A religious settlement
Stockade- An enclosure of posts made to form a defense