Chapter 5: Early Explorers of Texas

Lesson 1: The Spanish Explore Texas

The Age of Exploration

•Europeans wanted goods from Asia.

•All-water route sought.

Christopher Columbus

The Age of Exploration

• Columbus hoped to find a westerly route to Asia.

• King Ferdinand & Isabella (Spain) supported Columbus’ expedition.

Columbus lands in the New World

Columbus Reaches the Americas

• Columbus left Spain with three ships in August 1492.

– Nina– Pinta– Santa Maria

(flagship)

https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSQtdulT_QlR7y4w803UAwADqsAzLZxqEFzyZoKVPApIaNuYxmAww

October 1492, Christopher Columbus landed in San Salvador (Hispaniola) on his first

voyage.

Columbus Reaches the Americas

• There he met natives, which he called Indians, because the thought he was near the West Indies.

Forming and Mapping New Spain

• Spanish hoped to take control of America.

• Wealth & Power

• Spread Christianity

• Reasons for all European Exploration:– Known as the 3 G’s.

•God

•Gold

•Glory

Forming and Mapping New Spain

Conquistador—soldiers and

adventurers in search of glory, gold, and land.

Forming and Mapping New Spain

• Spanish brought guns, armor, helmets, muskets, and rode horses.

• Superior military technology.

Conquistador

Forming and Mapping New Spain

• Pigs were first brought to America by Spanish explorers.

Forming and Mapping New Spain

•Hernan Cortes -conqueror of the Aztec empire.

Hernan Cortes

Forming and Mapping New Spain

•1519: Lands in present-day Mexico.

•Told of Aztec Empire: He made conquering it his goal.

Cortes

Forming and Mapping New Spain

Montezuma II - ruler of

the Aztec Empire.

Montezuma II

Forming and Mapping New Spain

• Aztecs had a lot of gold, silver, & gems.

• May 1521: Cortes and allies attack.

• August 1521: Aztecs were conquered.

Forming and Mapping New Spain

•Cortes builds Mexico City upon the ruins of Tenochtitlan.

•Mexico becomes the starting point of Spanish exploration of the Americas.

Forming and Mapping New Spain

•Alonso Alvarez de Pineda:– First European to

explore the Texas coast.

– Mapped the Gulf of Mexico coastline from Florida to Mexico.

Forming and Mapping New Spain

Pineda’s Map of theGulf Coast

Cabeza de Vaca Meets the Karankawa

• 1527: the Narvaez expedition lands near in present-day Florida.

• Gold is the expedition’s primary goal.

• Told by natives they could find gold at Apalachee.

• Narvaez divides his forces.

Panfilo de Narvaez

•They become lost in the Florida swamps.

•No gold found.

•The men could not find the ships. they returned to Spain.

•Built small, flimsy boats to sail to Mexico City.

Cabeza de Vaca Meets the Karankawa

• Storm washed three boats into Matagorda Bay

• Narvaez drowns.

• Two boats land on a Texas island—Cabeza de Vaca called it “Malhado”

Cabeza de Vaca Meets the Karankawa

•Cabeza de Vaca - Spaniard who spent 8 years among the Texas Indians during the 1500s.

Cabeza de Vaca

Cabeza de Vaca Meets the Karankawa

• At first he and his men were helped by the Karankawa.

• After a rough winter all of de Vaca’s men and many of the Karankawa which help them died.

• Became a captive/slave of the Karankawa.

Cabeza de Vaca Meets the Karankawa

• Removed an arrowhead from a man’s chest and stitched up the wound – became known as a healer.

• Worked as a servant and healer.

• Traveled along the Texas coast gathering and trading seashells and mesquite beans.

Cabeza de Vaca Meets the Karankawa

• Meets up with three others from the Narvaez expedition.

• Estevanico - North African– Had skills communicating

with different Indian groups.

Cabeza de Vaca Meets the Karankawa

Estevanico

• 1536: The four lost explorers come across a group of Spanish soldiers.

• Taken to Mexico City & eventually returned to Spain.

Cabeza de Vaca Meets the Karankawa