Explorers of New SpainTexas

Reasons for exploration

God

Gold

Glory

Motivations for exploration

Technological Advances

Improved navigational methods:

Magnetic compass and astrolabe

Improved maps and charts

Improved ship design

The caravel made travel easier

65 feet long = more space for food/people

Able to explore close to shore

Larger sails for easier movement and power

Improved weapons

Gunpowder a Chinese invention gave sailors the

confidence that they could protect themselves if they were

attacked.

Cannons

Motivations for expedition

Desire for Wealth

Gain access to the spice, sugar and silk trade which

Arab and Italian merchants had a monopoly on.

Find new sources of gold and silver

Growth of Nation

More centralized power at home allowed for an

outward push and colonization of new lands

Religious devotion/Crusading Spirit

Desire to convert new people to Christianity

Desire for adventure

fortune, fame and glory

Gold

Gold!!!

Europeans wanted to cut the middle man out. They were

tired of having to go through the Middle East and Italy for

silks and spices.

They tried to find new trade routes so they could have a

new source of wealth (silks and spices)

God

Spread of Christianity

Many believed it was their duty to spread their religion

and convert people to Christianity

Bartolomeu Dias- “To serve God and His Majesty, to give

light to those who were in darkness, and to grow rich as

all men desire to do.”

Glory

Power

Being “The First”

First to:

Find a spice

Find an area

Create a trading port

Control a country

Map of expeditions to

and around Texas

Bartolomeu Dias

Known for: Africa

Why in Texas? He never went to Texas

Impact on the world: His voyage along the coast of Africa indicated

their might be a sea route to Asia, which would later inspire other

explorers to sail west across the Atlantic Ocean.

Impact on Texas: Inspired Christopher Columbus to sail west across

the Atlantic Ocean.

Additional Information: He was the first European known to have

reached the Indian Ocean from the Atlantic.

1488

Christopher Columbus

1492

Sailed for: He was Italian but he sailed for Spain trying to find a faster route to India.

Known For: West Indies/ New World

Why in Texas? He never went to Texas or North America but he was the first in the West Indies/ New World

Impact of Expedition: His mission was a failure as he did not discover a faster route to India. It was a success because he opened up the New World to Europe

Impact on Texas: Because of him the Spanish started exploration in North America which would lead to exploration of Texas.

Additional Information: His voyage took him 33 days and in the years following Spanish explorers would claim the land and all its resources for Spain.

Alonso Alvarez de Pineda

1519

Sailed for: Spain

Known For: Mapping the Texas Coast

Why in Texas? The governor of Jamaica ordered Pineda to explore

this new area in order to find a route to the Pacific

Impact of Expedition: Success he mapped the coast but failed to find

an route to the Pacific

Impact on Texas: He was the first to observe and map the Texas

Coast

Additional Information: his voyage ended when his men encountered

Hernan Cortes who perceived him as a rival and arrested the

messengers he sent ashore. Pineda then withdrew back up the

Mexican coast.

Hernan Cortez

Sailed for: Spain

Known For: Conquering the Aztec Empire

Why in Texas? He never went to Texas

Impact of Expedition: Cortes purpose for exploring was to get glory

and gold and spread Gods word for Spain. He conquered the Aztec

Empire and became the first “governor” of New Spain (Mexico)

Impact on Texas: He inspired others to explore more territory in North

America

Additional Information: Destroyed the Aztec capital and built the new

city of Mexico (named after the word that Aztecs called themselves)

on its ruins

1521

Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca

Sailed for: Spain

Known For: Being shipwrecked and captured by the Karankawas

(Narvaez was killed during this time)

Why in Texas? It was an accident he was shipwrecked while looking

for gold on a large expedition lead by Panfilo de Narvaez.

Impact of Expedition: Narvaez’s group was the first Europeans to

enter what is now Texas and Narvaez hoped to conquer the area

between Florida and Mexico but failed.

Impact on Texas: After escaping the Karankawas Cabeza de Vaca

passed on tales he had heard about cities with magnificent horses

and lands rich with copper, emeralds and turquoise—that led to

more exploration of Texas

Additional Information: Cabeza de Vaca was enslaved by the

Karankawas for several years until he escaped and fled to Mexico

where he told stories about his adventures.

1528-1536

Francisco Vasquez De Corondao

Explored for: Spain

Known for: being the first European to explore the Texas panhandle

Why in Texas? He was searching for the 7 cities of Gold

Impact of Expedition: His original mission was a failure, he did not

find gold or the seven cities. He crossed the “Sea of Grass” (Texas

Panhandle)

Impact on Texas: Explored the Great Plains of Texas and told about

buffalo and villages along the way.

Additional Notes: After five months of travel he landed in a Zuni

settlement which is now western New Mexico. Disappointed in not

finding gold he sent small groups to explore different directions. One

group found a Pawnee called Turk who told about a place called the

Great plains said to be filled with treasure. It wasn’t, so Coronado

sentenced Turk to death and claimed Texas for Spain.

1540-1542

Hernan de Soto and

Luis de Moscoso

Sailed for: Spain

Known For: The Mississippi River and East Texas

Why in Texas? Hernan de Soto and his men were looking for Gold

when he died. Moscoso took command of the group and lead

them down the Mississippi River and into East Texas. The exact

route is unknown

Impact of Expedition: de Soto and Moscoso’s original mission was

a failure since they did not find gold but they did find petroleum

(which is kind of like gold )

Impact on Texas: First Europeans to reach the Mississippi River

and First Europeans in East Texas.

Additional Information: The exact route of Moscoso’s expedition is

unknown but historians suggest they made it as far as

Nacogdoches to the Guadalupe River before low food supplies

made them return to Mexico.

1539-1543

de Soto

de

Moscoso

Rene’ Robert Cavelier de La

Salle

Sailed for: France

Known For: First French explorer to enter the area of present day

Texas

Why in Texas? He was lost while looking for the Mississippi River.

Impact of Expedition: The French settled in Fort St. Louis and

claimed Texas for the French for two years.

Impact on Texas: Fort St. Louis was the first French settlement near

modern Corpus Christi. Now France had a claim in Texas to rival

Spain. The Spanish became paranoid that the French would take

over Texas so they became more serious about settling Texas.

Additional Information: with no ships and few supplies La Salle

decided to walk to the nearest French outpost in the Great Lakes in

order to resupply Fort St. Louis. Along the way members of the

expedition refused to continue the trip. They led a mutiny, or a

rebellion against LaSalle and murdered him on March 19, 1687

1685-1687