European Exploration:
Spanish Conquistadors &
a French Explorer
3 Reasons for Exploration
3 G’s
_____________ European countries wanted to increase their
global wealth.
_____________ Catholic church supported expeditions in
hopes of converting natives to Christianity
_____________ Expeditions led by Conquistadors looking for
wealth & fame.
T
H
E
R
E
A
S
O
N
CINNAMON
NUTMEG
East Asian Spices/Silk
SAFFRON
PEPPER
Saffron, the world's
most expensive
spice, is costly
because more than
225,000 stigmas
must be hand picked
to produce one
pound
1 pound =
2 pounds of
GOLD!
Routes over land were
dangerous & costly
Western Europe wanted
an all-water route to Asia
Important Dates
• Columbus sailed
for Spanish King &
Queen with 3 ships
(Nina, Pinta, Santa
Maria.
• Reaches the
Bahamas (near
North America).
Lands at
San Salvador.
• Returned to the
Americas 3 times
Biggest tribe and
most feared in
Central America
Had
tons of
gold
and
riches
Practiced
brutal
sacrifices
to gods
Spanish
determined
to conquer
them
Spanish Advantages
• Guns, Germs, & Steel -
Advanced technology
Spanish Advantages: Disease
The Spanish had different
immune systems from the
American Indians. The
“common cold” could infect
one person with the flu and
all would be affected!
Spanish Advantages
Indian Allies
500 Conquistadors
Persuaded thousands of other Native Americans
that hated Aztec rule to join the Spanish as allies.
By 1521
Important Dates
• Aztecs are conquered & all their gold is taken by the
Spanish conquistadors
Hernan
Cortes
• Cortes eventually seizes the Aztec capital,
Tenochtitlan (present day Mexico city).
• Becomes a base for exploration called New Spain.
• His success inspires other Spaniards to explore
North America.
Alonzo Alvarez de
Pineda
• 1519- Explored & created the 1st map of the
Gulf Coast region (including the Texas coast).
1st Europeans to see Texas coast
Panfilo de
Narvaez
• Sent on an expedition to conquer land between Florida &
Mexico in 1527.
• Ships that were supposed to pick them up never did.
• Stranded, they built small boats.
• Go through a hurricane and get shipwrecked.
Cabeza de Vaca
• Shipwrecked near Galveston
–
(part of Narvaez expedition)
• Survived with Karankawa 8 yrs.
Karankawa give
supplies to the
men- but they
are forced to
work for the
Karankawa
Location of Galveston Island; the castaways referred to as
"Isla del Malhado," or Island of Misfortune.
Removed an
arrowhead from
an Indians
chest & sewed
up the wounds=
great fame as a
healer
Cabeza de Vaca described native
dwellings as portable structures made
of mats placed on four arches. When it
was time to move to the next camp, the
Indians would remove the mats and
carry them on their backs.
Indians following the Spaniards
brought a sense of horror to
the group. According to
Cabeza de Vaca, "Our fear
made them appear as giants."
Cabeza de Vaca
• Eventually found his way back to
Mexico City & then went back to Spain.
• Wrote a book describing plants &
animals (buffalo) in Texas.
Fray Marcos & Estevanico
• Estevanico (Esteban) 1st African to explore Texas.
• Fray Marcos- Catholic friar
• Sent reports back that encouraged conquistadors to
continue searching for Cibola.
Francisco Vasquez de
Coronado
• Sent on an expedition to find Cibola- 7 cities that were
rich in gold, silver, & gems.
• Searched for 5 months going through the Texas
Panhandle
• Cibola turned out to be an adobe village.
• Didn’t want to go back empty handed = continued to
search but he found no gold.
Francisco Vasquez de
Coronado
• Explored the Texas panhandle.
Searching for Quivera.
1st European to see Grand Canyon
(Arizona)
Rene-Robert Cavalier Sieur de
La Salle
• Explored the Mississippi River to the Gulf of Mexico
& claimed Louisiana for France.
Rene-Robert Cavalier
Sieur de
La Salle
La Salle’s settlement – Fort St. Louis near Matagorda Bay.
Spanish now had to take action to make sure the French didn’t
take over their claim to Texas.
Results of European Exploration
• Columbian Exchange-
Transfer of plants, animals, & diseases
Results of European Exploration
Diseases:
Small pox & measles
Cattle
(wild offspring of
horses) - are first
brought to New World
by the Spanish.
Indians get horses
trading/raiding and
become better
hunters & fighters.
Spanish pronunciation of the Caddo Indian
word Teyshas. The word = “friend,” &
generally referred to the allied tribes of their
confederacy.
In Spanish, the sh sound is usually
represented by j, h, or x = became
-
Americans called it…