Race for the Empire Pictures
Don Juan Oñate led an expedition through the northern frontier of New Spain (Mexico) in 1598. He crossed the
Rio Grande at a location that he called “El Paso del Norte”, the Path of the North which is now called El Paso, and
claimed all of New Mexico for Spain. He continued up the Rio Grande to present-day northern New Mexico and
founded the province of Santa Fe de Nuevo Mexico.
On the map, use PURPLE to color the arrow that shows Oñate’s route. Be sure to color the corresponding arrow in
the map key and write his name. Answer the question that follows.
In 2007, a statue of Juan de Oñate on a horse was erected in the city of El Paso. To some, the massive statue is a
fitting tribute to the contributions Hispanic people made to building the American West. But to Native Americans,
Oñate was a ruthless man who cut off the native people’s feet, brought genocide to their land, and sold their children
into slavery.
-In your opinion, should this statue have been allowed to be built in El Paso?
Luis de Moscoso was part of an expedition led by Hernan de Soto. De Soto was the first European to reach the
Mississippi River, and he died there in 1542. Luis de Moscoso then led the rest of the expedition from the Mississippi
River west to the Brazos River where they met many American Indians. They did not find treasure, so they returned to
the Mississippi River and built boats to sail south along the Texas coast to Mexico.
On the map, use BROWN to color the arrow that shows Moscoso’s route. Be sure to color the corresponding arrow in
the map key and write his name. Answer the following question.
The illustration above shows the expedition discovering the Mississippi River.
-Why would the discovery of a river be considered important? What function would it
serve?
Francisco Vázquez de Coronado was sent by the Viceroy of New Spain (Mexico) to look for, the “Seven Cities of Gold” which
were reportedly seen by Cabeza de Vaca. In 1539, Coronado traveled north from Compostela, Mexico through Culiacán and
Ures until he found Cibola, near the present-day boundary of Arizona and New Mexico, which ended up being only villages
made of mud and stone. He then split his forces into two parts. A small group traveled west toward what is now the Grand
Canyon in New Mexico. Coronado’s group traveled east, and set up camp at the village of Tiguex, near present-day
Albuquerque, New Mexico. At Tiguex, and American Indian Coronado called “Turk” told Coronado that farther east was a
place filled with riches called Quivira. Coronado and his men traveled through the plains of Texas, near present-day
Amarillo, and continued northward to Quivira, near present-day Wichita, Kansas where they found a settlement of
American Indians but no treasure, so they returned to Tiguex.
On the map, use RED to color the arrow that shows Coronado’s route. Be sure to color the corresponding arrow in the
map key and write his name. Answer the following question.
-The illustration above shows Coronado in a village of mud and stone when he expected to
find gold. Describe what is happening the in the illustration.
Alonso Álvarez de Pineda was the first European to explore the Texas coast. He sailed from Florida to southern Mexico
along the uncharted coastline in 1519. He stopped at the mouth of a river he called the “Rio de las Palmas” which was
probably the Rio Grande. He is believed to be the first European to see the coasts of Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana
as well as Texas.
On the map, use ORANGE to color the arrow that shows Pineda’s route. Be sure to color the corresponding arrow in the
map key and write his name. Answer the following question.
In the picture above, a priest is standing before de Pineda holding a cross.
- What would the role of a priest be in exploring new land?
Alvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca was part of an expedition led by Pánfilo de Narváez sent to conquer the area between Florida
and Mexico in 1528. After landing on the west coast of what is now Florida, hurricanes and fights with American Indians
killed many of the crew. The remaining members of the expedition built boats that sailed along the coast toward Mexico
and were shipwrecked near present-day Galveston. Cabeza de Vaca and some survivors traveled into the interior of what is
now Texas. They survived by adopting the ways of the Karankawa Indians, and they were the first Europeans to see
American buffalo. De Vaca and his followers spent six years among the American Indians in South Texas and moved through
northern Mexico and then southward until they finally reached the city of Culiacan, Mexico in 1536.
On the map, use YELLOW to color the arrow that shows de Vaca’s route. Be sure to color the corresponding arrow in the
map key and write his name. Answer the following questions.
-What skills would Cabeza de Vaca and his men need to have to survive among the Indians?
-Looking at the image above, what activity do Cabeza de Vaca and his men seem to be
engaged in with the Indians?