European Explorers in Texas
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European Explorers in Texas 1519-1700 The Reconquista Since the A.D. 700s, Spanish Christians battled to regain control of Spain. During that time, Spain was controlled by the Moors, an Islamic people. The Christians believed that God wanted them to drive out the Moors. The struggle ended in 1492 when Spanish Christians drove the Moors out of Granada. This 800-year struggle was called the Reconquista, or reconquest. The Moors were an Islamic people who originally came from northwest Africa. The Reconquista cont. The Moors gain control of Spain. 800 years of struggle, called the Reconquista, begin as Spain fights to retake the land. Spain drives the Moors out. The defeat of the Moors inspires Spain to explore other lands. Spain funds Christopher Columbus’s overseas voyage. His success leads to the voyages of more explorers. Christopher Columbus The king of Portugal turned down Columbus’s request for support. The successful end of the Reconquista in 1492 inspired Queen Isabella and Kind Ferdinand of Spain to back Columbus’s voyage. Columbus promised to find new trade routes to China and India. Columbus failed to find a direct route to Asia. He landed in the Caribbean instead. The gold and captive Indians he brought back convinced the king and queen of Spain that America would provide the wealth they had hoped to find in Asia. The Conquistadors & the Three G’s Spanish soldiers who sailed to America were called conquistadors, or conquerors. These fierce, determined soldiers had several goals known as the three G’s: Gold – To find the legendary Seven Cities of Cíbola Glory – To obtain great wealth and glory God – To bring their religion to “non-believers” The Aztec Empire In 1519, the Aztec emperor Moctezuma II welcomed the Spanish conquistador Hernan Cortés to the Aztec capital city, Tenochtitlán. Moctezuma thought Cortés was a god because of the way that the sun reflected on his metal armor. The Spanish killed hundreds of unarmed Indians for performing a non-Christian ceremony. The Aztecs drove them from Tenochtitlán. Cortés and his men responded by attacking and destroying Tenochtitlán. The Spanish built Mexico City on the ruins of that once magnificent city. Cortés & the Aztecs Hernán Cortés had several advantages that helped him defeat the powerful Aztecs in Mexico: Horses - These animals were unknown to the Aztecs. They enabled soldiers to travel great distances. Weapons - Cortés had steel swords, guns, armor, and cannons against the Aztecs’ bows and arrows, clubs, and spears. Allies - The Aztecs forced their conquered enemies to pay them tribute, a payment of food and other valuables. Some of these angry, defeated Indians joined Cortés in his struggle against the Aztecs. After Cortés Within a few years, Spain controlled all the land of present-day Mexico. This land became the viceroyalty of New Spain. The Spanish then spread into Central and South America. Spanish explorers carried common childhood illnesses with them. The Indians had no resistance to these diseases, so many died from them. The Spanish completed their conquest of Central and South America in a matter of a few years. Viceroyalty - land that is ruled by an official chosen by a monarch Viceroy - the official who rules that land Alonso Álvarez de Pineda In the year 1519, another Spanish conquistador named Captain Alonso Álvarez de Pineda sailed along the Gulf of Mexico in search of a water route to the Pacific Ocean. This voyage gave the Spanish their first accurate information about the Texas coast, including a well-drawn map. The Nárvaez Disaster In 1527, Panfilo de Nárvaez led an expedition to explore the Gulf Coast from Florida to northern Mexico. The expedition was a disaster. Half his crew sailed off, abandoning the other half who had ventured inland. Many of those soldiers suffered sickness and hunger. Desperate to return to Spain, they set off on homemade rafts. During a storm they were tossed up on San Luis Island, near Galveston. They were the first known Europeans to set foot on Texas soil. Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca was one of the few Narváez survivors. Soon after he was washed ashore, Cabeza de Vaca was captured by Karankawas. He gained a reputation as powerful shaman after he removed an arrow from a wounded Karankawa and stitched up the wound. He later met up with three fellow Narváez survivors. He became a trader and traveled widely across coastal Texas. In his travels, Cabeza de Vaca kept a journal where he wrote about the new things he saw in Texas, like the bison. Later, the journal was published as a book and titled Relación. Shaman - a medicine man Bison - buffalo, an animal Spaniards had never seen before exploring Texas Relación - Cabeza de Vaca’s account of his time in Texas. It hinted at the existence of the Seven Cities of Cíbola in Texas. Marcos de Niza and Estevanico’s Expedition Marcos de Niza was a priest who led a group to find the legendary Seven Cities of Cíbola. The Viceroy of New Spain appointed Estevanico to be the group’s guide. Estevanico was an enslaved Moor who traveled through Texas with Cabeza de Vaca. Estevanico sent back a report that he had found Cíbola. Soon afterward, he was killed by Indians. In fear, Marcos de Niza turned back. He reported that he had seen Cíbola from the top of a hill. His report convinced many that rich lands lay waiting. De Soto and Moscoso From 1539 to 1543, Hernando de Soto explored the land that is now the southeastern United States, in search of riches. Upon De Soto’s death, Luis de Moscoso Alvarado took over the expedition. His group made it their goal to reach Mexico by land. The Caddoes they met on their travels greeted them by saying “Tayyas,” meaning friends. This is how Texas got its name. Finding no gold, Moscoso’s men went back to the Mississippi River and returned to Mexico by sea. On that voyage, they stumbled upon petroleum, the substance that provides oil, gasoline, and other fuels. The Spanish did not immediately recognize the value of this “black gold.” Coronado Heads North In 1540, Spain sent explorer Francisco Vásquez de Coronado to conquer Cíbola and take its treasure. Coronado found no gold in Cíbola. He continued searching the area for something of value, with no luck. In 1542, he returned to Mexico. He reported that the land to the north offered nothing of value to the Spanish. Coronado’s men were the first Europeans to see the Grand Canyon. Coronado’s treasure hunt brought him as far north as present-day Kansas. La Salle’s Expedition French explorers trapped and traded furs throughout much of North America. Along the way, they claimed land for France. French explorer La Salle searched for the Northwest Passage, a water route that would provide a shortcut to Asia. At this time, France and Spain were at war. La Salle claimed for France all the land that drained into the Mississippi River, including part of Texas. He named the land Louisiana, after the French king, Louis XIV. La Salle planned to build a fort at the mouth of the Mississippi River. He wanted to expand his trade empire and have a base for an attack on Mexico. La Salle’s Expedition cont. In 1684, La Salle set sail from France. His plan was to build Fort St. Louis near the mouth of the Mississippi River. His expedition faced many problems: La Salle was difficult to get along with and argued with his naval officers. Pirates and shipwrecks plagued the expedition. The Spaniards captured one of his four ships. La Salle lost crew members and supplies. La Salle’s crew missed the Mississippi River. They landed instead at present-day Matagorda Bay. Fort St. Louis Fort St. Louis Harsh living conditions made many explorers sick. The French had hostile relations with the local tribe, the Karankawas. During La Salle’s search for a safer location for the fort, his men staged a mutiny, a revolt of soldiers or sailors against their leaders. They murdered La Salle in 1687. Fort St. Louis Destroyed La Salle had taken most of his able-bodied men with him on his search for the Mississippi. After his death, they ran away or were killed by Indians. The Karankawas attacked the vulnerable fort and took the five remaining settlers captive. Spain Reacts Soon, the Spanish learned about La Salle’s arrival in their territory. They set out to find the French intruders. Since they did not know the territory they claimed was theirs, it took them a year to find La Salle’s fort. The fort was deserted. However, the Spanish realized that they would need to pay more attention to Texas if they wanted to control it.
