Francisco Vasquez de Coronado: The Search for the Seven Cities of Gold Francisco Vasquez de Coronado was unquestionably one of the most influential explorers of the New World. Close friend of the Viceroy of New Spain and governor of Nueva Galicia for a time, his influence in the Spanish colonies was great, even before he set off on his great expedition to the north. Exploring the far reaches of the Rio Grande River, nearly reaching the southern border of Nebraska, traveling through the great “Staked Plains”, and being the first Europeans to lay eyes upon the Grand Canyon, his expedition was one of the most expansive and thorough explorations of the New World led by Europeans. Claiming great tracts of land across the Pecos River for Spain, …show more content…
he not only increased the influence of Spain but its power and prestige amongst the European nations. Coronado was born in Salamanca, Spain in 1510 to a wealthy aristocrat, he was by no means disadvantaged in his early life.
His father was Juan Vazquez de Coronado y Sosa de Ulloa, a man who held many positions in the administration of the newly conquered Emirate of Granada, the last Muslim stronghold on the Iberian Peninsula to fall to the Reconquista. Francisco, being the second son of Juan Vazquez de Coronado y Sosa de Ulloa, he knew he had no hope of inheriting the family’s vast fortune, so he set off for the New World in 1535. Francisco accompanied his close friend Antonio de Mendoza, who so happened to be the newly appointed Viceroy of New Spain. Here Coronado married Beatriz de Estrada, who was known as “the Saint”. The daughter of Treasurer and Governor Alonso de Estrada y Hidalgo, she possessed a large portion of land in a Mexican estate, which Coronado inherited as a result of their marriage. De Coronado sired eight children with Beatriz, and in 1539 he is appointed to the office of Governor of Nueva …show more content…
Galicia. In 1539 Coronado hears word of seven great cities in the north that possess vast wealth, even greater than the wealth of the Incan Empire. Antonio de Mendoza orders Coronado to assemble an army and organize an expedition to the north in order to find these seven cities and bring their wealth back to New Spain. In February of 1540 Coronado assembles an army at Compostela. At Compostela, Coronado rides at the head of two-hundred and fifty horsemen and seventy Spanish footmen armed with crossbows and harquebuses. Among them were also some three-hundred Mexican Indian allies and over one thousand Indian and African slaves. Coronado sets off for the north on February 23rd, 1540. A month into their search for fortune, the expedition reaches Culiacan, then considered to be the northernmost outpost of European Civilization, halfway up the mainland coast of the Gulf of California. Here he reorganized his force, and at the end of April he set off ahead of the main army with a vanguard formed of two-hundred picked men prepared for rapid advancing, leaving the remainder of his army to follow behind at a slower pace with the baggage trains and four-footed food supplies. Following the river courses upstream, Coronado’s vanguard was soon deep in the mountains. For two months they doggedly pushed ahead, inhospitable terrain steadily growing worse. Eventually, the vanguard reached a level area crossed by well-worn trails which would lead them towards their goal, the Seven Cities. It was near July 4th, 1540, when Coronado gathered his force in front of the first of the “Seven Cities”, and after a brief fight forced his way into the stronghold, the adobe pueblo of Hawikkuh, whose ruins can still be found on a low hill a few miles southwest of the village now occupied by the New Mexican Zuni Indians. Coronado rested here for several weeks, seeking rest and news of the land they now inhabited. A small party was sent northwest, where a group of seven villages was found in a region still occupied by descendants of the Moqui tribes of Tusayan. As a result of this expedition, another party journeyed west until its progress was halted by the Grand Canyon of Colorado, then seen for the very first time by Europeans. The first man known to see it was Garcia Lopez de Cardenas. He and his men, sent by de Coronado, described some of the rocks in the Canyon as being “bigger than the great tower of Seville”. Whilst resting in Cibola, de Coronado sent one of his soldiers with a delegation from the Pecos Pueblo to see the buffalo herds of the Great Plains.
As Alvarado was returning from Pecos, Alvarado noted that de Coronado should move his force to Tiguex for the winter, and seized control of a Pueblo after a short battle, forcing the natives to leave with nothing but the clothes on their backs. He renamed the Pueblo “Coofor” Coronado used Coofor as a military base to demand supplies from the Tiwa people. At first, the expedition traded beads and trinkets for food and clothing for their winter in Coofor. Eventually, supplies grew scarce for the pueblos, and they resisted further trades. Coronado then ordered his men to “take what they needed”. In the winter of 1540-1541, at least on of the pueblo women was raped, and the expeditions' livestock consumed much of the corn the pueblos used to cook in the winter. In December of 1540, the Tiwas responded by killing 60 of the expeditions’ horses and mules. Coronado declared a war of “fire and blood”, which became the Tiguex war. He sent Cardenas with a large force of men and Mexican Indian allies to take a pueblo the Spaniards called Arenal. All of Arenal’s defenders were killed, including an estimated 30 Tiwas who were burned at the stake. The Tiwas retreated from their riverside Pueblos to a mesa-top stronghold named Moho. There was likely a second mesa-top stronghold, but Spanish accounts differ on this matter. Coronado was unable
to conquer the Moho stronghold by force, so he laid siege to it (and the second stronghold, if it existed) for 80 days. When the Moho’s water supply was finally depleted, the Tiwa people attempted to make an escape into the night. The Tiguex War ended in a slaughter when the Spaniards heard the escaping Tiwas and killed nearly all the men and several women. The female survivors would spend the next year in captivity, slaves to the Spaniards. In one of the river villages, Coronado found an Indian slave who claimed to be a native of Quivira, which he described as a wealthy and populous place far to the east. With the Indian as a guide, Coronado set out on April 23rd, 1541, with his whole army to Quivira. They were lead from Cicuye or Pecos down the Pecos river and out to the vast plains where they soon met the herds of countless bison, or, as the Spaniards called them, “Humpbacked oxen”. For five weeks the Spaniards trod onwards, across what is called the “Staked Plains”, moving East. They had most likely crossed the upper branches of the Colorado River of Texas and reached the head waters of the Nueces when Coronado became convinced that his guides was attempting to lose him in the vast rolling prairie. Food supplies were beginning to run low, so he ordered the main army to return to the river pueblos on the Rio Grande. Following the answers of many natives met on the plains, Coronado sent 30 of his freshest men North on a final search for Quivira. For 42 days they followed a compass, who most likely led them three degrees west of a true northward course. At last their guides told them they had reached Quivira, when they were not far from the Great Bend of the Arkansas River. It was a village of Wichita Indian tepees. Coronado spent the next month exploring the surrounding area thoroughly, moving his camp to a large village in the north, and sending out parties in all directions. Finally certain there was nothing to reward his search, he began his journey home. After being led along a much shorter route, which rand along the Santa Fe trail. Every stone had been unturned, and the Spaniards found nothing that they desired. Despite Coronado returning home “very sad and very weary, completely worn out and shame-faced”, and having failed to find any of the things he went in search for, he did do a few great things. He had added to the world, as known by Europeans, an extent of land on the west by the mouth of the Colorado river to the Grand Canyon, the boundless prairies east, and stretching north to the upper waters of the Rio Grande and the southern borders of Nebraska.
Guillermo González Camarena was a Mexican electrical engineer who was the inventor of a color-wheel type of color television, and who also introduced color television to Mexico,
“We are never more truly and profoundly human than when we dance.” Jose Arcadio Limon was a dancer and choreographer born and raised in Mexico. He was inspired to begin his studies in modern dance when he saw a performance of Harald Krutzberg and Yvone Georgi. Limon enrolled at the dance school of Doris Humphrey and Charles Weidman. He continued to work with Humphrey until 1946, when he founded the José Limón Dance Company. His most successful work is called The Moor's Pavane and it is based on Shakespeare's Othello. The Limón Dance Company still exists and is part of the Jose Limon Dance Foundation, an institution dedicated to preserve and disseminate his artistic dance work and technique. Jose Limon is important in the American Dance History
Hernan Cortes, one of the most looked upon leaders of Spain, was an explorer who had claimed Mexico for Spain, back in the early 1500’s. Cortes was born in Medellin, Spain in 1485. He came from a lesser noble family. According to some reports, he studied at the University of Salamanca for some time. In search for a fortune, in 1504, Cortés left Spain for New World. He traveled to the island of Santo Domingo. After settling in the new town of Azúa, Cortés served as a notary. After gaining some experience about the government and exploration under Diego Velazquez for Cuba in 1511, Cortes decided to lead his own expedition to Mexico.
From a proud Conquistador, to a castaway, a slave and trader, and then medicine man, Cabeza de Vaca was the first European to explore much of the southern coast of Texas. Cabeza was a 37 year old military veteran in 1527 when he left on the Narvaez Expedition to find gold and colonize the Gulf Coast. He was the expedition’s treasurer. Cabeza de Vaca was enslaved by Indians in 1528 when one of the rafts the crew made crashed on present day Galveston island, he then escaped in 1530 and joined/was enslaved by another tribe called the Charrucos until his escape with 3 other survivors in 1534. He then walked to Mexico City. Cabeza survived this ordeal because of the incredible patience he had, his skills of diplomacy and goodwill, and his amazing wilderness survival skills.
Many countries have the pleasure of celebrating Independence Days. These historic holidays are filled with nationalistic celebrations and delicious traditional food. In Chile, the natives celebrate their break from Spain with Fiestas Patrias. In Mexico, the president begins the celebration by ringing a bell and reciting the “Grito de Dolores” and he ends his speech by saying “Viva Mexico” three times.
Reading both passages of the two explorers, Christopher Columbus and Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca, gives a great description of how the world was back in the 1500s. Now, although both were Spaniard explorers, each had different experiences and discoveries. One of the differences is how they approached exploring the new world. For instance, Columbus went to find new land in the west, while Cabeza de Vaca went as an expedition to already found lands. In addition, Columbus had a lot of success, while Cabeza de Vaca since the beginning, because of Narváez, “endured many disasters” (Baym, et al., 2013, p. 28). Furthermore, Christopher Columbus considered most important to find more land, and especially the route to reach Asia.
Little is known about Pedro de Cieza de Leon’s youth. Historians have discovered that Pedro de Cieza de Leon was a Spaniard, a conquistador, and a writer of Peru’s history. Pedro de Cieza de Leon was not well educated and had only the most basic education from his local school parish (Atlantis). Although he did not have a superior education, his four part book is reliable because he wrote about what he observed as a conquistador. This document is full of interesting information for the reader to discover the Inca’s way of living.
Díaz del Castillo, Bernal. "The True History of the Conquest of New Spain." In Sources of Making of the West, by Katarine J. Lualdi, 269-273. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2009.
In 1680 the majority of the Pueblo Indians in New Mexico staged a revolt against the Spanish. On the whole the Tigua did not join the revolt. Some believe this is an indication that the Tigua were loyal to the cross and to Spain. This is not entirely accurate. As the southernmost pueblo, location probably had more to do with the fate of the Tigua then anything. The news of this revolt led by an Indian named Pope had...
Through the study of the Peruvian society using articles like “The “Problem of the Indian...” and the Problem of the Land” by Jose Carlos Mariátegui and the Peruvian film La Boca del Lobo directed by Francisco Lombardi, it is learned that the identity of Peru is expressed through the Spanish descendants that live in cities or urban areas of Peru. In his essay, Mariátegui expresses that the creation of modern Peru was due to the tenure system in Peru and its Indigenous population. With the analyzation of La Boca del Lobo we will describe the native identity in Peru due to the Spanish treatment of Indians, power in the tenure system of Peru, the Indian Problem expressed by Mariátegui, and the implementation of Benedict Andersons “Imagined Communities”.
Marcario Garcia was not born in Texas; rather his parents carried him across the border from Mexico to Texas as an infant. The family settled in Sugar Land, Texas, where they worked as lowpaid farm workers and raised ten children. The land was originally owned by the Mexican government and was part of the land grant to Stephen F. Austin. Very early, sugarcane stalks from Cuba were brought to the area and a
The painting entitled `Zapata con el caballo de Cortés` was painted in 1931, eleven years after the end of The Mexican Revolution, by the Mexican muralist – Diego Rivera. It represents the social economic and political revolution in Mexico led by peasants under the conduct of Emiliano Zapata against the authoritarian regime of the former president - Portfolio Diaz. In this analysis I will focus on the characters, the setting, the colours and the way they communicate in the painting.
In 1539 Hernando de Soto and five hundred adventurers began on a journey of exploration that would take 4 years and would travel through 10 states in the southeast United States. His goal was to discover a source of wealth, preferably gold, and around his mines establish a settlement. During his travels through La Florida he encountered numerous groups of native peoples, making friends of some and enemies of others. His expedition was not the first in La Florida; however, it was the most extensive. In its aftermath, thousands of Indians would die by disease that the Spaniards brought from the Old World. De Soto would initially be remembered as a great explorer but, would be later viewed as a destroyer of native culture. However, in truth de Soto was neither a hero or a villain but rather an adventurer.
In 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue. However, even after centuries later, little is truly known of the mysterious voyage and findings of the new world.1 By examining “Letter from Columbus to Luis Santangel”, one can further contextualize the events of Columbus' exploration of the New World. The letter uncovers Columbus' subtle hints of his true intentions and exposes his exaggerated tone that catered to his lavish demands with Spain. Likewise, The Columbian Voyage Map read in accordance with the letter helps the reader track Columbus' first, second, third, and fourth voyage to the New World carefully and conveniently. Thus, the letter and map's rarity and description render invaluable insight into Columbus' intentionality of the New World and its indigenous inhabitants.
In the short story “ Artificial Roses” by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Marquez explores guilt, and its relationship with the church, as well as in the family structure. In the story there are two main characters. Mina, a young woman, who makes a living by creating roses, out of paper and wires, and her blind grandmother. The first thing you learn about the pair is that they share a room. There is an obvious sense from Mina that she feels her personal space is invaded by her blind grandmother. As noted in the film old women are the ones who tell the stories, and have “magical powers.” But Mina is unaware of her grandmothers power of perception, and in the story Mina learns that her grandmother is quite aware of Mina’s actions. The story is essentially a battle of wits, and undeniable guilt, between the two.