Unit II: CONTACT: EUROPE AND AMERICA MEET: 1492-1673

Question/Problem 2: Describe the reasons for and the outcomes of the European Explorers between 1492 and 1673.

Francisco Vasquez de Coronado was born in 1510 in Salamanca, Spain. His family was wealthy. However, Coronado was not going to benefit from their wealth; it was promised to his older brother. In 1535, Coronado sailed to Mexico with Antonio de Mendoza, the Viceroy of Mexico. Later, Coronado became the Governor of the Province of New Galicia in northern Mexico.

Francisco Coronado, like many other explorers, heard the rumors of the seven cities of gold. The Viceroy of Mexico, Mendoza, organized a very large expedition to search for the seven cities of gold. He appointed Coronado to lead the expedition to the n orth of Mexico. At the same time, De Soto was searching for the seven cities of gold in Florida. both Coronado and De Soto were on conquests for gold and silver for Spain. Coronado began his expedition in 1540. It consisted of 230 men wearing armor, 6 2 soldiers on foot, and approximately a thousand Indians as servants and haulers of goods. Also included in the expedition were cattle, mules, and approximately 1,500 horses. Coronado began his journey at Campostela on the northwest coast of Mexico. Hi s departure was much like a parade. With pennants flying, drums beating, and trumpets shrilling, Coronado began his expedition.

Coronado left with high hopes of success. He had been told that the land was level and that food and water supplies were abundant. The opposite proved true. There were many marches where the trails were difficult and almost impassable with very little food for the men and animals. Coronado and his men also encountered dangers such as dealing with rattlesnakes whose bite was dangerous. When Coronado reached the Zuni pueblos, he made contact with industrious, peaceful Indians. They were described as a higher culture. These Indians wove cotton cloth and made turquoise jewelry and beautiful pottery. In addition, they were skillful farmers. However, Coronado found no gold.

Coronado was disappointed and decided to send out exploring parties. They discovered the Hopi villages in Arizona, and the pueblos of the Pecos, the Grand Canyon, and the Rio Grande. Still no gold was discovered. A Plains Indian that had been captured told of treasures in Quivira, a great city to the northeast. After spending the winter near present day Santa Fe, New Mexico, the expedition left in the spring to find Quivira. Coronado and his entourage meandered through the Texas Panhandle and Oklaho ma where they saw great herds of buffalo. They crossed into Kansas and found Quivira, a small Wichita Indian village. Again, Coronado found no gold.

After another disappointment, Coronado decided he had had enough. His expedition spent the winter along the Rio Grande in 1541-42, then returned to Mexico.

Even though Coronado was a conquistador, he was in some ways different from other Spanish explorers. He was good to his men. Coronado organized ways for them to get food through finding corn and buffalo hunting. He gave back more to the land than he t ook from it. Many horses were turned loose or escaped during Coronado's expedition. Descendants of these horses were tamed and used by the Indians. These horses changed the hunting and fighting styles of the Indians. This had a great impact on the set tlement and history of the West. Coronado's contact did not result in gold and silver for Spain, but he did contribute to the development of the American West.