Spanish Explorers

I will know why Spain sent explorers to new lands.

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​I will know what contribution different explorers gave

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​I will understand the competitive nature of exploration

​Christopher Columbus

• ​Italian Born

• ​Explorer funded by Spain

• ​Believed the earth was round and could sail WEST to arrive EAST

​Columbus

• ​Dreamed of exploring the world

• ​Thought the Earth was small

​October 12, 1492

​Columbus lands on solid ground and claims the Bahamas for Spain.

Alonso Álvarez de Pineda

1519

• Looking for a waterway to China

• Sailed into the Gulf of Mexico

• First to see the coast of America

• Created the first known map of the Gulf Coast of Texas

• Disproved waterway to China

• ​Killed by Native Americans in 1520 but his map made it back to Spain

​MAP

Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca

1528 - 1536

• Crashed off of Texas coast

• built raft and ended up near Galveston

• captured by Native Americans

• escaped and lived with new tribe

• trading and healing the sick

• Traveled through Texas and Mexico

​Shipwreck

Francisco Vázquez de Coronado

1540 - 1542

• Inspired by de Vaca

• led expedition to find gold

• first to travel through Panhandle of Texas

• reported Texas was good for crops but nothing else

• frustrated he never found gold and blamed the Native Americans.

• He killed them even though the King of Spain told him to treat them kindly

Golden City

Hernán Cortés

1528 - 1536

Conquered

Aztecs

​A Spanish conquistador who explored Central America, overthrew Montezuma and his vast Aztec empire and won Mexico for the crown of Spain.

Hernán Cortés