Age of Contact - Cortez, Pineda, de Vaca

OBJ: Today I will identify Cortez, Pineda and
de Vaca and their contribution to the
exploration of Texas.

DOL: I know I have i when I can identify the
significance Cortez, Pineda and de Vaca to the
exploration of Texas.

Age of Contact

Cortez, Pineda, and de Vaca

Explorer: Columbus (1492)

Year He Discovered the West Indies
Known for West Indies/New World

Why in Texas? He wasn’t!!!

Impact of Expedition Failure – he didn’t discover

a faster route to India
Success – he opened up
the “New World” to Europe

Impact on Texas Started Spanish exploration

in North America (Texas)

Explorer: Cortez (1519-1521)

Year he landed to when he conquered
Known for Mexico/Aztecs

Why in Texas? He wasn’t!!! BUT his purpose for exploring

was to get GOLD, GLORY and GOD for Spain

Impact of Expedition Success - conquered the Aztecs and became

the first “governor” of New Spain (Mexico)

Impact Inspired others to explore more

territory in North America

Year TX History began (the year he mapped our coast in 1519)

Known for

mapping the coast of Texas

Why in Texas? The governor of Jamaica ordered Pineda to

explore this new area in order to find a route to the
Pacific

Impact ofExpedition Success (he mapped the coast)

Failure (no route to the Pacific)

Impact on Texas 1st to observe and map the Texas Coast

Explorer: Pineda (1519)

Cuba

Florida
Texas

Mexico

Years he was stranded in North America
Known for SHIPWRECK

Why in Texas? Oops… it was an accident… shipwrecked

(looking for GOLD in FL, Narvaez was killed)

Impact of Expedition Failure – no GOLD, no GLORY… but he did…
meet the Karankawas, Texas’ 1st explorer, 1st surgeon, 1st author with
Relacion

Impact on Texas Told tales of cities of gold , described the lands of
Texas– led to more exploration

Explorer: Cabeza de Vaca (1528-1536)

www.texasbeyondhistory.net

Click on “Prehistoric”

Choose “South Texas Plains”

Click on “Kids Activities”

Choose the “Journey with an
Explorer”

Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca

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Left Spain on ship with 500 settlers to
colonizes on the northern shores of the
Gulf of Mexico

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de Vaca was 37 and the treasurer for the
expedition

●

Landed in Florida, thought Florida was
much closer to Mexico

●

Began search for gold
○

Disease as well as Natives killed many
men

○

Hiked about 250 miles and gave up on
their gold hunt

○

242 still alive

○

Built ships to sail to Mexico

Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca

○

Survivors landed Galveston (called it "Island of Doom")

○

Only 80 left alive

●

They were enslaved by Native Americans

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Four men survived to reach Mexico City

●

Traveling with these four men de Vaca explored the inter of
modern day Texas on his journey, first know to have done this

Questions?

● What are the characteristics of the Age of Contact era?

● What are the motives for European exploration?

● What was the impact of European exploration in

Texas?

Wealthy European nations competing for America.

God, gold, and glory!!!

Trade for native people. War and death for native people.