explorers of new spain - alvin independent school district · exploration god gold glory. ... he...
TRANSCRIPT
Motivations for exploration
Technological Advances
Improved navigational methods:
Magnetic compass and astrolabe
Improved maps and charts
Improved ship design
The caravel made travel easier
65 feet long = more space for food/people
Able to explore close to shore
Larger sails for easier movement and power
Improved weapons
Gunpowder a Chinese invention gave sailors the
confidence that they could protect themselves if they were
attacked.
Cannons
Motivations for expedition
Desire for Wealth
Gain access to the spice, sugar and silk trade which
Arab and Italian merchants had a monopoly on.
Find new sources of gold and silver
Growth of Nation
More centralized power at home allowed for an
outward push and colonization of new lands
Religious devotion/Crusading Spirit
Desire to convert new people to Christianity
Desire for adventure
fortune, fame and glory
Gold
Gold!!!
Europeans wanted to cut the middle man out. They were
tired of having to go through the Middle East and Italy for
silks and spices.
They tried to find new trade routes so they could have a
new source of wealth (silks and spices)
God
Spread of Christianity
Many believed it was their duty to spread their religion
and convert people to Christianity
Bartolomeu Dias- “To serve God and His Majesty, to give
light to those who were in darkness, and to grow rich as
all men desire to do.”
Glory
Power
Being “The First”
First to:
Find a spice
Find an area
Create a trading port
Control a country
Bartolomeu Dias
Known for: Africa
Why in Texas? He never went to Texas
Impact on the world: His voyage along the coast of Africa indicated
their might be a sea route to Asia, which would later inspire other
explorers to sail west across the Atlantic Ocean.
Impact on Texas: Inspired Christopher Columbus to sail west across
the Atlantic Ocean.
Additional Information: He was the first European known to have
reached the Indian Ocean from the Atlantic.
1488
Christopher Columbus
1492
Sailed for: He was Italian but he sailed for Spain trying to find a faster route to India.
Known For: West Indies/ New World
Why in Texas? He never went to Texas or North America but he was the first in the West Indies/ New World
Impact of Expedition: His mission was a failure as he did not discover a faster route to India. It was a success because he opened up the New World to Europe
Impact on Texas: Because of him the Spanish started exploration in North America which would lead to exploration of Texas.
Additional Information: His voyage took him 33 days and in the years following Spanish explorers would claim the land and all its resources for Spain.
Alonso Alvarez de Pineda
1519
Sailed for: Spain
Known For: Mapping the Texas Coast
Why in Texas? The governor of Jamaica ordered Pineda to explore
this new area in order to find a route to the Pacific
Impact of Expedition: Success he mapped the coast but failed to find
an route to the Pacific
Impact on Texas: He was the first to observe and map the Texas
Coast
Additional Information: his voyage ended when his men encountered
Hernan Cortes who perceived him as a rival and arrested the
messengers he sent ashore. Pineda then withdrew back up the
Mexican coast.
Hernan Cortez
Sailed for: Spain
Known For: Conquering the Aztec Empire
Why in Texas? He never went to Texas
Impact of Expedition: Cortes purpose for exploring was to get glory
and gold and spread Gods word for Spain. He conquered the Aztec
Empire and became the first “governor” of New Spain (Mexico)
Impact on Texas: He inspired others to explore more territory in North
America
Additional Information: Destroyed the Aztec capital and built the new
city of Mexico (named after the word that Aztecs called themselves)
on its ruins
1521
Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca
Sailed for: Spain
Known For: Being shipwrecked and captured by the Karankawas
(Narvaez was killed during this time)
Why in Texas? It was an accident he was shipwrecked while looking
for gold on a large expedition lead by Panfilo de Narvaez.
Impact of Expedition: Narvaez’s group was the first Europeans to
enter what is now Texas and Narvaez hoped to conquer the area
between Florida and Mexico but failed.
Impact on Texas: After escaping the Karankawas Cabeza de Vaca
passed on tales he had heard about cities with magnificent horses
and lands rich with copper, emeralds and turquoise—that led to
more exploration of Texas
Additional Information: Cabeza de Vaca was enslaved by the
Karankawas for several years until he escaped and fled to Mexico
where he told stories about his adventures.
1528-1536
Francisco Vasquez De Corondao
Explored for: Spain
Known for: being the first European to explore the Texas panhandle
Why in Texas? He was searching for the 7 cities of Gold
Impact of Expedition: His original mission was a failure, he did not
find gold or the seven cities. He crossed the “Sea of Grass” (Texas
Panhandle)
Impact on Texas: Explored the Great Plains of Texas and told about
buffalo and villages along the way.
Additional Notes: After five months of travel he landed in a Zuni
settlement which is now western New Mexico. Disappointed in not
finding gold he sent small groups to explore different directions. One
group found a Pawnee called Turk who told about a place called the
Great plains said to be filled with treasure. It wasn’t, so Coronado
sentenced Turk to death and claimed Texas for Spain.
1540-1542
Hernan de Soto and
Luis de Moscoso
Sailed for: Spain
Known For: The Mississippi River and East Texas
Why in Texas? Hernan de Soto and his men were looking for Gold
when he died. Moscoso took command of the group and lead
them down the Mississippi River and into East Texas. The exact
route is unknown
Impact of Expedition: de Soto and Moscoso’s original mission was
a failure since they did not find gold but they did find petroleum
(which is kind of like gold )
Impact on Texas: First Europeans to reach the Mississippi River
and First Europeans in East Texas.
Additional Information: The exact route of Moscoso’s expedition is
unknown but historians suggest they made it as far as
Nacogdoches to the Guadalupe River before low food supplies
made them return to Mexico.
1539-1543
de Soto
de
Moscoso
Rene’ Robert Cavelier de La
Salle
Sailed for: France
Known For: First French explorer to enter the area of present day
Texas
Why in Texas? He was lost while looking for the Mississippi River.
Impact of Expedition: The French settled in Fort St. Louis and
claimed Texas for the French for two years.
Impact on Texas: Fort St. Louis was the first French settlement near
modern Corpus Christi. Now France had a claim in Texas to rival
Spain. The Spanish became paranoid that the French would take
over Texas so they became more serious about settling Texas.
Additional Information: with no ships and few supplies La Salle
decided to walk to the nearest French outpost in the Great Lakes in
order to resupply Fort St. Louis. Along the way members of the
expedition refused to continue the trip. They led a mutiny, or a
rebellion against LaSalle and murdered him on March 19, 1687
1685-1687