Estevanico was assuredly the first African to traverse
Texas
, and, in the company of three Spaniards, reentered Texas from Mexico at La Junta de los Ríos. From La Junta, the trekkers eventually made their way across northwest Mexico to the Pacific Coast.
Why did Esteban Dorantes explore?
The testimonies from their journey would fuel the rumors of
wealthy civilizations
in the north
1
. Viceroy Antonio de Mendoza began dreaming of the expedition to find these fabled cities of “Tierra Nueva” and desired experienced travelers to lead a reconnaissance expedition to scout the region.
What country did Estevanico explore for?
| Name Estevanico | Known For Discoverer of New Mexico |
|---|
Who paid for Estevanico travel?
The Viceroy sent Estevanico on an expedition in 1539 with the
Franciscan Fray Marcos de Niza
. Francisco de Coronado outfitted Estevanico for this trip to find the fabled seven cities of Cibola.
Where did Estevanico grow up?
Estevanico was born in the
port city of Azemmour, Morocco
, circa 1503.
Who was the first African explorer?
| Estevanico | Other names Esteban the Moor, Little Stephen, Esteban de Dorantes, Mustafa Azemmouri |
|---|
What is Estevanico best known for?
Estevanico (1500?-1539), often called
“the Black
,” was a Moroccan slave who accompanied Cabeza de Vaca on his odyssey through the southwestern United States. His visit to the “Seven Cities of Cibola” preceded that of Coronado.
Who killed Esteban?
Periodically, Esteban sent back information with Mexican Indian scouts, but he pushed on and reached the pueblo of Hawikku in western New Mexico, where he disappeared from history, ostensibly killed by
the Zuni
.
Who was the first African to set foot in Texas?
The group included a Moorish slaved named
Estevanico
, the first African to enter what is now Texas. But, the most well-known is Álvar Nuñez Cabeza de Vaca. For eight years, he traveled through Texas and the Southwest, living sometimes as a trader, and sometimes as a slave.
What did Estevanico do in Texas?
By early 1535 these four castaways had escaped their captors by fleeing south along the inner coast and entering Mexico near the present-day Falcón Lake Reservoir. Estevanico was assuredly the
first African to traverse Texas
, and, in the company of three Spaniards, reentered Texas from Mexico at La Junta de los Ríos.
What tribe did the explorers face when they landed on the Gulf Coast?
The Karankawa Indians
are an American Indian cultural group whose traditional homelands are located along Texas’s Gulf Coast from Galveston Bay southwestwardly to Corpus Christi Bay. The name Karankawa became the accepted designation for several groups of coastal people who shared a common language and culture.
Which expedition did not come ashore in Texas?
After landing near Boca Ciega Bay, about 15 miles north of the entrance to Tampa Bay,
Narváez
and his pilots determined that their landing place was not suitable for settlement.
What was Panfilo de Narvaez goal?
He is most remembered as the leader of two failed expeditions: In 1520 he was sent to Mexico by the Governor of Cuba Diego Velázquez de Cuéllar, with the objective
of stopping the invasion by Hernán Cortés
which had not been authorized by the Governor.
Where did Esteban de Dorantes Explorer?
Esteban’s experience as a survivor of the failed Pánfilo de Narváez expedition to Florida in 1528 made him a natural choice to lead an exploration into the fabled lands of the north in what is now
northern Mexico as well as Arizona and New Mexico
.
What was the name of the island where Cabeza de Vaca’s barge landed?
Cabeza de Vaca and eighty Spanish castaways landed on
Galveston Island
, along the Texas coast.
