Jenny Livingston
Dr. John Barton
HIST 3810
Dominguez Escalante Journal In July 1776, a Spanish exploration team led by two priests, Francisco Atanasio Dominguez and Silvestre Velez de Escalante, set out in search of an overland route from Santa Fe (in present day New Mexico) to the Roman Catholic Mission in Monterey, California. This was not the only motive of this expedition, however, as it was also important for the friars to make contact with the indigenous people and look for potential locations for future Spanish settlements and Missions. While the Dominguez-Escalante expedition utterly failed in its attempt to establish a new route to Monetary, and their missionary goals never came to fruition, the exploratory journey was successful
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The group included Fathers Dominguez and Escalante, eight Spaniards recruited in New Mexico and El Paso, and four more from southwestern Colorado . Along the route in Colorado, the group encountered Utes (whom they referred to as Yutas) several times. They eventually convinced two to join them as guides. These guides were given the Spanish names Silvestre and Joaquin. They proved to be invaluable to the group’s success in their travels. Another vital member of the group was Berenardo Mierra y Pacheco who drew a detailed map of the area, which turned out to contain several inaccuracies, but was still influential to future …show more content…
They decided to “cast lots” and let God decide what they should do . After some resistance, the party turned back toward Santa Fe, traveling through unknown territory. The most strenuous part of the journey lay ahead of them. Without a guide, and with winter in full force, the expedition had to navigate the labyrinth of canyons along the Colorado River. They lost nearly month of precious time and failed at several attempts before finally finding a place to cross the river. This treacherous passage became known as the “Crossing of the Fathers” and it was so dangerous and tumultuous that they had to carve steps into the stone to ensure the livestock could make it down to the
From the moment Hernan Cortes landed in Mexico and began his campaign against the Aztec empire, the people of the new world were doomed to be conquered by both technological and biological means. Smallpox, a disease that had never been experienced in America before the arrival of the Europeans devastated large scale native populations. The abandonment of the famous lost city of Machu Picchu stands as a famous example of the devastation of native populations.
A man who had to devour anything he could see. A man who had to drink water from a horse container to survive. A man who had to make his own hole for warmth. That man was Cabeza de Vaca. During Cabeza de Vaca's expedition, he shipwrecked near present day Galveston Island, Texas. This caused a life threatening situation. Cabeza de Vaca survived his eight year journey for three reasons: his wilderness skills, his success as a healer, and his respect for the Native Americans.
Milanich, Jerald T. and Susan Milbrath., ed. First Encounters: Spanish Exploration in the Caribbean and the United States1492-1570. Gainesville: U of Florida P, 1989.
An important figure in pioneering of the old southwest was the trader. The men of these days who became traders were the men who forged the way for the settlers, made peace with many Indians and even fought intertribal wars with the Indians. During a time when the Spaniards in Florida were trying to pull together Indian tribes in the Spanish and French territories to fight the English settlers, the trader was a man who was able to prevent this from happening. The trader, being friends with groups of Indians, was warned of such attacks by his Indian allies and he was then able to gather warriors to defend settlements. It was important to the trader to keep Indian allies such as the Chickasaws, the Iroquois, and a large majority of the Creek tribe.
Missions were created to bring the word of God to a new land. They thought the Indians deserved a chance to go to heaven.. The country of Spain helped the Catholic church and the Spanish priests. They wanted to strengthen the Spanish Empire over in the New World. The thought they could teach the Indians how to be like the Spanish. Spain thought the Indians could become Spanish citizens. This would give the king more power. The missions were set up between 1769 and 1823 in California. The Spanish also build forts called "presidios." Presidios were supposed to protect California from foreign troops like the Russians and the British. Spain already had missions in Mexico. They went to Alta California which is not a part of Mexico. They made a trail of missions called the El Camino Real. El Camino Real means "Royal Highway" in Spanish. They called it this to honor the king of Spain. Each mission had a Franciscan priest called a "padre." Padre means "father" in Spanish. The head of the priests was Padre Junipero Serra.
The Cahuilla were a Native Southern Californian tribe that occupied the Riverside County, Higher Palomar Mountain Region and East Colorado Desert. The tribe was divided into two groups or moieties know as Wildcats or Coyotes. The Cahuilla lived in small clans that varied in population, and together all the separate clans made up a larger political group called a sib ”http://www.aguacaliente.org/content/History%20&%20Culture/.” The tribe was at first considered to be very simple and savage because they were never interacted with. As the Europeans and Spanish Missionaries considered the desert an inhospitable place that was better to avoid because of its lack of food resources. Little did those European and Spanish missionaries know that the land was ripe with food, only if you knew the land and the seasons. The Cahuilla were a very interesting tribe that cared and loved their land and in return the land would provide them with an abundance of food and resources. The Cahuilla had a very simple yet intricate life that involved a seasonal migration in order to gain access to different foods. They relied on different ways of acquiring food which involved both hunting and gathering.
Juan Ponce de Leon in 1513 discovered Florida and was later met by a southern Indian tribe that would cut Leon’s triumphant moment short. A second attempt to colonize in America was led unsuccessful by Panfilo de Norvaez in 1528. Many men were lost at sea and others were among the Indian people. The first Spanish expedition in 1539 to what would later be known as Florida was an invasion that would be soon attacked twice by natives. Herman de Soto and his group of men in 1542 were defeated along with the rest of the Spanish attempts. Francisco Vasquez de Coronado was another explorer in 1540 that attempted to bring back any rare goods to Spain. The army traveled through the southwest and to the Great Plains, returning empty-handed.
When they reached the mainland, they met some of the San Sebastian settlers who had abandoned the settlement because they lacked food and the Indians were very dangerous there. The two groups united and went back to San Sebastian. Balboa, who had more
In the documentary, Conquistadors and The Fall of the Aztecs, narrated by Michael Wood. It follows Michael Wood, who embarks the journey of Hernan Cortes, a poor boy who studied law, whom eventually led by his dreams became known as a Spanish Conquistador. In seek of wealth, he lead soldiers to the west to their surprise they discover a whole new civilization. In order to communicate with the unknowns, Mayans and Aztecs, he acquired a slave-girl by the name of Molly Molly. Molly spoke both mine and nawafill, with her help he was able to fulfill his destiny.
Spain’s initial goals were to discover gold or other mineral wealth, explore the new world, spread Catholicism, and overall, continue Christopher Columbus’s goal of finding passage to the east.
Imagine traveling 3,700 miles of mountains and dangerous terrain while confronting the most savage of creatures including 600 pound bears and Native Americans with spears, bows and clubs. Every night you risk almost freezing to death and starvation while having to eat candles and sometimes your own horses just to stay alive. Lewis and Clark had to do just this along with their crew. They had to use three skills to survive through all of this. They had to show courage, commitment and most importantly resourcefulness. Lewis and Clark are some of the Bravest people that ever lived.
In the early 1700's, the country of Spain sent many explorers to the western world to claim land and find riches. When California was founded by several Spanish explorers, like Cabrillo, and De Anza, Spain decided to send missionaries to build missions. There are a total of 21 missions built in California. Mission Santa Ines was the 19th mission and was built to share the European God with the Indians and how to eat and dress like Europeans. Father Tapis wanted to make the Indians Christians and civilize them as well as keep and claim land for Spain. The missions were built near harbors, bays or rivers so the towns could grow the needed crops to survive, and to bring more Europeans, and show the Indians more European ways. The Indians built the missions under the supervision of the padres along El Camino Real, the Royal Road, where there was a water supply for the mission gardens and crops. The first mission built along El Camino Real was built in 1769, and the mission period lasted 54 years with the last mission built in 1823.
Cabeza de Vaca’s Adventures in the Unknown Interior of America shows that while Christians thought themselves superior to natives, both sides were diverse and could commit good, bad, or neutral behavior towards each other. Therefore, the Indians and the Christians were much more similar than different. This is apparent in de Vaca’s accounts of Indian to Indian behavior, Christian to Christian behavior, and Indian to Christian behavior (and vice-versa).
Born a poor Spaniard to a family of lesser nobility but well educated, Hernán Cortés was born in Medellin, Spain. In 1519 Diego Velázquez appointed Hernán Cortés as leader and ordered him to lead an expedition to secure and conquer Mexico. Prior to their journey a disagreement between both of them triggered Velázquez to rescind his instructions he had made to send Cortés to Mexico. Cortés disregarding Velázquez orders proceeded and set sail to Mexico with a small private army of an estimate of 508 men from their Spanish base in Cuba to Mexico arriving at the Yucatán Peninsula in 1519 with motives of trade and exploration. The success of this voyage presented Cortés a title in which he would be remembered as “a veteran of the Caribbean phase of Spanish overseas expansion.” (3)
Lewis and Clark, and Pike did explorations to the Louisiana Purchase and to the south and west. They both were sent by the president Jefferson but the difference is that Lewis and Clark went on a secret expedition and Pike didn’t. Pike’s expedition started the same year that Lewis and Clark were coming back home and it only lasted 1 year. Lewis and clark’s expedition lasted about 3 years. in both of the expeditions, Native Americans were contacted. Pike did make a big mistake which was that he accidentally ended up in Spanish territory and they even built up a fort there. Lewis and Clark’s expedition is considered more valuable because they got to hold councils with some native american tribes, they found an easy ways to get to the Louisiana