Figure 1.--

Spanish Conquistador Francisco Vázquez de Coronado is remembered now as the leader of the most incredible Spanish expedition seeking gold. Coronado was born to a noble family in Salamanca (1510). As a young man at court he was captivated by the amazing stories of adventure and riches coming from the Americas. He befriended Antonio de Mendoza. The Crown appointed Mendoza viceroy of New Spain (1535). New Spain (modern Mexico) was at the time the center if the developing Spanish Empire. Coronado accompanied Mendoza to New Spain as his assistant. Coronado proved invaluable. He suppressed a slave rebellion and brutally pacified the Native Americans still resisting the Spanish. He married Beatriz Estrada, the wealthy daughter of the colonial treasurer. Mendoza appointed Coronado governor of New Galicia, a province at the edge of Spanish control in western Mexico (1538). The Spanish including Mendoza were fascinated by fantastic accounts of the Seven Golden Cities of Cibola to the north of New Spain. Today we know tht these tales were myths. But at the time they did not seem any more fantastic that what the Spanish had found in the Aztec's Tenochititlan. And they not only had Native American accounts, but reports from the survivors of the Pánfilo de Narváez expedition. Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca reported the accounts. Mendoza organized a small expedition under Estéban, the slave who have been another survivor of the Pánfilo de Narváez expedition (1539). Fray Marcos de Niza verifed de Vaca's reports. Fray Marcos heard of the cities from Native Americans. (Such accounts were usually designed to get the Spanish to move on. In his report to Mendoza, Fray Marcos claimed that he had seen one of the cities. That was enough for Mendoza. He organized an impressive and very costly expedition, 1,400 men and 1,500 animals. [Hutchins] This included Some 300 Spaniards bolstered by hundreds of native auxileries marched north. With them came slave laborers and horses as well as food on the hoof (herds of sheep, pigs and cattle). Two ships were placed under the command of Hernando de Alarcón to support the expedition. They sailed into the Gulf of California and discovered the mouth of the Colorado River (August 1540). Mendoza put Coronado in command of the land force to seize the fabulous treasure. Coronado's force left Compostela and proceeded north up the west coast of Mexico (February 1540). They reached Culiacán, the northern-most outpost of New Galicia. The expedition continued north, crossing the San Pedro River into what is now Arizona (April 1540). Coronado can not be criticized for not pusuing his assignment. He conducted an exaustive search throughout what is now the southwestern United States. It was a brutal expedituon. They found only desolate Native American villages with few valuables. This did not discourage Coronado. He had to be ordered back to Mexico (1542). Governor Mendoza was hard pressed by the Mixtón Rebellion in central Mexico. Only 100 of the men he left with made it back. And by the time he arrived, the Mixtón Rebellion had already been defeated. Coronado's expedition had been a complete and costly failure. He retained his position as governor of Nueva Galicia. The expedition, however, bankrupted him. The Native American tribes at the time did not have horses in any numbers. Horses were a European import. As a result, of the expedition and escaping horses, a ferral population began to develop on the Great Plains which changed the culture of the Plains tribes. The Native Americans now had a more effective way of hunting buffalo. While the expedition was a total failure, it did established Spain's claim to what is now northern Mexico and the southwestern United States.

Family

Coronado was born to a noble family in Salamanca (1510).

Childhood

As a young man at court he was captivated by the amazing stories of adventure and riches coming from the Americas. He befriended Antonio de Mendoza.

Conquest of the Aztec Empire (15-19-22)

Spain at the beginning of the 16th century was a rising, newly unified power in Europe. Although it had lost some of its power with the rise of important nation states, the papacy at the beginning of the 16th century still had unrivaled moral aithority. Sanish diplomacy and a new pope obtained papal blessing for a new Spanish empire, in effect spliting the worls between Spain and Portugal. Spain then colonized the Caribbean and then hearing rumors of a rich inland empire began to plan to colonize the mainland. The Aztec were a war-like people located in the central valley of Mexico and dominated much of southern Mexico during the 15th and early 16th centuries until the arrival of the Spanish conquistadores. Their capital Tenochtitlan was unknown to Europe, but was one of the great cities of the world. Diego Velasquez, Spanih Governor of Cuba, put a trusted soldier, Hernando Cortez, in charge of an expedition to the mainland. Hernando Cortés sailed from Cuba in 1519. He had only a small force, but it was equipped with horses, fire arms, and cannon. His men had steel body armor. Cortez confronted Indian armies that were vastly superior. He seized upon the strateguy of forming alliances with vassal Indian nations within the Aztec Empire that were willing to fight with him. The first alliance was with the Totonacs. Some of his soldiers, mostly Vlasquez loyalists planned to seize on of the ships and return to Cuba. Cortez took the dramatic action of sinking all but one of the shipps. He then made a dramatic appeal to the men, wining the support of mot of the expedition. Cortez's army left the Totonac capital (August 16, 1519). The expedition counted 400 soldiers, 15 horses, and 7 artillery pieces. With them were 1,300 Totonac warriors, and 1,000 porters. The Totonac force was small in comparison to the forces the Aztecs could marshall. Even so it was significant. Not only did it quadruple Cortez's force, but it provide allies which were familiar with local conditions. Without the Tononac alliance, Cortez's expedition may not have even reached Tenochtitlan. The tsory of the conquest is one of courage and audacity mingled with avarice, treachery, and crulty and stands in sharp contrast to that of North America where colonization was largely based on the desire for religious expression and land to farm. For Spain with it's poweful army, the gold and silver which began to flow from Mecico turned Spain for a century into a European super power.

New Spain

The Crown appointed Mendoza viceroy of New Spain (1535). New Spain (modern Mexico) was at the time the center if the developing Spanish Empire. Coronado accompanied Mendoza to New Spain as his assistant. This was only a few years after the Conquest and Spain wasjust beginning to impose its rule. Coronado proved invaluable to Mendoza. He suppressed a slave rebellion and brutally pacified the Native Americans still resisting the Spanish.

Family

He married Beatriz Estrada, the wealthy daughter of the colonial treasurer.

New Galacia

Mendoza appointed Coronado governor of New Galicia, a province at the edge of Spanish control in western Mexico (1538).

El Dorado Myth

The Spanish including Mendoza were fascinated by fantastic accounts of the Seven Golden Cities of Cibola to the north of New Spain. Today we know tht these tales were myths. But at the time they did not seem any more fantastic that what the Spanish had found in the Aztec's Tenochititlan. And they not only had Native American accounts, but reports from the survivors of the Pánfilo de Narváez expedition. Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca reported the accounts. Mendoza organized a small expedition under Estéban, the slave who have been another survivor of the Pánfilo de Narváez expedition (1539). Fray Marcos de Niza verifed de Vaca's reports. Fray Marcos heard of the cities from Native Americans. (Such accounts were usually designed to get the Spanish to move on. In his report to Mendoza, Fray Marcos claimed that he had seen one of the cities.

Expedition (1540-42)

All the rumors were enough for Mendoza. He organized an impressive and very costly expedition, 1,400 men and 1,500 animals. [Hutchins] This included Some 300 Spaniards bolstered by hundreds of native auxileries marched north. With them came slave laborers and horses as well as food on the hoof (herds of sheep, pigs and cattle). Two ships were placed under the command of Hernando de Alarcón to support the expedition. They sailed into the Gulf of California and discovered the mouth of the Colorado River (August 1540). Mendoza put Coronado in command of the land force to seize the fabulous treasure. Coronado commanded Spanish soldiers, Native American allies, and camp followers. Coronado's force left Compostela and proceeded north up the west coast of Mexico (February 1540). They reached Culiacán, the northern-most outpost of New Galicia. The expedition continued north, crossing the San Pedro River into what is now Arizona (April 1540). Coronado can not be criticized for not dilgently pursuing his assignment. He conducted an exaustive search throughout what is now the southwestern United States. Coronado hoped for a relatively peaceful expedition. Aftr all the people in the North were no the mighty Aztec Empire. Even so, the resisted his advance. It became a brutal expedition. One historian describes the confontation with the Zuni. "The Zuni still held thir fortress, and that meant a quick asault was innthe offing, for a siege was not an option .... The Zuni city was militarily formidable. In fct, because of its relativly rudimentay stge of dvelopmnt , the town had certain defensive advantages. Since it had neither wheled vehicles or nor large domesticated stock, there was no need for entryways on the ground floor, Hence, battering down a main fortress door would not be an option for the Spainards; they would have to climb walls undr fire. [Hutchins] They found only desolate Native American villages with few valuables. This did not discourage Coronado. He was still convinced that El Dorado was out there to be found. He had to be ordered back to Mexico (1542). And while his force was never defeated, over time the losses in a series of battles ranging through Sonnora, California, Arizona, and New Mexio mounted. Only 100 of the men he left with made it back.

Mixtön Rebellion

Governor Mendoza was hard pressed by the Mixtón Rebellion in central Mexico. And by the time he arrived, the Mixtón Rebellion had already been defeated.

Bankriptsy

Coronado's expedition had been a complete and costly failure. He retained his position as governor of Nueva Galicia. The expedition, however, bankrupted him.

Impact

Despite the total failure, Cornnado's expedition had important ramifications. The expedution did established Spain's claim to what is now northern Mexico and the southwestern United States. The resistance of the Native Americans in the North, unlike central Mexico was not ended. The Native American tribes at the time did not have horses in any numbers. Horses were a European import. As a result, of the expedition and escaping horses, a ferral population began to develop on the Great Plains which changed the culture of the Plains tribes. The Native Americans now had a more effective way of hunting buffalo. And it may the tribes even more capable of resisting Spanish domintion. Spain and later Mexico were never able to gain control over the North and as a result the srea was never settled in large numbers. This would make the area vulnerable to conquest by the expanding new American Republic leading to Mexican-American War (1846-48).

Sources

Hutchins, John. M. Coronado's Well-Equipped Army: The Spanish Invasion of the American Soutwest (2014), 256p.

Created: 9:23 AM 10/12/2014
Last updated: 12:21 AM 1/21/2015