Bring fact-checked results to the top of your browser search. Native American history The thoughts and perspectives of indigenous individuals, especially those who lived during the 15th through 19th centuries, have survived in written form less often than is optimal for the historian. Because such documents are extremely rare, those interested in the Native American past also draw information from traditional artsfolk literaturefolklorearchaeologyand other sources.
FloridaIt was at the Spanish court where Narvaez met a devout nobleman named Cabeza de Vaca, who wished to duplicate the exploits of his grandfather who conquered the Canary Islands. The red-haired conquistador hired de Vaca as a partner and together inlanded north of the mouth of Tampa Bay with an armada of five ships and soldiers.
At a nearby Indian village, the explorers discovered some crude gold ornaments.
Infatuated with the idea of uncovering another MexicoNarvaez seized as hostage the regional Indian leader Ucita. When the chief wouldn't reveal the source of the treasure, undoubtedly the result of long range trade, Narvaez chopped off the Indian's nose.
Ucita made up a story about the great wealth of the Apalachee. The Narvaez expedition would ruin Spanish-Indian relations for decades. They left behind a legacy of violence and trickery.
In the Tallahassee Hills, Narvaez would find only farming villages. Narvaez's fleet returned to Tampa Bay, but found no sign of the expedition which was still marching along Apalachee territory.
They ended their search and returned to Cubawhere Narvaez's wife hired a group of sailors to find her husband. It was this rescue party that discovered what they believed was a message on a reed on a deserted beach.
A young Sevillian Juan Ortiz went to retrieve the message and was captured by the Indian trap.
Ortiz claimed he was brought to Chief Ucita to be executed, but rescued by the daughter's chief in a scene which preceded the famous Pocahontas story. In fact, many believe John Smith "stole" the Ortiz story to tell of his great dealings with the Indians in Virginiasince the Pocahontas legend was written four years after the Indian woman's death.
While Ortiz was fighting to survive, Narvaez was wandering Panhandle Florida in search of treasure. Narvaez finally returned to the Gulf at St.
Marks and, assuming Mexico to only be a few days journey to the west, constructed five long canoes. They sailed as far as the Texas coast where a storm capsized the boats.
Cabeza de Vaca and four other survivors reached an Indian village where they resided for two years.The book adds for the first time the Indian point of viewto the Spanish chronicles about Coronado's expedition in America's first named Indian war.
The main goals of the Spanish conquistadors were lust for gold andsilver, and desire to win royal titles and favors by expandingSpain's . In the first half of the sixteenth century, Spanish colonizers fought frequently with Florida’s Native peoples as well as with other Europeans.
Besides conquest Spanish conquistadors made significant explorations into the Amazon Jungle, Patagonia, the interior of North America, and the Pacific Ocean. Conquest. The surrender of Granada in Cathay and Cibao were . Who were the leaders of the Spanish conquistador armies that brought down the mighty American civilizations?
See the 10 most notable conquerors. 10 Notable Spanish Conquistadors Throughout History. Conquistador, (Spanish: “conqueror”), plural conquistadores or conquistadors, any of the leaders in the Spanish conquest of America, especially of Mexico and Peru, in the 16th century.
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