Global Exploration and Global Empires 1500-1700

By: A
Case Assignment
Module 1
[Course:] HIS101
TUI University

Ms.

Date: 11/11/2013
The early voyages by the Portuguese and Spanish were motivated by gold, trade and the spread of the Catholic faith through religious conversion. The voyages of a few adventurers show that the Spanish and Portuguese goals were to spread Catholicism, expand trade, and expand the kingdom of the Spanish and the Portuguese to the new lands they’ve discovered. These adventures were Christopher Columbus who attempted to find a new route to Asia to extend Spain’s trade and to colonize, Bartholomew Columbus and his successful founding of Santo Domingo, Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca and his …show more content…

In 1535 Francisco Vasquez de Coronado arrived in the Americas. He was part of Antionio de Mendoza the new viceroy of New Spain. In October 1538, he was appointed the governor of the Spanish province of New Galicia. In 1539 Franciscan monk Marcos de Niza returned to New Galicia from a journey north; he was telling fantastic stories of seven cities filled with gold, silver and precious stones. He claimed the Native Americans called this cluster of rich native towns Cibola. Viceroy Mendoza decided it was Governor Coronado who should claim this land for Spain, since he was in charge of the northern lands that Cibola was in. In February 1540, about 300 Spanish soldiers, reported to the New Galician town of Campostella to begin the journey. Going with Coronado were several hundred Native American allies as translators to accompanying the expedition. Close to a thousand extra horses, herds of cattle and pigs for the men to eat on the journey, and several heavy cannons, indicated that Coronado's orders probably included conquering the cities of Cibola. When Coronado reached Hawikuh he and the rest of the soldiers saw that the seven cities filled with gold, silver and precious stones were not, but just normal adobe houses. Even though the town was not what it was claimed to be Coronado captured it anyways. While