|
Coronado departs Culiacán in search of Seven Cities of Cíbola
On this day in 1540, an expedition led by Spanish explorer Francisco
Vázquez de Coronado left Culiacán in Mexico in search of the Seven
Cities of Cíbola, concerning which wondrous tales had been brought to
Mexico by Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca. There was no gold at Cíbola (the
Zuñi villages in western New Mexico), but the explorer was led on by
stories of great rewards to be found in Quivira, a region on the Great
Plains far to the east. Chasing this chimera occupied Coronado until the
early part of 1542; along the way he apparently marched across the Llano
Estacado of eastern New Mexico and the Texas Panhandle, passing through
present Palo Duro Canyon. When he returned to Mexico he was subjected to
an official examination of his conduct as leader of the expedition and
as governor of Nueva Galicia. He was cleared of charges in connection
with the expedition, but on some of the other charges was fined and lost
his commission. He died in 1554.
- Links to Related Handbook of Texas Online Articles
- VAZQUEZ DE CORONADO, FRANCISCO
- SEVEN CITIES OF CIBOLA
- CABEZA DE VACA, ALVAR NUNEZ
- CORONADO EXPEDITION
- QUIVIRA
- Other Texas Day by Day Articles for This Date
- Spanish explorer finds defunct French fort (1689)
- Law authorizing State Police repealed (1873)
|
