Event TodayAuthor of Rain of Gold, Victor Villaseñor

Presentation, book reading & signingThursday, Sept. 22 from 6-7 p.m.Rawlings Library, Ryals Room - 4th floor

Victor Villaseñor's acclaimed written works, as well as his inspiring lectures, have earned him numerous awards and endorsements, including the Founding John Steinbeck Chair appointment. A gifted and accomplished speaker, Victor Villaseñor, in his candid and heartfelt manner, brings a fresh perspective to a number of universal themes, including pride in heritage, the strength of family, world peace, the power of the written word, and dedication to education and personal achievement. This program is sponsored by PCCLD and CSU-Pueblo Student Activities and Chicano Studies.

Group Projects…How do I find out about my topic?

• How to Search Online

Group Projects…How do I find out about my topic?

• How to Search Online• Talk to Dr. Conrad– E-mail: “Dear Dr. Conrad…”– Office Hours: Every day before class… “Hi Dr.

Conrad, I need help…”

Group Projects…How do I find out about my topic?

• How to Search Online• Talk to Dr. Conrad– E-mail: “Dear Dr. Conrad…”– Office Hours: Every day before class… “Hi Dr.

Conrad, I need help…”• Group Work Days: – September 29 and October 4

How and Why Spaniards Came to the Southwest

HIST 136: 9.22.2011

The Search for “New” Mexicos…

• Early Explorations

Island of California…

The Search for “New” Mexicos…

• Early Explorations• Alvar Nuñez Cabeza de Vaca, 1528-1536

Cabeza de Vaca and a Reversal of Roles…

The Christians were there made slaves, forced with more cruelty to serve than the Moor would have used. Besides going stark naked and bare-footed over the coast burning in summer like fire, their continual occupation was bringing wood and water on the back, or whatever the Indians needed, and dragging canoes over inundated grounds in hot weather.

Cabeza de Vaca enticing new expeditions…

The people gave us many deer and cotton shawls better than those of New Spain, many beads and certain corals found on the South Sea, and fine turquoises that come from the north…They appeared to be very precious. I asked whence they got these; and they said the stones were brought from some lofty mountains that stand toward the north, where were populous towns and very large houses, and that they were purchased with plumes and the feathers of parrots…Throughout all these countries the people who were at war immediately made friends, that they might come to meet us, and bring what they possessed. In this way we left all the land at peace, and we taught all the inhabitants by signs, which they understood, that in heaven was a Man we called God, who had created the sky and the earth; Him we worshipped and had for our master; that we did what He commanded and from His hand came all good; and would they do as we did, all would be well with them. So ready of apprehension we found them that, could we have had the use of language by which to make ourselves perfectly understood, we should have left them all Christians.

The Search for “New” Mexicos…

• Early Explorations• Alvar Nuñez Cabeza de Vaca, 1528-1536• Fray Marcos and the Seven Cities of Cíbola,

1538-1539

Zuni= Cíbola?

The Search for “New” Mexicos…

• Early Explorations• Alvar Nuñez Cabeza de Vaca, 1528-1536• Fray Marcos and the Seven Cities of Cíbola,

1538-1539• Francisco Vasquez de Coronado and Quivira,

1540-1542

Coronado Expedition, 1540-42

Coronado on his search for new “Mexicos”…

THESE Indians say that the kingdom of Totonteac, which the father provincial praised so much, saying that it was something marvelous, and of such a very great size, & that cloth was made there, is a hot lake, on the edge of which there are five or six houses. There used to be some others, but these have been destroyed by war.

The kingdom of Marata can not be found, nor do these Indians know anything about it. The kingdom of Acus is a single small city, where they raise cotton, and this is called Acucu. I say that this is the country, because Acus, with or without the aspiration, is not a word in this region; & because it seems to me that Acucu may be derived from Acus, I say that it is this town which has been converted into the kingdom of Acus. They tell me that there are some other small ones not far from this settlement, which are situated on a river which I have seen and of which the Indians have told me.

God knows that I wish I had better news to write to Your Lordship, but I must give you the truth, and, as I wrote you from Culuacan, I must advise you of the good as well as of the bad. But you may be assured that if there had been all the riches and treasures of the world, I could not have done more in His Majesty's service and in that of Your Lordship than I have done, in coming here where you commanded me to go, carrying, both my companions & myself, our food on our backs for 300 leagues, and traveling on foot many days, making our way over hills and rough mountains, besides other labors which I refrain from mentioning. Nor do I think of stopping until my death, if it serves His Majesty or Your Lordship to have it so.

Three days after I captured this city, some of the Indians who lived here came to offer to make peace. They brought me some turquoises and poor mantles, and I received them in His Majesty's name with as good a speech as I could, making them understand the purpose of my coming to this country, which is, in the name of His Majesty and by the commands of Your Lordship, that they and all others in this province should become Christians and should know the true God for their Lord, and His Majesty for their king and earthly lord. After this they returned to their houses and suddenly, the next day, they packed up their goods and property, their women and children, & fled to the hills, leaving their towns deserted, with only some few remaining in them.

The Search for “New” Mexicos…

• Early Explorations• Alvar Nuñez Cabeza de Vaca, 1528-1536• Fray Marcos and the Seven Cities of Cíbola,

1538-1539• Francisco Vasquez de Coronado and Quivira,

1540-1542 • Oñate and the Conquest of New Mexico

(1598-1600)

The Acoma Pueblo

Oñate’s Search for Quivira, c. 1600

Summary of Key Points

• Continued search for Asia and for New “Mexicos” and “Perus” drives Spanish exploration of North America

• Early explorations produce geographical knowledge, but find no new empires or grand civilizations

• In New Mexico, missionaries find “Spiritual Gold,” the Puebloan Indians