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In the first of four voyages, Christopher Columbus landed in what is today the Bahamas while he was looking for a shorter ocean route to China and the far East.
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Alonso Alvarez de Pineda, a Spanish explorer and map maker, was the first European to explore and map the Texas coastline. He was also the first European to ever see the Mississippi River.
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Cabeza de Vaca shipwrecked on Galveston Island. After exploring the area by land for several years, he and 3 survivors, including Estevanico (an African slave) explored Texas on their way back to Mexico.
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Francisco Vasquez de Coronado was a conquistador who explored southwestern US in search of the legendary Seven Cities of Gold, conquered and converted many natives to Christianity.
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Explorer Juan de Onate received a commission from King Philip II of Spain to colonize the region of the upper Rio Grande and New Mexico. After a difficult journey through the desert, he and his expedition held the first Thanksgiving celebration when they arrived at the Rio Grande near El Paso.
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Rene Robert Cavelier, Sieur de LaSalle was a French explorer who most famously claimed the Mississippi Valley for France. His final expedition was to establish a French base (Fort St. Louis) in Matagorda Bay near Victoria,Texas.
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Spanish explorer and later governor, Alonso De Leon lead several expeditions into coastal south Texas to kick out French, but discovered Fort St. Louis abandoned. He began the task of colonizing Texas to keep French from claiming the land.
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