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Christopher Columbus started an exploration to look for a route to China/India going westward and instead, found the New World. (North/South America) -
The trade between food, natural resources, livestock, plants, and diseases from Europe and Africa to the Americas. Many non-immune indigenous people died from smallpox, measles, etc.
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The "Middle Passage" was the slave trade from Africa to the Americas and many slaves died during travel
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Hernan Cortez conquered the Aztecs and claimed their land on behalf of Spain. He was also the most successful and richest Conquistador. -
Pineda landed in Florida and eventually landed in Southwest Texas and mapped the Gulf of Mexico. He did not find any gold. -
Cabeza de Vaca was part of the failed Navarez expedition and he explored Southeast Texas, present-day Northern Mexico, and along the Rio Grande. He thought he saw gold villages but they were pueblo houses and the Karankawa tribe called him a healer.
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The "Age of Contact" was when Spaniards - and later the French - came to Texas looking for wealth and fame. They were also hoping to find native empires.
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DeSoto explored East Texas (Sabine River) and also what is now most of what is now most of the Southeast U.S. He claimed the Mississippi River for Spain and died of fever.
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Coronado led the largest Spanish expedition to seek Cibola (7 Cities of Gold) and then the expedition heard of Quevera, another rumor of gold. Lies were spread by Estevanico and Frair Marco who never saw gold cities. (Just Pueblo villages) Coronado's men also got to see the Grand Canyon.
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Juan de Ornate founded the present-day cities of El Paso, Texas, and Santa Fe, New Mexico. He became the governor of New Mexico and was looking for gold in Zuni lands but slaughtered them when he didn't find any.
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LaSalle was the only French explorer to explore Texas. He accidentally landed on Madogorta Bay instead of the mouth of the Mississippi River to build a fort and he claimed the land for Spain, forced Spain to begin colonization of Texas, and prevented France from claiming Spanish territory.