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In 1492 Columbus sailed the ocean blue.He was an Italian sailor who believed he could reach Asia by sailing across the Atlantic Ocean.He set sail on August 3, 1492 with three ships,the Nina,The Pinta and the Santa Maria.On October 12 they cried out,"Land, Land!" They landed on what now is the Bahamas,he was no where near Asia he mistakenly thought he was in the Indies.Columbus had also created the Columbian exchange which traded plants, animals,and diseses between America,Europe,Africa and Asia.
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In 1519 Spanish explorer Piñeda sailed with a fleet from Jamiaca to the Gulf of Mexico.He was sent to explore land between Florida and Mexico.Sailing west he reached a large river-Pānuco- along it were several Indian villages. Piñeda and some soldiers established a colony there and sent his ships back to Jamiaca. When the ships returned back the settlers had been killed from Indian Attacks.Piñeda was the first European to see the Texas coast,also was the first to map the Northern Gulf of Mexico.
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In 1519 conquistador Hernan Cortes sailed from Spanish Cuba to the eastern coast of Mexico.After landing the spaniards learned of the wealthy and powerful, Aztec empire led by Moctezuma. Cortés faced overwhelming odds the Aztecs conquered a vast and ruled several million people. Fights broke out between Aztecs and the spaniards. The spaniards fled the city and attacked later on.After a long brutal fight the spaniards defeated the Aztecs.
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In 1527 Narváez led another voyage to the Gulf of Mexico,like other explores the wanted to find riches. The explores reached Florida in April 1528 and went ashore near Tampa Bay. Whilst on the coast they saw some Indians wearing gold jewelry. The Indians had described Apalchee,so the men set out to find them.When they had reached the Apalchee there was no gold so the settlers went back to head home.
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Cabeza had helped Narváez when he had no ships. Cabeza, Narváez and his men were rescued by a group of Karankawa Indians. Food and clothing were scarce but most of the men died in the winter.The ones that survived were held captive and forced to work. Cabeza was later captured by a group of Coahulitecan Indians. He had met three other men and they all three escaped and started a long journey down the Coast of Mexico.
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Corondo a 30 year old conquistador set sail with Fray Marcos as his leader in April 1540.When Corondo reached the place Fary had seen there was a tribe of Zuni Indians waiting for them.A battle followed and the spaniards defeated the Zuni. They had searched for riches but did not find any. Corondo sent different groups out to look for treasure.Turk told tales of Quirvara,once they reached Quivara again there was no gold. Corondo returned back to Mexico City in 1542.
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Juan de Ōnate was from a wealthy Spanish family that had profited from silver mining in Mexico. King Philip the second of Spain wanted to control and expanding settlement,he decided to to colonize the Pueblo Indians.He had hoped to bring Christianity to the Pueblo.He sent Ōnate to accomplish this mission in 1598.The colony he was sent to establish was New Mexico.They had reached Pueblo villages north of which was Santa Fe, Where New Mexico lies today.
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In 1882 French explorerLa Salle expanded the French empire. He canoed down the Mississippi River to its mouth at the Gulf of Mexico.La Salle named the region Louisiana for his King, Louis the fourteenth .He asked permission to develop a colony which would serve as a military base from which to conquer New Spain and there silver mines. La Salle set out on the summer of 1684.
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In 1682 Spanish missionaries built the first two mission near El Paso. The first mission was only occupied by 1682-1684, where it had to be relocated because of the Manso uprising. No one officially knows the first location of the Mission. The second mission known as the old Socorro Mission, it was occupied in 1684-1740.
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On February 18,1685 Rene-Robert Cavelier de La Salle establishes Fort St. Louis. It was established near Matagorda Bay and Arenosa creek. La Salle and his men were supposed to be at the mouth of the Mississippi River but miscalculated about 400 miles. When they shipwrecked in Matagorda bay the wet lands were to much of a crucial environment so they moved inland and Fort St. Louis was established.
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In 1718 San Antonio was founded
