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Title: Francisco Vazquez De Coronado
Subject: 
Publisher: 
Description:  Onward to the Seven Cities of Cibola! (Or El Dorado)
Contributors: 
Effective_date: None
Expiration_date: 9998-12-31 00:00:00
Type: Document
Format: text/plain
Language: 
Rights: 
SafetyBelt: 1069697727.34

 Coronado was born to a noble family in Spain in about 1510.
Only a few years before had an Italian named Cristopher Columbus sailed to the New World for the Spanish king, in 1492.
Coronado grew up hearing stories about the New World, and all the wonderous things seen there.
He had also heard about the savage Indians that dwelled there. But the story that was to top off all these stories, was in fact, his. Although he didn't know it yet. 

 As a young man in court, he became friendly with a Antonio De Mendoza. When Mendoza became viceroy of New Spain (Mexico, New Mexico, California, Arizona, ect.) in 1530, he invited Coronado to come with him to the Americas. Coronado was nearly thirty at the time. Within three years of his stay in Mexico City, he had supressed a slave rebellion, and pacified the Indians.

 Eight years later, Mendoza was intreged by rumors of the Seven Golden Cities of Cibola. The riches there would be beyond comprehension, and Mendoza wanted it.
He sent Esteban, a shiprecked black slave, and two Spainards to look for them, and confirm their existance.
Many months later, they came back, and told Mendoza that an Indian informant had told them that he had seen the cities in the distance.

 Mendoza then made Coronado the Explorer in Chief, to go by land and seize the treasure.
The first sign of living he found were the Zuni Pueblos in Western New Mexico.
He couldn't find any hint of wealth in these dwellings. The Zuni didn't take to well to the Spanish requests and attacked the party. They were quickly subdued and killed.

 Having not found any wealth in the Zuni tribe, Coronado sent a group to scour the area around the Colorado River. This group were the first Europeans to see the Grand Canyon, and was stunned by it.
Another group found a bunch of Pueblos around the Rio Grande, where the expidition withered.

 They turned back after they were halfway through Texas. The Seven Cities of Cibola were phony. Coronado was mocked for the rest of his life.
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