alvar nunez cabeza de vaca from la relacion. first european to set foot in interior of what would...
TRANSCRIPT
Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca
from La Relacion
• first European to set foot in interior of what would become states of Florida, Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona
• Relacion is his account of eight years of traveling on foot across North America
• was one of only four survivors of Spanish expedition
• from family of conquistadors
• “head of the cow“
• soldier for about 20 years
• appointed to second in command and treasurer of expedition led by Pamfilo de Narvaez in 1527
• about 500-600 men in 5 ships set sail in 1527
• in 1537, Cabeza de Vaca returned to Spain as one of only four to survive
• two ships lost in hurricane/ 200 men drowned or deserted
• after landing in Tampa, Narvaez sent ships north and ordered men to march to New Spain (Mexico)
• after a month, ships were gone and landing party was desperate
• built 5 barges and sailed along Gulf Coast
• 2 barges and 80 men washed up on or near Galveston Island
• Cabeza de Vaca and only 3 others survived
• lived among Native Americans for about 6 years before escaping
• Set out across desert in search of New Spain
• returned to Spain in 1537
• wrote La Relacion (The Account) as a report to the king
• appointed governor of South American colony
• Relacion was first published in 1542
• details of disastrous Narvaez expedition
• included details of North American species, fury of hurricane, and witness accounts of Native Americans