Nobleman and explorer

He went through what is now Mexico, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas.

His main sponsors' were his rich wife, Dona Beatriz and the governor of Mexico (back then called New Spain) Antonio de Mendoza(one of Coronado’s closest friends). A man named Marcos de Niza claimed he knew where the Seven Cities of Gold were. He told Mendoza and they decided to set out for the expedition.

As he moved on through his expedition he found some things. He found a Native American tribe that attacked him and his men. He found abandoned Native American pueblos but no gold. He found the Rio Grande valley but no gold. While searching in Arizona he came across a great discovery. He found the Grand Canyon. His men found out it went around a mile deep. Coronado was proud of his discovery but was still frustrated that he didn’t find what he was looking for.

His main motives were finding gold. A priest has told Coronado about one of the Seven Cities Of Gold in Cibola.

Back then Cibola was in Mexico. He really didn’t find any gold

1510-Coronado was born.1535- Antonio de Mendoza meets Coronado

and he gets married.1538- Coronado became governor of the area.1539- He sent a man named Marcos de Niza to

look for the golden cities.1540-1541- expedition.1542-returned to New Spain.1554- Coronado died.

Francisco faced many obstacles on his adventure. When going through the Southwest it was scorching hot and it was a very hard trail. The animals they brought also slowed them down and they had to leave some at river crossings. The soldiers had a hard time going across the deserts and mountains. They kept walking until they traveled about 300 miles then they sent scouts. The scouts came back and told Coronado that their travelers have angered a Native American tribe. They were attacked by them and some his men were injured .

Part of his impact was he found the Grand Canyon

He also found Rio Grande valleyIt gave Spain a chance to spread Christianity to American Indians in the south western part of North America.

A quick summary of his exploration is that he was looking for gold. He traveled more than 300 miles. He traveled through the Southwest and found some things. He found the Grand Canyon, Rio Grande valley, Native American tribes, abandoned pueblos and no gold. It was a hard road. They sent scouts to find stuff. A Native American chief told them of a place called Quivira (now called Kansas) where hump-back creatures (bison) roamed and that they would find gold there. Coronado got happy and set out to the area. He found no gold there. They came back to their home and Coronado was judged for leadership. He stepped down of being governor.

Francisco was born in Spain in 1510. He is Spanish. Not much is known about his early life. When he was a young man he met a man named Antonio de Mendoza. In 1535, King Ferdinand of Spain sent Mendoza to New Spain and made him Viceroy of the land. New Spain was then where Mexico is now. Mendoza made Coronado his assistant and invited him to New Spain. In New Spain, Coronado met and married Dona Beatriz de Estrada. She came from a wealthy and powerful Spanish family. Coronado and Beatriz lived in New Galicia in the northwestern part of New Spain. In 1538, Mendoza named Coronado governor of the area. Coronado was a kind and great leader.