Cabeza de vaca timeline for kids

Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca

Synopsis

Explorer Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca was born , in Extremadura, Castile, Spain. He was treasurer to the Spanish expedition under Pánfilo de Narváez that reached what is now Tampa Bay, Florida, in By September all but his party of 60 had perished; it reached the shore near present-day Galveston, Texas. The survivors lived among the natives of the region for four years, and Cabeza de Vaca carved out roles as a trader and a healer in the community. In he and the other three surviving members of his original party set out for Mexico, where they hoped to connect with other representatives of the Spanish empire. They traveled through Texas, and possibly what are now New Mexico and Arizona, before arriving in northern Mexico in , where they met up with fellow Spaniards, who were in the region to capture enslaved people. Cabeza de Vaca deplored the Spanish explorers' treatment of Indians, and when he returned home in he advocated for changes in Spain's policy. After a brief term as governor of a province in Mexico, he became a judge in Seville, Spain, a position he occupied for the remainder of his life.

Name: Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca

Birth

Alvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca was born in Spain around He grew up during the age of great voyages to the New World. Columbus, Cortés, Vespucci—all of these were names he knew.

In he sailed on Pánfilo de Narváez’s expedition to conquer what is now Florida. On June 15, 5 ships and men sailed from Sanlúcar. Their mission was to bring Christianity to the “heathens,” by force if necessary. Plus, they planned to return rich with gold!

Cabeza de Vaca did get to Florida. But his accomplishments were not the ones the Spanish had wanted. He was among the first to report on the inner areas of Florida and on the opossum and the armadillo. He was the first to explore what is now Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona. He was also the first to describe the buffalo, the Gila monster, and many tribes of Native Americans. His explorations proved that the North American continent was much, much larger than anyone had dreamed.

Next topic in Explorers

Cook’s Last Voyage

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Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca
Bust of Cabeza de Vaca
Born	Birth name: Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca c. / / Jerez de la Frontera
Died	c. / / / Seville, Spain
Resting place	Spain
Occupation	Treasurer, explorer, author of La relación y comentarios, and ex-governor of Río de Plata in Argentina
Spouse(s)	María Marmolejo
Parent(s)	Francisco de Vera (father), Teresa Cabeza de Vaca y de Zurita (mother)

Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca ( – ) was an early Spanish explorer of the New World. His name is spelled as Aluar Nuñez Cabeça de Vaca in 16th Century documents.

Cabeza de Vaca means "head of the cow". This surname was granted to his family in the 13th century, when his ancestor aided a Christian army attacking Moors by pointing out a secret pass through the mountains by leaving a cow's head there. In the prologue to his great story relating his shipwreck and wanderings in North America, he refers to his forefather's service to the King, and regrets that his own deeds could not be as great, due to forces beyond his control.

Early life and family

Coat of Arms of Cabeza de Vaca

Cabeza de Vaca Facts, Journey, and Discoveries

Cabeza de Vaca is remembered for his epic journey across the Americas. He was a survivor of the failed Narvaez expedition and would journey across the North American continent for eight years.

Along the way, he would trade with the natives, learn their culture, and respect who they were.

He would pen books on his encounters with the natives that gave the perspective of who they were and how they conducted themselves. He would eventually return to Spain and would never return to the Americas.

He was unlike the other Spanish Conquistadors in that he did not conquer with the sword because he did not have one, but he survived through intuition and tolerance.

Cabeza de Vaca Facts: Early Years

Cabeza de Vaca's parents died when he was young, de Vaca was taken in by relatives, and evidence suggests that he probably had a moderately comfortable early life.

He was appointed chamberlain for the house of a noble family in his teen years, then participated in the conquest of the Canary Islands, where he was appointed a governor.

In , he enlisted in the Spanish army, serving in Italy, Spain, and Navarre. He received several medals o

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