How did Cabeza de Vaca feel about the natives?
Overall, this tells us that according to Cabeza de Vaca himself, he developed an emphatic view of the indigenous people, which 'transformed' him from a conquistador to a missionary who protects the Indians.
How did Cabeza de Vaca interact with the natives of Texas?
He lived for several years among Texas Indians, learning the tribes' languages and customs. In time, he reunited with three other survivors of the original expedition. The travelers gained a reputation as healers, and their fame spread as they slowly made their way to Mexico.
What problems did Cabeza de Vaca encounter?
Starving, dehydrated, and desperate, he is the first European to set foot on the soil of the future Lone Star state. Cabeza de Vaca's unintentional journey to Texas was a disaster from the start. A series of dire accidents and Native American attacks plagued his expedition's 300 men as they explored north Florida.
Why was Cabeza de Vaca bad?
In 1540, Cabeza de Vaca was appointed governor of the South American provinces of the Rio de la Plata, where he prohibited the slaving, raping and looting of Indians. This caused deep resentment among the soldiers in his command, and finally, in 1543, they imprisoned him and sent him back to Spain in chains.
How does Cabeza de Vaca avoid the potential clash between the natives and the new people?
Scene in the south Texas brush country. Cabeza de Vaca observed that native peoples used the dense thorny scrub brush as a defensive ploy against enemies, building huts for the women and children in the center of the thickets and lighting fires inside them at night.
What Indians did Cabeza de Vaca encounter?
Their journey went well until the two men confronted Matagorda Bay. There they encountered an Indian tribe, which Cabeza de Vaca called the Quevenes, who threatened to kill them by placing arrows over their hearts.
What was Cabeza de Vaca known for?
Cabeza de Vaca, Álvar Núñez (1490–1557) Spanish explorer. In 1528, he was shipwrecked off the Texas coast. He and three fellow survivors became the first Europeans to explore the American Southwest, eventually settling in Mexico (1536).
What made Cabeza de Vaca different from other explorers?
Though his descriptions were modest, his account fed rumors of a vastly wealthy civilization north of Mexico, inspiring a number of later explorers seeking riches. Cabeza de Vaca's account is distinguished from later accounts by a greater level of detail about, and a greater respect for, the native inhabitants.
What did Cabeza de Vaca promise the Indians?
Cabeza de Vaca promised that, if the Indians helped them find the other Spaniards, he “would tell them not to kill Indians or make them slaves, nor take them out of their country, or do any other harm.”. They agreed.
What did Cabeza de Vaca ask Narváez for?
Cabeza de Vaca asked Narváez for help, which he declined to extend. He then asked what his orders were, and Narváez “Answered that this was no time for orders; that each one should do the best he could to save himself; that he intended to do it that way, and with this he went on with his craft.”.
What did Narváez offer Cabeza de Vaca?
Narváez offered Cabeza de Vaca the command of a ship that would take an alternate route, but he felt abandoning the agreed-upon path would jeopardize his honor and that he would “would much rather expose of my life than, under these circumstances, my good name.”.
Why did the Indians bring in a hundred archers?
Apparently the Indians were unable to make their meaning clear, so they brought in a hundred archers to drive the point home: give us back our stuff. The message got through, because, according to Cabeza de Vaca “our fright was such that, whether tall or little, it made them appear giants to us.”.
How many people were alive in the Trinidad earthquake?
Of the ninety men who stopped in Trinidad, only thirty were alive.
When did Cabeza de Vaca write his account of the journey safe in Spain?
Cabeza de Vaca wrote his account of the journey safe in Spain fifteen years after the 1542 expedition, but this narrative is vivid.
Who controlled Cuba?
While a map of the time would have confidently proclaimed that Cuba was controlled by the Spanish crown, the Spaniards living there did so at the pleasure of nature, a pleasure which was often suddenly and cruelly revoked.
Introduction
The map above provides a brief overview of the route Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca took after leaving Spain in 1527. He was part of a Spanish expedition headed for Florida, but weather and other hardships (not the least of which was being abandoned by their leader), left Cabeza de Vaca stranded.
Discussion Questions
Consider how Cabeza de Vaca positions himself in the narrative. How does he present himself to his audience? Why or how might this positioning be significant?
Pages 59- 72 of The Journey of Alvar Nunez Cabeza deVaca and his Companions from Florida to the Pacific
At sunset the Indians, thinking we had not left, came to bring us food, but when they saw us in such a different attire from before and so strange-looking, they were so frightened as to turn back. I went to call them, and in great fear they came.
Page 111-118
During six of the eighteen months we were with them we suffered much from hunger, because they do not have fish either. At the end of that time the tunas began to ripen, and without their noticing it we left and went to other Indians further ahead, called Maliacones, at a distance of one day’s travel.
Pages 167-175
Having seen positive traces of Christians and become satisfied they were very near, we gave many thanks to our Lord for redeeming us from our sad and gloomy condition. Any one can imagine our delight when he reflects how long we had been in that land, and how many dangers and hard sships we had suffered.
What did Cabeza de Vaca do to help the sick?
His healing of the sick gained him a reputation as a faith healer. His group attracted numerous native followers, who regarded them as “children of the sun”, endowed with the power to heal and destroy. As Cabeza de Vaca grew healthier, he decided that he would make his way to Pánuco, supporting himself through trading.
Why was Cabeza de Vaca arrested?
Because he lost elite support, and Buenos Aires was failing as a settlement, not attracting enough residents, Martínez de Irala arrested Cabeza de Vaca in 1544 for poor administration. The former explorer was returned to Spain in 1545 for trial.
What did Irala do in the jungle?
He hoped to reach Los Reyes and push forward into the jungle in search of a route to the gold and silver mines of Peru. The expedition did not go well, and Cabeza de Vaca returned to Asunción. During his absence, Irala had stirred up resistance to Cabeza de Vaca’s rule and capitalized on political rivalries.
How many survivors did the Cabeza de Vaca have?
Some were lost forever, including that of Narváez. Two crafts with about 40 survivors each, including Cabeza de Vaca, wrecked on or near Galveston Island. Out of the 80 or so survivors, only 15 lived past that winter. The explorers called the island Malhado or the Island of Doom. They tried to repair the rafts, ...
How many men did Narváez lose?
When they stopped in Hispaniola for supplies, Narváez lost approximately 150 of his men, who chose to stay on the island rather than continue with the expedition. The expedition continued to Cuba, where Cabeza de Vaca took two ships to recruit more men and buy supplies.
What did the Spanish hear about Apalachen?
After communicating with the Native Americans, the Spanish heard rumors that a city named Apalachen was full of food and gold. Against the advice of Cabeza de Vaca, Narváez decided to split up his men. Some 300 were to go on foot to Apalachen and the other would sail to Pánuco.
When did Cabeza de Vaca sail back to Spain?
From there he sailed back to Europe in 1537. Numerous researchers have tried to trace his route across the Southwest. As he did not begin writing his chronicle until back in Spain, he had to rely on memory. Cabeza de Vaca was uncertain of his route.
What did Cabeza de Vaca do to gain the respect of the Karankawa?
Only after Cabeza de Vaca had won the respect of the Karankawa by becoming a skilled medicine man and diplomat did the small band win their freedom. In 1536, the men encountered a party of Spanish slave hunters in what is now the Mexican state of Sinaloa.
When did the Toccoa Falls Dam give way?
Dam gives way in Georgia. On November 6, 1977, the Toccoa Falls Dam in Georgia gives way and 39 people die in the resulting flood. Ninety miles north of Atlanta, the Toccoa (Cherokee for “beautiful”) Falls Dam was constructed of earth across a canyon in 1887, creating a 55-acre lake 180 feet above the ...read more.
Who won the Battle of Ypres?
After more than three months of bloody combat, the Third Battle of Ypres effectively comes to an end on November 6, 1917, with a hard-won victory by British and Canadian troops at the Belgian village of Passchendaele.