STUDENT ACTIVITIES

ESSAY: California’s Spanish Explorers

PHOTO CREDIT: http://www.almendron.com/historia/moderna/flota_indias/flota_0

After the initial discovery of the New World in Cabri llo battled against the rough north east 1492, Spain and the rest of Europe battled for trade winds and sti ll managed to sail up the coast co lonial supremacy on the new continent. Europe’s of Cal ifornia. Historians believe he and his crew conquest for land introduced an exchange of new were the first Europeans to contact the Native Cal- plants and animal s on both sides of the Atlantic. if ornians, and the first to send back reports of the The Spanish Empire would grow exponentially landscape and harbors. Although Cabri llo died over the next two hundred years. during his expedition, his name and significance has been remembered in Cal ifornia’s history. After the conquest of Mexico and South Amer- Almost two hundred and thirty years after Cabril- ica, the Spanish looked lo ’s famous expedition, New Spain would expand northwest, to Cal ifornia. its borders into Alta Cal ifornia. Father Junipero By 1542, Juan Rodriguez Serra and Gaspar de Portola led the expedition Cabri llo was entrusted to San Diego and Monterey. Once San Diego and by the Spanish King, Monterey were secu re, the Franciscan padres Caro los I, to explore the expanded the mission lands north of Mexico. system by building Preparation for the voyage twenty-one missio ns took place in Guatemala, along the coastal areas in which Cabri llo con- of Cal ifornia between structed his fleet of th ree sai ling vesse ls named 176 9 and 182 3. San Salvador, Victoria, and San Miguel. Cabri llo loaded fresh provisio ns, and his crew which in- cluded a priest, Indian interpreters, soldiers, and sailors.

PHOTO CREDIT: ht tp://www.etsu.edu/cas/history/resources /Private/Faculty/Fac_To1877C hapterDocFiles/C hapterImages/Ch2cabri llo.jpg PHOTO CREDIT: http://www.sfmuseum.net/photos12/jserra.jpg

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