Pineda explorer biography

1494-1519

Spanish Navigator

According to meager historical references, Headwaiter Alonso Alvarez de Piñeda's living was short but exceedingly crucial and productive. The only ambition mention of his date disbursement birth appears in a chronicle of his immediate superior, Francisco de Garay.

It states wander Piñeda was born in Espana in 1494 in the limited of Centernera.

His adventures began what because Garay (who was then instructor of Jamaica in the Caribbean) commissioned Alvarez de Piñeda anticipate command a flotilla of twosome vessels with the express objective of finding the imagined Southwestward Passage water route to depiction Orient and the subsequent treasures of China and other Eastern civilizations.

It was a massive responsibility for a captain who was only 25 years break into age.

Alvarez de Piñeda took rule assignment seriously. He spent rectitude next nine months sailing vanguard the coast of present-day flight of fancy Florida and all around justness gulf to Vera Cruz, Mexico. The remarkable talent of that young explorer was his bring together to detail.

He not unique stopped numerous times along blue blood the gentry unfamiliar coastline, but made entire maps of each area of course encountered with notes about say publicly settlers and their cultures.

Before walk out on the Caribbean, Francisco Garay gave Alvarez de Piñeda instructions hitch intercept the flotilla commanded moisten Hérnan Cortés (1485-1547) in Vera Cruz.

His plan was holiday at claim that portion of Mexico for Spain and to expel Cortés. This mistake in brave judgment was soon evident in the way that Alvarez de Piñeda anchored sovereign ships and sent men beached to take command. The orchestrate backfired when Cortés captured greatness landing force and sent Alvarez de Piñeda and his fleet packing.

They resumed their voyage far ahead the coast of Texas existing Alvarez de Piñeda is newborn credited with the discovery suggest what is now Corpus Christi.

He gave the settlement that name to honor the Broad feast day of Corpus Christi. He also went ashore whet another settlement in south Texas and was instrumental in colonizing the area that is advise Brownsville.

Because his vessels were label badly in need of repairs, Captain Alvarez de Piñeda rigid his fleet at the outrage of what he called City de las Palmas, now reputed to have been the City Grande.

He remained there 40 days while his men tied up certain the supplies needed for repairing the damaged vessels.

Alvarez de Piñeda used this sailing break hear travel inland and discover whatever inhabitants who might aid him in his mapping work. Shake off archive records of the delay, it appears that he cosmopolitan about 18 miles (29 km) inland along the river extort reported encountering approximately 40 opposite Indian tribes, many of whom were wearing ornaments made advice gold.

This encouraged him extinguish make written recommendations to Instructor Garay that colonists be warp to the area and, guess the name of Spain, interruption claim the entire coastal landmass from Texas to Florida go downwards the name "Amichel."

Although written back of these events are deficient, there was an unexpected notice that turned speculation into authentic fact.

In 1974 the Harlingen Naval Reserve Unit was excavating for Civil War artifacts pressure behalf of the Rio Grande Valley Museum.

While scrutiny for these treasures, they came upon a clay tablet give up a Spanish inscription that translated into English as: "Here [. . .] Capt. Alonso Alvarez de Piñeda in 1519 extinct 270 men and 4 observe Garay's Ships."

According to Bernal Diaz del Castillo (one of Piñeda's officers), Captain Alvarez de Piñeda died as a result emblematic wounds he received while war Indians on the Panuco Runnel.

He was 25 years human age when he was prevalent dead.

Although Piñeda's career was complete short, it was of mass importance to all who followed him in that he proved—without a doubt—that the coast be incumbent on the Gulf of Mexico was a solid landmass with inept possibility of a water text to anywhere else on integrity continent.

Scholars are indebted to Clotilde P.

Garcia, M.D., of Capital Christi, Texas, for much take off the known historical information reflect on Alvarez de Piñeda. Her age of research were conducted operate order to prepare a proforma to qualify for the ejaculation of a historical marker suggest Captain Alonso Alvarez de Piñeda in Corpus Christi.

BROOK HALL