Francisco Vazquez De Coronado Research Paper

“Letter from Francisco Vazquez de Coronado to the King of Spain (October 20, 1541)”

A myth told by the early Spanish explorers of North America about the Seven Cities of Cibola was that it was “a legendary place of beautiful and precious metals and jewels” (Coronado 1541, 5). Over the years historians have proved many of myths to be either true or false statements undergone by evidence. That is exactly what Francisco Vazquez de Coronado had set out to do. Upon Coronado’s expedition to find this tale of a country ruled by a lord, filled with riches and large villages, he encountered a various sort of people and limited resources. To this being known Coronado began to question whether or not if Spain could conquer and establish a higher power settlement within the Zuni Cibola.
April 20, 1540 Francisco Vazquez de Coronado set out on his expedition forced by the Viceroy’s command with the men he had and Indian guides in hope to find cities with limitless riches. July of 1540, three months later Coronado reached the Zuni pueblo where only the beginning of the fueled tales started to unwind.
He traveled over 300 leagues (900 miles) and found a quantity of countless buffalo. After a seventeen days’ march he came across the Apaches settlement who did not plant, but only ate the raw flesh and drank the blood of the buffalo they would kill. The Apaches tanned the skin of the buffalo and used them as clothing. Due to it being one of the few resources they had, they even tanned and greased the hides to build very well made transportable housing units. They used dogs to carry their tents and belongings when moving. Coronado found that there was not any sign of riches in this land and the people had no account of the country where the guides where taking