Cabeza de Vaca...

...explored America long before the Pilgrims landed Summary: Starts at: Detailed Writings, Maps and Pictures:   DeVaca   Florida Alabama & Miss Louisiana Texas Etc.   DeSoto   Trails: North:  Florida  Georgia  the Carolinas West and South:  Tennessee  Alabama Northward:  Tenn.  Kentucky  Indiana Southwest:  Illinois Missouri Arkansas Escape:   Louisiana   Texas   The Gulf   Natives  Contact    States Entrance Fast Facts     Introduction   The Cherokee   Teacher's Note  Images     Native Portraits     Coronado     De Luna     Links Cabeza de Vaca, Hernando de Soto and Coronado explored North America, including our Midwest. This Site traces their trails, highways today, to villages which became our cities.   STATE MAPS Index of States, Towns, Places, People, Rivers, Mountains, etc. Spanish Exploration of Native America in Brief Cabeza de Vaca was the first to describe America's Gulf Coast States. While in Houston (circled on the map), many Natives told Vaca about their inland towns, convincing him that wealthy tribes and an ocean were located to the north. Both Coronado's and DeSoto's Trails would lead to places due north of Houston. Both reversed direction there. Spain would never return for another search for what Vaca told the two Conquistadors was located there. England and France would continue searching for a Northern Passage thru that "ocean" (Lake Michigan) for the rest of that Century, allowing Spain leeway elsewhere.