The Discovery of Texas

Texas has been inhabited for thousands of years, but very little about its history prior to its discovery by Europeans has been preserved. In 1492, Christopher Columbus made his fabled voyage from Spain across the Atlantic Ocean and discovered San Salvador Island in the Bahamas. In the decades to follow, Columbus and numerous others found and mapped new lands as far as their ships could carry them throughout the Atlantic coasts of North, Central, and South America. The part of the Gulf of Mexico that forms the southern coast of the United States, including Texas, was one of the last coastal areas to be explored. It was not mapped until 1519.

Spain's early attempts to place settlements in the present-day U.S. focused exclusively on Florida and the south Atlantic coast. These attempts were sporadic and unsuccessful. One of them was an expedition launched by Pánfilio de Narváez in 1527. Even though this expedition was a notable disaster, it did result in the first presence on Texas soil by Europeans - or any other non-indigenous people, for that matter - and gave Spain its first intelligence about the land to the north of Mexico. Four of Narváez's men, including Alvar Nuñez Cabeza de Vaca, spent seven years living with the natives in Texas and wandering through the land. Cabeza de Vaca's detailed, vivid, and fascinating account of his travels is the oldest known written history of Texas.

The articles below descibe how Texas was discovered, beginning with Columbus's first voyage to the Gulf of Mexico to Cabeza de Vaca's epic journey.

Articles on the First Spanish Explorers of North America

• Spanish Exploration of the Gulf of Mexico - describes the discovery and exploration of North America by the Spanish conqusitadors
• The Narváez Expedition - the story of Cabeza de Vaca and the discovery of Texas
• The First Christmas in the United States

Analysis and Interpretation of the Narváez Expedition

• Challenges in Route Interpretation - an overview of the challenges faced in interpreting Cabeza de Vaca's route.
• Tracking the Narváez Expeditions's Five Boats on the Gulf Coast - an analysis of where and when each of Narváez's five boats landed.
• Identifying the Isla de Malhado - an analysis showing that Cabeza de Vaca's Isla de Malhado was Follet's Island in Brazoria County.
• Identifying the Inlet of Espíritu Santo - an analysis showing that Cabeza de Vaca's inlet of Espíritu Santo was Cavallo Pass at Matagorda Bay.
• Interpreting the Territories of the Coastal Natives Described by Cabeza de Vaca - an analysis of 19 native tribes named by Cabeza de Vaca and the territories they occupied.

The Narváez Expedition in Texas, County-By-County

• Galveston County and Southeast Texas - also includes Jefferson and Chambers Counties.
• Brazoria County
• Matagorda County
• Calhoun and Victoria Counties
• Aransas and Refugio Counties
• South Texas - 21 counties in total
• West Texas - Presidio, Jeff Davis, Hudspeth, and El Paso Counties

• Cabeza de Vaca's La Relación - a new, literal English translation of Cabeza de Vaca's great work. Translated by David Carson.
• The Account of Cabeza de Vaca: A Literal Translation with Analysis and Commentary - This book, available in E-book and paperback formats, contains David Carson's accurate translation of La Relación with over 500 footnotes explaining, analyzing, and commenting upon the text.
• Children of the Sun: Following in Narváez and Cabeza de Vaca's Footsteps - a recreation of Narváez and Cabeza de Vaca's route from Tampa Bay to Culiacan by David Carson. Includes color maps and photos.
• Pineda's 1519 map of the Gulf of Mexico - now in 4.5 megapixel quality!
• The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume XXII, July 1918 to April 1919 - includes Harbert Davenport and Joseph K. Wells's excellent 2-part analysis of Cabeza de Vaca's route, entitled "The First Europeans in Texas, 1528-1536." Part 1 begins on page 124 of the PDF; Part 2 begins on page 218.