Texas History

By Mr. Morgan
  • Oct 12, 1492

    Columbus

    Columbus lands in the Bahamas, thinking he was in India. He never entered Texas!
  • Jun 2, 1519

    Alonso Alvarez de Pineda

    Pineda maps the coastline from present day Florida to present day Texas.
  • Aug 30, 1521

    Hernan Cortes

    Cortes lands in present-day Mexico in 1519. Two years later he conquered the Aztec Empire. They tore down the Aztec capital, Tenochtitlan and plundered the city's treasure. He never entered Texas!
  • Nov 7, 1528

    Cabeza de Vaca

    Cabeza de Vaca and three men survive the Narvaez expedition by being shipwrecked on Galvestine Island. They are captured by Indians and held prisoner for many years.
  • Feb 26, 1539

    Estevanicio

    First black man in America. Agreed to take an expedition in search of the 7 cities of gold. This is not one of the 6 explorers I want on your timeline.
  • Jul 26, 1540

    Coronado

    Searched for the 7 cities of gold. Found nothing, and reported the Texas panhandle held nothing of value.
  • May 21, 1542

    Moscoso

    Took over the de Soto expedition and led men into east Texas. He found petroleum, but did not know what its value was at the time. Turned around and backtracked home.

  • Juan de Onate

    Claimed the Rio Grande valley for Spain.

  • Mission Corpus Christi de la Ysleta

    The mission was built among the Tigua people in 1682. Shortly after the mission was built, 21 Spanish families moved to the area to meet the spiritual needs of the Tigua people.

  • Robert la Salle

    Built Fort Saint Louis, Garcitas Creek, Matagorda Bay, Texas.

  • Mission San Francisco de los Tejas

    Spain had learned that La Salle had been in the area and built Fort St. Louis. They feared that even though La Salle’s settlement had failed, France would send another group of settlers to try again. Mission San Francisco de los Tejas was built among the Atakapan people who were more interested in stealing horses than going to church.

  • Mission Santisimo Nombre de Maria

    This mission was the second mission founded in east Texas along the Neches River around August 1690. This mission was completely destroyed by flooding from the Neches River.

  • Mission Nuestra Senora de la Concepción de Acuna

    After a rough beginning and several moves, the mission was permanently moved to San Antonio in 1731, becoming the third in a chain of five missions established along the San Antonio River. From the beginning the priests at Mission Concepcion tried to replace Indian ceremonies with religious festivals that taught the Indians about Christianity. This mission is located between the Alamo and San Jose missions along the San Antonio River.

  • Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe de los Nacogdoches

    This mission remained in use for more than 50 years until it was abandoned in 1773. A few years later, when they established the town of Nacogdoches, settlers used the empty buildings.

  • Mission San Antonio de Valero

    This mission was the first in a chain of five missions established near San Antonio on May 1, 1718. During the 1730s and 1740s, the mission suffered from repeated attacks by the hostile Apache indians. In 1739, the Indians of the mission were almost completely wiped out by an epidemic of smallpox. After the mission closed in 1793, the buildings were used by several military groups as a hospital, a jail, soldier quarters, and to store military supplies. This mission became known as the Alamo.

  • Mission San Jose y San Miguel de Aguayo

    The mission had a difficult beginning, but soon the 300 Indians who lived there became successful farmers and ranchers. The Indians helped dig 15 miles of irrigation ditches to bring water to the farms of the five San Antonio missions. Mission San Jose was so successful, it became known as “Queen of the Missions”.

  • Mission Nuestra Senora del Espíritu Santo de Zuniga

    The mission was built to serve the Karankawa indians and to reinforce the Spanish presence in the area to help keep the French out of Texas. The mission and the presidio that was built nearby became known as La Bahia Mission, and is one of the oldest and most successful missions in Texas.

  • Mission San Juan Capistrano

    This mission made its permanent home near San Antonio on July 14, 1731, becoming the fourth in a chain of missions along the San Antonio River. Within a few years, San Juan became a successful mission with rich farmland, orchards, and gardens. By 1762, the Indians living in the mission village were raising more than 3,000 head of sheep and cattle. They were growing enough pumpkins, grapes, and peppers to supply other communities with fresh vegetables.

  • Mission San Francisco de la Espada

    This mission was originally located in east Texas with the name San Francisco de los Tejas. The mission was renamed and move to the San Antonio area in 1731, becoming the fifth mission in the chain of missions along the San Antonio River. Indians at Mission Espada were taught masonry and carpentry by Spanish craftsmen. These skills helped the Indians survive in Texas long after the missions were closed.

  • San Xavier missions

    This was a group of missions that were opened in the San Xavier river area. Conflict with the local garrison commander led to relocation of the missions to a site on the San Marcos River in 1755. The missions closed the following year.

  • Santa Cruz de San Saba

    It was attacked and destroyed in a revolt by Indians less than a year later.

  • Nuestra Senora del Refugio

    This was the last Spanish mission founded in Texas. It was abandoned in 1830. Later, Irish immigrants to the area named their settlement after the mission.