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Nov 5, 1492
Columbus
Begain European exploration to the americas -
Nov 5, 1519
Pineda
Mapped the Texas coastline -
Nov 5, 1528
Cabeza de Vaca
Traveled Texas for 7 years and wrote a book about his travels -
Nov 5, 1540
Coronado
Searched for the 7 cities of gold ,but found nothing -
Nov 5, 1542
Moscoso
Found petroleum in East Texas -
Onate
Claimed the Rio Grand Valley for Spain -
Mission Courps Christi de la Ysleta
is located along the Rio Grande, just east of present-day El Paso. 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. -
La Salle
Built Fort St. Louis on Matagorda Bay -
Mission San Francisco de los Tejas
Was the first mission founded in east Texas located just west of the Neches River.Spain had learned that La Salle had been in the area and built Fort St. Louis. -
Mission Santisimo Nombre de Maria
Was the second mission founded in east Texas along the Neches River.This mission was completely destroyed by flooding from the Neches River. -
Mission Nuestra Senora de la Concepción de Acuna
Originally built in East Texas to protect the Spanish owned territory.
After a rough beginning and several moves, the mission was permanently moved to San Antonio in 1731.From the beginning the priests at Mission Concepcion tried to replace Indian ceremonies with religious festivals that taught the Indians about Christianity. -
Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe de los Nacogdoches
A few years later, when they established the town of Nacogdoches, settlers used the empty buildings. This mission is located just Southeast of Mission Santisimo near present-day Nacogdoches. -
Mission San Antonio de Valero
The mission was located on the east bank of the San Antonio River.This mission suffered from repeated attacks by the Apache indians.The Indians of the mission were almost completely wiped out by an epidemic of smallpox. After the mission closed, the buildings were used by several military groups as a hospital, a jail, and to store military supplies. The mission became known as The Alamo, -
Mission San Jose y San Miguel de Aguayo
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 San Jose is located just Southeast of The Alamo. -
Mission Nuestra Senora del Espíritu Santo de Zuniga
Was found along the Matagorda Bay of the Guadalupe River. 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. Is one of the oldest and most successful missions in Texas. -
Mission San Juan Capistrano
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
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. Indians were taught masonry and carpentry by Spanish craftsmen. The skills helped the Indians survive in Texas long after the missions were closed. -
San Xavier missions
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
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.