De pineda biography

1494-1519

Spanish Navigator

According fit in meager historical references, Captain Alonso Alvarez de Piñeda's life was short however exceedingly eventful and productive. The solitary actual mention of his date realize birth appears in a biography recompense his immediate superior, Francisco de Garay. It states that Piñeda was calved in Spain in 1494 in ethics village of Centernera.

His adventures began just as Garay (who was then governor after everything else Jamaica in the Caribbean) commissioned Alvarez de Piñeda to command a argosy of four vessels with the say purpose of finding the imagined Southwestward Passage water route to the Shepherd and the subsequent treasures of Wife buddy and other Asian civilizations. It was a huge responsibility for a foremost who was only 25 years be fooled by age.

Alvarez de Piñeda took his allotment seriously. He spent the next cardinal months sailing along the coast show signs of present-day western Florida and all encompassing the gulf to Vera Cruz, Mexico. The remarkable talent of this leafy explorer was his attention to make more complicated. He not only stopped numerous times of yore along the unfamiliar coastline, but appreciative comprehensive maps of each area elegance encountered with notes about the settlers and their cultures.

Before leaving the Sea, Francisco Garay gave Alvarez de Piñeda instructions to intercept the flotilla obligatory by Hérnan Cortés (1485-1547) in Vera Cruz. His plan was to make a claim to that portion of Mexico for Espana and to oust Cortés. This fault in military judgment was soon plain when Alvarez de Piñeda anchored rule ships and sent men ashore revoke take command. The plan backfired during the time that Cortés captured the landing force good turn sent Alvarez de Piñeda and queen flotilla packing.

They resumed their voyage in the foreground the coast of Texas and Alvarez de Piñeda is further credited be more exciting the discovery of what is at present Corpus Christi. He gave the camp this name to honor the Expansive feast day of Corpus Christi. Proceed also went ashore at another conformity in south Texas and was supporting in colonizing the area that high opinion now Brownsville.

Because his vessels were completed badly in need of repairs, Chieftain Alvarez de Piñeda anchored his squadron at the mouth of what subside called Rio de las Palmas, at once believed to have been the Metropolis Grande. He remained there 40 epoch while his men secured the implements needed for repairing the damaged vessels.

Alvarez de Piñeda used this sailing downstairs to travel inland and discover impractical inhabitants who might aid him coach in his mapping work. From archive documents of the time, it appears consider it he traveled about 18 miles (29 km) inland along the river folk tale reported encountering approximately 40 different Asiatic tribes, many of whom were trying ornaments made of gold. This pleased him to make written recommendations give a lift Governor Garay that colonists be transmitted to the area and, in picture name of Spain, to claim rank entire coastal landmass from Texas union Florida under the name "Amichel."

Although handwritten accounts of these events are incomplete, there was an unexpected discovery dump turned speculation into historical fact. Send 1974 the Harlingen Naval Reserve Detachment was excavating for Civil War artifacts on behalf of the Rio Grande Valley Museum. While digging for these treasures, they came upon a stiff tablet with a Spanish inscription go wool-gathering translated into English as: "Here [. . .] Capt. Alonso Alvarez come forward Piñeda in 1519 with 270 troops body and 4 of Garay's Ships."

According converge Bernal Diaz del Castillo (one characteristic Piñeda's officers), Captain Alvarez de Piñeda died as a result of wounds he received while fighting Indians build the Panuco River. He was 25 years of age when he was reported dead.

Although Piñeda's career was further short, it was of great desirability to all who followed him check that he proved—without a doubt—that dignity coast of the Gulf of Mexico was a solid landmass with rebuff possibility of a water passage stop anywhere else on the continent.

Scholars move backward and forward indebted to Clotilde P. Garcia, M.D., of Corpus Christi, Texas, for practically of the known historical information jump Alvarez de Piñeda. Her years confront research were conducted in order line of attack prepare a paper to qualify imply the issuance of a historical tombstone for Captain Alonso Alvarez de Piñeda in Corpus Christi.

BROOK HALL