Cabeza De Vaca Research Paper

Words: 801
Pages: 4

Alvar Nunez was famously known throughout the decades as Cabeza de Vaca meaning “head of cow” was born in Spain. He’d started his early career in the military. He fought at the battle of Ravenna in Italy in 1512, then became an early explorer and first historian of Texas. He left Spain with his Army and settlers for the Americas in 1527 with five ships. (Donald E. Chipman).
The expedition was led by Panfilo de Narvaez with approximately 250 to 300 men. They settled in Cuba for the winter, and then departed where he landed in present day Tampa, Florida in April 1528. His army built boats and sailed along the coast of Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas. Few of the boats and many of the Spanish explorers were lost. Due to the lack of food and massive hurricanes, many explorers died or were attacked by the Indians. (The Journey of Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca).
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They finally landed at a place they called the Island of Misfortune, perhaps Galveston, Texas in the present day. He became the first European to become a Texas merchant; “During his life as a merchant, Cabeza de Vaca received food in exchange for his treatment of sick and injured Indians...When he refused to doctor an Indian…The Indians took away his food until he did their bidding.”(Donald E. Chipman). Cabeza de Vaca and the other individuals lived there for many years with the Karankawa Indians, often separated from each other. (The Journey of Alvar Nunez Cabeza de