Alonso del Castillo Maldonado facts for kids

Alonso del Castillo Maldonado (died after 1547) was an early Spanish explorer. He traveled through the Americas a long time ago. He was one of only four people who survived a big trip called the Pánfilo de Narváez expedition. The other survivors were Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca, Andrés Dorantes de Carranza, and Estevanico. These four were some of the first non-native people to explore and live with Native American tribes in what is now the southwestern United States. Castillo Maldonado lived with a Native American tribe in Texas in 1527 and 1528.

Biography

Travel in New Spain

Alonso del Castillo Maldonado was born in Salamanca, Spain. He came from a family of Hidalgos, which meant they were part of the lower nobility. However, his family was not rich. Castillo decided to travel to the Americas hoping to find wealth. He joined Pánfilo de Narváez's expedition in 1527. This journey was planned to explore Florida.

On June 17, 1527, the expedition set sail. Five ships and 600 men left from Sanlucar de Barrameda, Spain. After several weeks, they reached the island of La Española. They got supplies there and stayed for a while. When they left the island, they entered the waters of the Gulf of Mexico. One ship was put under the shared command of Alonso del Castillo Maldonado and Andrés Dorantes de Carranza.

In early November, a big storm hit. The ship led by Dorantes and Castillo was wrecked. This happened near Galveston Island, on the coast of what is now Texas. About 15 people survived, including Castillo, Dorantes, Cabeza de Vaca, and Estevanico. They had no clothes, food, or weapons. They faced many hardships. Luckily, Native Americans on the island helped them. Castillo and his group survived the winter. They even became spiritual healers among the native people.

In the spring of 1528, 13 survivors decided to leave the island. They left Cabeza de Vaca behind because he was sick. In April 1529, the group led by Dorantes and Castillo reached Matagorda Bay. Sadly, most of them were killed by Native Americans. Only three survived: Dorantes de Carranza, Castillo, and Estevanico.

For almost seven years, these three men lived as captives of a Native American tribe. In September 1534, they managed to reunite with Cabeza de Vaca. This happened somewhere west of the Sabine River. Cabeza de Vaca had learned Native American medicine. He taught his companions these healing skills. In August 1535, the men escaped from the Avavare tribe. They had been living with them as medicine men.

They traveled inland, crossing what is now Texas. They were likely the first Europeans to do so. They reached El Paso in late 1535. Then, they headed south. In late 1535, they explored the area of modern-day Chihuahua, Mexico. They also crossed through the state of Sonora. They stayed for a short time with the Pimas in the Sierra Madre mountains. They heard about a Spanish village further south. So, they continued their journey.

In 1536, they reached the modern-day Mexican state of Sinaloa. Hundreds of Native Americans traveled with them. They met a group of slave hunters led by Diego de Alcaraz. But they managed to get safely past them. Later, Castillo and his friends met other Spanish groups. They were in northern Culiacán. One of these Spaniards was the future explorer Melchor Díaz. From there, they traveled to Compostela. This was the capital of a region called Nueva Galicia.

Last years

The governor of New Galicia, Nuño de Guzman, heard about the Spanish survivors. He gave them horses and clothes. Then he sent them to Mexico City. They were to tell their story to the viceroy of New Spain, Antonio de Mendoza. Their adventure was already famous in the city. They were welcomed with great honors.

Alonso del Castillo got married in Mexico. He received land and people to oversee in Tehuacán, Puebla, through his wife. This was called an encomienda.

In 1541, Castillo traveled back to Spain. He needed to claim his inheritance. His father had died while Castillo was exploring North America. Some relatives had already taken his share. He stayed in Spain for a short time. Then he returned to the Americas. He lived the rest of his life in New Spain. In 1545, Castillo worked as a treasurer in Guatemala. In 1547, Alonso del Castillo was a witness in a court case. It is thought that he died in the late 1540s.

See also

In Spanish: Alonso del Castillo Maldonado para niños