Estevanico facts for kids

Estevanico (also known as Estebanico, Esteban de Dorantes, or Mustafa Azemmouri) was an amazing explorer. Born around 1500 in Azemmour, Morocco, he was the first African to explore parts of North America.

Estevanico first appears in records as a slave in Portuguese-controlled Morocco around 1521. He was sold to a Spanish nobleman. In 1527, he joined a Spanish journey called the Narváez expedition. This trip aimed to explore "La Florida", which is now parts of Northern Mexico and the Southern United States.

Many people call Estevanico "the first great African man in America." He became a folk hero in Spanish stories and a legend in New Spain (which is now Mexico). His journeys helped map the Gulf of Mexico and areas that are now Florida and Texas. This led to many legends about him. Later, during his last trip and disappearance in New Mexico, he became part of stories about the Seven Cities of Gold. Both old and new stories show him as a brave explorer and a helpful guide.

Estevanico's Early Life

It's not fully clear where Estevanico came from. Some old stories called him a "Moor", a name often used for Berbers. But most people at the time simply called him by his nicknames like Estevanico, Azemmouri, or El Negro (a common Spanish nickname meaning "the black").

When he was young, Estevanico was sold into slavery in 1522. This happened in Azemmour, a Moroccan town on the Atlantic coast that was controlled by Portugal. He was sold to a Spanish nobleman named Andrés Dorantes de Carranza. We don't know if Azemmouri was raised Muslim. However, Spain did not allow non-Catholics to travel to the New World. So, he would have needed to be part of the Catholic Church to join the expedition. His Christian name, Estevan (which is Spanish for "Stephen"), suggests he was baptized.

The Narváez Expedition

In February 1528, an expedition of about 300 men left Cuba. It was led by Pánfilo de Narváez, the new governor of La Florida. They planned to go to Isla de las Palmas, near what is now Tampico, Mexico, to build two settlements. But storms and strong winds pushed their ships to the western coast of Florida.

The Narváez expedition landed near present-day St. Petersburg, Florida. Narváez told his ships, with 100 men and 10 women, to sail north. They were looking for a large harbor that his pilots said was nearby. Narváez led another 300 men, with 42 horses, north along the coast. He planned to meet his ships at the harbor. But there was no large harbor north of where they landed, and Narváez never saw his ships again.

After walking about 300 miles north and having fights with Native Americans, the remaining explorers built boats. They hoped to sail west along the Gulf Coast to reach Pánuco and the Rio de las Palmas. A storm hit when they were near Galveston Island, Texas. About 80 men survived the storm and were washed ashore on Galveston Island. After 1529, three survivors from one boat, including Azemmouri, became slaves of the Coahuiltecan Indians. In 1532, they met up with another survivor, Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca, who was from a different boat.

The four men—Cabeza de Vaca, Andrés Dorantes de Carranza, Alonso del Castillo Maldonado, and Azemmouri—escaped in 1534. They traveled west into what is now Texas and Northern Mexico. They were the first Europeans and African to enter the American West. They had walked almost 2,000 miles since landing in Florida. Finally, they reached a Spanish settlement in Sinaloa. From there, they traveled another 1,000 miles south to Mexico City.

Cabeza de Vaca wrote a book called Relación in 1542 about their 8-year journey. It included information about Azemmouri. This book was the first to describe the people, animals, and plants of inland North America. It was also the first to describe the American bison. In his book, Cabeza de Vaca often called Azemmouri "the black." He said Azemmouri often went ahead of the other three survivors because he was the best at talking with the Native Americans they met.

In the last sentence of the Relación, Cabeza de Vaca says Azemmouri was "an Arabic-speaking black man, a native of Azamor."

Explorer of North America

Reconstructed route of the Narváez-Cabeza de Vaca expedition.

Dorantes took Azemmouri as his slave on Pánfilo de Narváez's 1527 expedition. This trip aimed to settle Florida and the Gulf Coast. They left Cuba in February 1528. Their goal was to build two settlements in present-day Mexico near Tampico. But strong winds forced the Narváez fleet to Florida. They landed in Boca Ciega Bay in April 1528.

After failing to find gold villages near present-day Tampa Bay and facing many attacks from Native Americans, Narváez split his group. He hoped to find a better place to settle at a large bay to the north. He told the ships to sail north along the coast. Narváez and 300 men traveled by land, planning to meet the ships at the large harbor. But there was no large harbor north of their landing spot, and the ships and land group never met again.

After traveling 300 miles north to the St. Marks River, Narváez decided they could reach Panuco by sailing west along the coast. The estimated 250 survivors killed their horses. They melted down metal from bridles and stirrups. They built five boats to try to sail along the Gulf of Mexico coast to reach the main Spanish settlement at Pánuco. The boats crashed off the coast of Texas. Most of the men on the boats were lost at sea. About 80 men survived and washed ashore. Most of them were killed or died during six years of being held captive by Native Americans. Eventually, only Azemmouri, Dorantes, Cabeza de Vaca, and Castillo were left alive. The four spent years as slaves on the Texas barrier islands.

In 1534, the four survivors escaped into the American interior. They became like medicine men. As medicine men, they were treated with great respect. People offered them food, shelter, and gifts, and villages held celebrations for them. When they wanted to leave, the host village would guide them to the next village. Sometimes as many as 3,000 people would follow them. The group traveled across the continent as far as western Mexico, into the Sonoran Desert in Sonora, New Spain (present-day Mexico). After finding a small Spanish settlement, the four survivors traveled 1,000 miles south to Mexico City. They arrived in July 1536.

Journey to New Mexico and Disappearance

In Mexico City, the four survivors told stories of rich Native American tribes to the north. They spoke of the "Seven Cities of Cibola." This excited many Spaniards in Mexico. The three Spaniards did not want to lead another trip north. So, Azemmouri was sold or given to Antonio de Mendoza, the Viceroy of New Spain. Mendoza chose Azemmouri to be the main guide for new trips to the North.

In 1539, Azemmouri left Mexico City. He traveled to Sinaloa and went with Friar Marcos de Niza as a guide. They were looking for the famous Seven Cities of Cibola. This was a year before Coronado's expedition. Azemmouri traveled ahead of the main group with some Sonoran Indians. He was told to send back crosses to the main group. The size of the cross would show how much wealth they found.

One day, a cross arrived that was as tall as a person. This made de Niza hurry to catch up with the scouts. Azemmouri had seemingly reached the A:shiwi village of Hawikuh (in present-day New Mexico). The local people prefer the spelling Hawikku. (The Spanish later called the A:shiwi "Zuñi," and a version of that name, Zuni, is still used today).

Stories about what happened between Azemmouri and the A:shiwi are mostly based on legend. There is no direct account of what happened at Hawikuh. According to Marcos de Niza, the Zuni supposedly killed Azemmouri and many Northern Mexican Indians who were with him. After hearing this, De Niza quickly returned to New Spain.

No one is certain how or why Azemmouri died, and we likely never will be. Almost all stories of his death are based on legends or guesses. Some historians think Azemmouri was killed because the Zuni did not believe his story that he represented a group of Europeans following him. Others guess he was killed for asking for turquoise and women. Some historians wrote that Estevan, who was North African, wore owl feathers and carried a medicine-man's gourd. The Zuni might have seen this as him pretending to be a medicine man, which they punished by death. Others believe he might have looked like an evil sorcerer from the Zuni religion, the "Chaikwana" kachina.

In 2002, Juan Francisco Maura suggested that the Zuni did not kill Azemmouri. Instead, he and his friends might have stayed among the A:shiwi. They might have helped him pretend to die so he could be free. Some folk legends say that the Kachina figure, Chakwaina, is based on Azemmouri. Whatever happened, legends of his disappearance in the Nuevo México region eventually led to the Tiguex War.

Estevanico in Books and More

• The Moor's Account, a 2014 novel by American writer Laila Lalami, is a fictional story about Azemmouri. Lalami explains that little is known about him except for one line in Cabeza de Vaca's book: "The fourth [survivor] is Estevanico, an Arab Negro from Azamor."
• The character Esteban in the anime series, The Mysterious Cities of Gold, is thought to be loosely based on Estevanico's story.
• Professor A.L.I., an educator and rapper, often uses the name 'Black Steven'. He says this is a tribute to Estevanico the Moor.
• Estavanico, a poem by Jeffrey Yang, was published in Poetry in 2017. It is "narrated" by the Spanish explorer Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca. The poem tells the story of de Vaca's years exploring the New World with Azemmouri as a guide.
• Estevanico can appear as a conquistador in Paradox Interactive's Europa Universalis IV video game through an event.
• Jazz trumpeter Donald Byrd named the first song on his 1970 album Electric Byrd after Azemmouri, using the spelling “Estavanico.”
• In 1940, Estevanico was honored with one of the 33 dioramas at the American Negro Exposition in Chicago.
• Time Machine, a 2020 documentary by Moroccan filmmaker Tarek Bouraque, shows Azemmouri, born in 1502, traveling to the 21st century.

See also

In Spanish: Estevanico para niños