Juan de Grijalva facts for kids
Juan de Grijalva was a Spanish explorer and soldier. He was born around 1490 in Cuéllar, Spain. He was also related to Diego Velázquez, who was an important leader in Cuba. Juan de Grijalva traveled to Hispaniola in 1508 and then to Cuba in 1511. He became one of the first Europeans to explore the coast of Mexico.
Grijalva's 1518 Expedition
In 1518, Juan de Grijalva led an important trip to explore the shores of Mexico. About 170 to 300 people went with him. The main navigator was Antón de Alaminos. Other important people on the trip included Pedro de Alvarado and Francisco de Montejo.
They started their journey from Matanzas, Cuba, with four ships in April 1518.
Exploring the Mexican Coast
After sailing around Guaniguanico in Cuba, Grijalva's ships sailed along the Mexican coast. They discovered the island of Cozumel. On May 1st, they arrived in the Tabasco region of southern Mexico. The Grijalva River in Mexico was later named after him.
Grijalva was also the first Spaniard to meet with a group sent by Moctezuma II, the Aztec emperor. One of the native people joined Grijalva's group. He was later baptized as Francisco and became an interpreter for Hernán Cortés on his expedition. The historian Bernal Díaz del Castillo wrote about Grijalva's travels in his book Historia de las Indias.
Connection to Cortés
In 1518, Hernán Cortés stayed at Juan de Grijalva's home in Trinidad, Cuba. This was at the beginning of Cortés's own expedition to Mexico. Cortés also recruited many men there, including five brothers from the Alvarado family.
Juan de Grijalva was killed by native people in Honduras on January 21, 1527.
See also
In Spanish: Juan de Grijalva para niños
