Marcos de Niza facts for kids

Marcos de Niza (born around 1495 – died March 25, 1558) was a French missionary and a Franciscan friar. He came from the city of Nice, which was then part of the Duchy of Savoy. Marcos de Niza led the first Spanish journey to explore what is now the American Southwest.

He reported finding a "beautiful city" that was "larger than Mexico City." This report convinced the Viceroy of New Spain, Antonio de Mendoza, to organize a huge expedition. This big trip was led by Francisco Vázquez de Coronado. Marcos de Niza went along as a guide. However, when they did not find the riches they expected, Coronado blamed Marcos. He called him a liar and sent the friar back to Mexico in shame. Marcos de Niza is still a debated figure in history. Historians still discuss if his report was true and where his journey actually took him.

Early Life and Journeys

Not much is known about Marcos de Niza's early life. He was born around 1495 in Nice. At that time, Nice was part of the Duchy of Savoy. This area was historically linked to Italy, but many French people lived there. People who knew Fray Marcos said he was "French by nationality."

When he joined the Franciscan order in Nice, he took a new name. He became known by his first name and where he was from. In French, he would have been called Frère Marc de Nice. But because he worked for Spain, he became known as Fray Marcos de Niza. His family name is not known.

In 1530, Marcos traveled to Spain. From there, he went to the Americas. The details of his first travels in the New World are not clear. He might have first landed in Nicaragua. Then, he may have joined Francisco Pizarro in his conquest of the Incas in Peru. According to Bartolomé de las Casas, Marcos later said he saw many terrible things the Spanish did in Peru.

He also worked in Guatemala. He went with Pedro de Alvarado to Ecuador. Records show he was back in Guatemala by 1536. There, he gave evidence in a trial involving Alvarado. His leaders must have been happy with his work. He moved up in the church, becoming a comisario, then a custodio, and later a provincial in Mexico.

In 1537, Marcos wrote to Archbishop Juan de Zumárraga in Mexico City. He complained about the cruel things he saw in Peru. Zumárraga asked him to come to Mexico City. He suggested Marcos write a report to the king. This was to try and stop more cruelties. There is no record that such a letter was ever written.

First Expedition North

Monument along the expedition path followed by Marcos de Niza

For many years, there were stories about rich civilizations north of Mexico. In 1536, Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca and three friends reached Mexico City. They were the only survivors of the Narváez expedition. Their stories mentioned possible cities in the north where great wealth could be found.

These reports excited Viceroy Antonio de Mendoza. He decided to send a small scouting trip north. He hoped to confirm the rumors. The three Spanish survivors from the Narváez expedition did not want to lead the trip. So, Mendoza chose Marcos de Niza as the leader. He ordered Estevanico, an African slave who was the fourth survivor, to be a guide.

Marcos had been recommended by his leader, Fray Antonio de Ciudad Rodrigo. He said Marcos was a good priest. He also knew about "cosmography and navigation." This meant he was good at mapping and exploring. Besides Estevanico, another Franciscan friar, Onorato, joined the trip. There were also about six Native Americans. Marcos had been teaching them some Spanish and Christianity. These Native Americans were from Sinaloa in northern Mexico. It was hoped they could help as translators and guides.

The viceroy gave Marcos written instructions. He told him to carefully note everything he saw. This included Native American tribes, plants and animals, how good the soil was, and if there was water. Marcos also had to ask about how close the ocean was. They hoped to find a bay or inlet to reach the interior. Finally, the viceroy stressed that Marcos should "always try to travel as safely as possible." He also said to "avoid giving [the natives] any cause to take action against your person."

The expedition left Mexico City in the fall of 1538. They were joined by Francisco Vázquez de Coronado. Coronado was the new governor of Nueva Galicia. This was a frontier area at the northern edge of New Spain. By December 15, they were in Compostela. This was the capital of Nueva Galicia. There, Coronado recruited almost 100 Native Americans from the area. They joined Marcos's expedition. They went north along the coast. They reached Culiacan, the northernmost Spanish outpost. Marcos and his group left Culiacan on March 7, 1539. Their exploration began.

Signature of letters and reports

About a week after the trip started, they found their first native village, Petatlan. There, Brother Onorato got sick and stayed behind to recover. Marcos and Estevanico went further inland. They came to a village called Vacapa. Marcos held an Easter mass there. The native people welcomed the priest. They called him Satoya, which meant "man from heaven."

While in Vacapa, Marcos sent Estevanico and some Native Americans ahead. They were to explore the land for about 50 or 60 leagues (a league is about 3 miles) to the north. Estevanico was told to send back crosses to communicate. The size of the cross would show how important his discoveries were. Four days later, a cross arrived that was as tall as a person. Estevanico had heard stories of seven large and rich cities. These cities were in a land to the north called Cíbola. The messengers urged Marcos to come quickly and meet the scouting party.

Marcos had told Estevanico to wait for him. But Estevanico and his group hurried forward. Marcos traveled at a slower speed. He often stopped to rest, talk with the local people, and perform religious ceremonies. After several days, Marcos found a pueblo. The people there wore cotton robes and turquoise jewelry. They said they knew about Cibola. They described it as a rich land with buildings ten stories high. Marcos kept following Estevanico. Estevanico occasionally sent back messengers with large crosses.

Along the way, Marcos gained a group of native followers. They went with him on the journey to Cibola. These companions also said that a great city was ahead. Sometime in late May, Marcos met two men from Estevanico's group. They were bleeding from wounds and very upset. They brought news that Estevanico and his group had been attacked. The people of Cibola had attacked them. Many were killed, including Estevanico.

Instead of risking his life, Marcos decided not to go into the city of Cibola. He wanted to get close enough to see it. He described seeing the beautiful city of Cibola from a distance on a ridge. He said it was "bigger than the size of Mexico."

Coronado's Expedition

Marcos de Niza's report about his expedition made Mendoza start one of the biggest Spanish expeditions ever. It was led by Francisco Vázquez de Coronado. Marcos de Niza went with Coronado and his army. They traveled back to the rumored Cibola. However, they only found a group of Zuni villages. These were not the rich Seven Cities of Cibola. At this time, Marcos de Niza was called a liar. He was sent back to Mexico City. Even though his report never mentioned gold, the Spanish and Coronado expected to find great wealth.

Images for kids

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  Monument along the expedition path followed by Marcos de Niza

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  Signature of letters and reports

See also

In Spanish: Marcos de Niza para niños