Pedro de Aguirre facts for kids

Pedro de Aguirre was a Spanish soldier and explorer from the Basque region. He is known for leading an important journey into Texas. This trip was called the Espinosa-Olivares-Aguirre expedition.

Early Life and Military Career

Pedro de Aguirre was born in a small Spanish town called Arantza, in the region of Navarre. His parents were Pedro de Aguirre and María Sagardia. When he was young, Pedro joined the Spanish Navy. He worked hard and became a captain. Later, he was sent to a military fort, called a presidio, in Coahuila (which is now part of Mexico). There, he became a commander at the Presidio de San Juan Bautista del Río Grande del Norte.

The Texas Expedition

In 1708, a group of leaders chose Pedro de Aguirre to lead a special trip. This journey was with Antonio de Olivares and Isidro de Espinosa. Their goal was to explore San Antonio, Texas and the Colorado River in Texas. The team included fourteen soldiers.

The main reasons for this expedition were:

• To start a new settlement in San Antonio.
• To make a deal with the Tejas Indians. These Native American people had been seen near the Colorado River.
• The Spanish wanted the Tejas to watch the area. They needed to know if the French were trading there. The French wanted to take over Texas, and trading with foreign countries was against Spanish law.

Journey into Texas

The group started their journey on April 5, 1709. They left from the San Juan Bautista mission, located on the Sabinas River in what is now Mexico.

When they reached San Antonio, they explored the area. They found the San Pedro Springs and a river, which they named the San Antonio de Padua river. These places still have these names today.

As they continued their trip, the group met several Native American groups they had not known before. These included the Yojuanes, their friends the Simonos, and the Tusonibi. These Native Americans wanted the explorers to visit their villages. Their villages were along the Rio Brazos. They wanted the explorers to meet their families, but the Spanish group politely said no.

On April 19, the explorers arrived at the Colorado River. However, they did not find any Tejas people there. On April 28, their mission to find the Tejas was not successful. So, the group left the region and began their journey back to San Juan Bautista.