Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca facts for kids

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Quick facts for kids Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca
Bust of Cabeza de Vaca
Born	Birth name: Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca c. 1488/ 1490/ 1492 Jerez de la Frontera
Died	c. 1557/ 1558/ 1559/ 1560 Seville, Spain
Resting place	Spain
Occupation	Treasurer, explorer, author of La relación y comentarios, and ex-governor of Río de Plata in Argentina
Spouse(s)	María Marmolejo
Parent(s)	Francisco de Vera (father), Teresa Cabeza de Vaca y de Zurita (mother)

Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca (born around 1490 – died around 1557) was an early Spanish explorer. He traveled through the New World, which is what Europeans called the Americas back then. His name is sometimes spelled Aluar Nuñez Cabeça de Vaca in old documents.

The name Cabeza de Vaca means "head of the cow" in Spanish. This special family name was given to his ancestors in the 1200s. It happened when one of his family members helped a Christian army. They showed the army a secret mountain pass by leaving a cow's head there. This helped the army surprise their enemies, the Moors.

Early Life and Family History
The Narváez Expedition
Return to America
- An Observer of Cultures
- A Messenger of Peace
Images for kids
See also

Early Life and Family History

Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca was born around 1490. His hometown was Jerez de la Frontera in Cádiz, Spain. His father, Francisco de Vera, was an hidalgo. This meant he was part of the lower Spanish nobility. His mother, Teresa Cabeza de Vaca, also came from a noble family.

His grandfather, Pedro de Vera, was a big influence on him. Pedro de Vera was known as a skilled fighter on land and sea. He led attacks against the Moors in North Africa. In 1483, he helped conquer Grand Canaria, one of the Canary Islands. He became the military governor there. He was known for being very strict. He was later fined and sent back to Spain in 1490. Cabeza de Vaca later named a place in South America, Vera, after his grandfather.

Cabeza de Vaca's parents and grandparents passed away when he was young. In 1503, he started working for the Juan Alfonso Pérez de Guzmán, 3rd Duke of Medina Sidonia. This family was very powerful in Seville, a major trading city in Spain. Cabeza de Vaca worked as a page and then a chamberlain for the duke.

In 1511, he went to Italy to fight in the Italian Wars against the French. He was wounded in the Battle of Ravenna in 1512. He later served as a royal flag-bearer near Naples.

He returned to Spain in 1513. He married María Marmolejo, whose family was important in Seville. When a rebellion called the Revolt of the Comuneros started in 1520, Cabeza de Vaca fought for the new Spanish king, Charles V. He helped defend Seville and fought in important battles like battle of Villalar. In 1521, he also fought against the French in Navarre.

The Narváez Expedition

In 1527, Cabeza de Vaca was chosen for a big expedition. He became the royal treasurer for an journey led by Pánfilo de Narváez. Their goal was to explore and conquer a part of North America called La Florida. This area is now the southeastern United States. He was chosen because he had been a loyal soldier for the king.

Their fleet of five ships left Spain on June 17, 1527. They carried 600 soldiers and settlers. Some married women and African slaves were also with them.

They stopped in Hispaniola for supplies. More than 140 men decided to stay there and not continue. They bought a sixth ship and tried to get horses in Cuba. In October, a hurricane hit while Cabeza de Vaca was getting supplies in Trinidad. Both of his ships were destroyed, and 60 men and 20 horses were lost. Narváez decided to wait out the winter in Cuba.

In February 1528, they continued their journey to Florida. Before reaching Havana, another storm hit. They were blown off course into the Gulf of Mexico. They were low on food and water. In April, they saw land and went ashore. Many historians believe they landed near Tampa Bay.

They met some Native Americans from the Safety Harbor culture. Through sign language, the Spanish learned about a place called Apalachee. The Native Americans said it was rich with food and gold. Narváez decided to lead a group inland to find this wealth.

Cabeza de Vaca strongly disagreed with this plan. He thought splitting their forces was too dangerous. He advised everyone to stay with the ships until they found a good base camp. Narváez ignored him. Cabeza de Vaca chose to go with the overland group. He later wrote that he "preferred risking my life to placing my honor in jeopardy."

Narváez and about 300 men set off in May 1528. They marched for 15 days without seeing any Native Americans. They met 200 Native Americans while crossing a river, probably the Withlacoochee. The Spanish drove them off and found a village with stored corn. Cabeza de Vaca wanted to send scouts to find their ships, but they couldn't find a good harbor.

Narváez still hoped to find riches in Apalachee. They continued marching, using captured Native Americans as guides. After seven weeks, they found a large village with forty houses. Narváez ordered Cabeza de Vaca to take 50 soldiers and capture it. They found only women and children, whom they took as hostages. They found plenty of food but no gold or gems.

Apalachee had no gold, only corn. The explorers were told about another village, Aute, that was rich. They pushed through swamps, fighting Native Americans. Many Spanish men were killed or wounded. When they reached Aute, the villagers had burned it down and left. But the fields had unharvested food. After months of fighting and struggling, they decided to leave the interior. They planned to reach Pánuco, a Spanish settlement in Mexico.

They built five simple boats to sail to Mexico. On September 22, 1528, 242 survivors launched their boats. Cabeza de Vaca commanded one boat with about 50 men. They followed the coast westward, but a strong current at the mouth of the Mississippi River swept them into the Gulf of Mexico. A hurricane separated the boats, and many lives were lost, including Narváez.

In November 1528, two boats, including Cabeza de Vaca's, wrecked near Galveston Island in what is now Texas. About 80 people survived the wreck, but only 15 lived through that winter. The explorers called the island Malhado, meaning "Ill fate" or "Island of Doom." They tried to fix their boats, but a large wave destroyed them.

As survivors died quickly, they were enslaved for four years. Different Native American tribes of the upper Gulf Coast held them. These tribes included the Hans, Capoques, Karankawa, and Coahuiltecan. Only four men managed to escape: Cabeza de Vaca, Andrés Dorantes de Carranza, Alonso del Castillo Maldonado, and Estevanico, an African slave.

Traveling mostly together, Cabeza de Vaca walked west. He went through what is now Texas and parts of northeastern Mexico. He also possibly went through New Mexico and Arizona. He walked for about eight years. He passed through areas that were not yet settled by Europeans. He continued to what is now Sinaloa, Mexico.

During his travels, Cabeza de Vaca lived with many different Native American groups. He learned their ways and became a trader and a healer. This allowed him to move more freely among the tribes. His group gained many Native American followers. They believed the four men had special powers to heal.

Cabeza de Vaca eventually decided to try and reach the Spanish colony in Mexico. Many Native Americans joined the explorers on their journey. They finally reached Spanish lands near Culiacán in Mexico. From there, Cabeza de Vaca and the three other men traveled to Mexico City. He then sailed back to Europe in 1537.

Cabeza de Vaca wrote a report about his amazing experiences for Emperor Charles V. It was published in 1542 and was called La Relación (The Report).

Many researchers have tried to map his exact route. He wrote his story from memory after returning to Spain. He didn't have tools to track his location. Because of this, his report has some errors in dates and places. Historians still work to piece together his incredible journey.

Return to America

In 1540, Cabeza de Vaca was appointed governor of Río de la Plata. This area is now Paraguay, Argentina, and nearby regions. His job was to find a useful route from this colony to the colony in Peru. Peru was on the other side of the Andes Mountains, on the Pacific Coast.

On his way, he landed at Santa Catarina Island in modern Brazil. With Native American guides, 250 musketeers, and 26 horses, he traveled overland. He followed native trails to the Spanish capital, Asunción. This city was far inland on the Paraguay River. Cabeza de Vaca is believed to be the first European to see the amazing Iguaçu Falls.

In March 1542, Cabeza de Vaca met Domingo Martínez de Irala. He took over as governor from Irala. The government in Asunción promised loyalty to Cabeza de Vaca. Irala was then sent to explore a route to Peru. After Irala returned, Cabeza de Vaca planned his own expedition. He hoped to reach Los Reyes and push into the jungle. He wanted to find a route to the gold and silver mines of Peru. But the expedition did not go well, and Cabeza de Vaca returned to Asunción.

While Cabeza de Vaca was away, Irala caused trouble against his rule. Cabeza de Vaca was known for treating Native Americans kindly. This was unusual for his time. The rich settlers in Argentina, called encomenderos, wanted to use Native Americans for labor. They did not like Cabeza de Vaca's fair treatment. Because he lost their support, Martínez de Irala arrested Cabeza de Vaca in 1544. He was accused of poor leadership. He was sent back to Spain in 1545 for a trial.

He was eventually found innocent. However, Cabeza de Vaca never returned to South America. He died in Seville in 1557.

An Observer of Cultures

Cabeza de Vaca wrote about the customs and ways of Native American life. He was one of the first European explorers to do this. He spent eight years living with different groups. These included the Capoque, Han, Avavare, and Arbadao peoples. He described details of their culture. For example, he wrote about how they treated their children, their wedding traditions, and what they ate. Cabeza de Vaca and his three friends sometimes worked as slaves for the Native Americans to survive. His observations give us a look into Native American life in the 1500s. This was near what is now the Mexico-Texas border.

For many groups, Cabeza de Vaca's stories are the only written records of their existence. By the time other Europeans arrived, many of these groups had disappeared. This was possibly due to diseases brought by Cabeza de Vaca and his companions.

A Messenger of Peace

One of Cabeza de Vaca's greatest achievements was bringing peace. As he and his companions traveled, warring tribes would often make peace. They would become friendly so they could welcome the travelers and give them gifts. Cabeza de Vaca wrote that in this way, "We left the whole country in peace." He believed that "God was guiding us to where we could serve Him."

Cabeza de Vaca faced his biggest challenge when he tried to make peace. He wanted to bring peace between the Spanish army and the Native Americans. As he got closer to Spanish settlements, he saw the destruction. Native American villages were destroyed, and people were enslaved. The land was not being farmed. Native Americans were hiding in the forests, afraid of the Spanish army.

Cabeza de Vaca met Diego de Alcaraz, a Spanish commander. Alcaraz led a group of about 20 horsemen who were capturing slaves. Cabeza de Vaca tried to make peace between them and the Native Americans. But as soon as he left, Alcaraz broke his promise. He plundered the Native Americans who were with Cabeza de Vaca.

Soon after, Cabeza de Vaca met Melchor Díaz, a Spanish captain. Díaz ordered Cabeza de Vaca to bring the Native Americans back from the forests. He wanted them to start farming the land again. Cabeza de Vaca and Díaz invited the Native Americans to become Christians. The Native Americans agreed willingly. Cabeza de Vaca then told them to build a large wooden cross in each village. This way, Spanish soldiers would pass through without attacking.

Later, Alcaraz's group returned. They told Díaz they were amazed. The land was full of people again. The Native Americans greeted them with crosses and gave them food. Díaz then ordered Alcaraz not to harm these Native Americans.

Images for kids

The Coat of Arms of Cabeza de Vaca.
A plaque in Brazil remembering Cabeza de Vaca's discovery of Iguazu Falls.
The route of the Narváez expedition (until November 1528 at Galveston Island). It also shows the possible path of Cabeza de Vaca's later travels.
The title page from a 1555 edition of La relacion y comentarios del gobernador Aluar Nuñez Cabeca de Vaca.