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Spanish explorer Alonso Alvarez de Pineda maps Texas coastline. Alaminos persuaded the governor of Jamaica, Francisco de Garay, to finance an expedition to search the remainder of the Gulf. Garay outfitted four ships and placed them under the command of Alvarez de Pineda. He left Jamaica in early 1519 and sailed west to follow the northern coastline of the Gulf.At the western tip of Southern Florida, he attempted to sail east, but the winds were uncooperative. Instead, Alvarez de Pineda.
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Alvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca shipwrecked near Galveston begin exploration. In early 1527 Cabeza de Vaca departed from Spain as a part of a royal expedition intended to occupy the mainland of North America. As treasurer, he was one of the chief officers of the Narváez expedition. Within several months of their landing near Tampa Bay, Florida on April 15, 1528, he and three other men were the only survivors of the expedition party of 300 men.
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Francisco Vázquez de Coronado crosses the Texas Panhandle in search of in search of the seven cities of Cibola.The seven cities of cibola were never found. searched for a long time.
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Coronado dies. He is one of the first white men to explore Texas. and leader of one of 20 Spanish explorations of the area.
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Thanksgiving is held near present-day El Paso by Juan de Oñate, the members of his expedition and natives of the region. They had corn and turkey. Fall is the official time.
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First Spanish mission, Corpus Christi de la Isleta, is established a few miles from present-day El Paso. Missions were very big. they were like churches.
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French explorer Rene-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, looking for the mouth of the Mississippi River, lands in Texas by mistake. He establishes a colony, Fort St. Louis, on Garcitas Creek in present-day Victoria County
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La Salle is killed by several of his own men at an unknown East Texas location. His men didnt like him very much.
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Colonists at Fort St. Louis. Not felled by Indians, disease, poisonous snakes and malnutrition are finished off by Karankawa Indians.
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- Spanish Gen. Alonso de León's expedition finds the remains of Fort St. Louis. Fearing French intentions to lay claim to Spanish territory, the Spanish begin establishing missions and settlements in East Texas.
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- First East Texas mission under construction, San Francisco de los Tejas, near present-day Weches, Houston Co. The mission is closed in 1693.
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Throughout the 18th Century, Spain established Catholic missions in Texas, and the towns of San Antonio, Goliad and Nacogdoches.
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Spanish build a presidio, Nuestra Señora de los Dolores de los Tejas, to protect the East Texas missions.
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San Antonio de Valero mission, known as the Alamo was the chapel, is founded in San Antonio. The alamo was also a battle field.
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San José y San Miguel de Aguayo mission founded near San Antonio de Valero. Missions were big churches.
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• 3 East Texas missions moved to San Antonio because of economic troubles, and named Nuestra Señora de la Purisima Concepción de Acuna, San Francisco de la Espada and San Juan Capistrano.
• March 7 - 55e Canary Islanders arrive in San Antonio to establish a civilian settlement, San Fernando de Béxar.
• Aug. 1 - First election held in Texas, voters choose officials of the municipal government of San Fernando. -
Missions at San Antonio are producing thousands of pounds of cotton annually. The missions were used to spread religion.
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Santa Cruz de San Sabá mission near present-day Menard destroyed and eight residents killed by Comanches and their allies.
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Spanish troops on a retaliatory raid are defeated by Indian residents of a large encampment at Spanish Fort in present-day Montague County.
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Group of settlers led by Antonio Gil Ybarbo (sometimes spelled Ibarvo or Y'barvo) establishes a civilian community near an abandoned mission site; the new town is called Nacogdoches
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Father Miguel Hidalgo y Costillo and several hundred of his parishioners seize the prison at Dolores, Mexico, beginning Mexico's struggle for independence from Spain
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About 130-men strong, the Gutierrez-Magee Expedition crossed the Sabine from Louisiana in a rebel movement against Spanish rule in Texas.
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• Texas' first newspaper, Gaceta de Texas, founded by José Alvarez de Toledo in Nacogdoches.
• Dec. 26 - Spanish government grants Moses Austin permission to establish a colony of Anglo-Americans in the Texas area. When he dies the following June, his son, Stephen F. Austin, receives authority to continue the colonizing effort. -
Moses Austin dies, his son, Stephen F. Austin, receives authority to continue the colonizing effort. So goes on to win the colonizing battle.
