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  Christopher columbus
 Columbus land on island in the Caribbean Sea
 Description of journey:
 Columbus sails from Palos, Spain on Aug. 3, 1492.
 On Sept. 30, 1492 Ships complete 3 weeks with no sight of land.
 On Oct. 12, 1492 Columbus lands on San Salvador
 On Dec. 25, 1492 Santa Maria wrecks
 On Jan. 16, 1493 Nina and Pinta began homeward voyage
 On Mar. 15 1493 Nina and Pinta reach Palos
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  Hernán Cortés
 Hernán Cortés conqeured Central and southern Mexico
 Journey:
 Cortes sailed to Yucatán in 1519
 From Yucatán, Cortés sailed northward along the Coast of the Gulf of Mexico
 In Aug 1519, Cortés marched toward Tenochitlan
 In December 1520 Cortés began to organize an attack on Tenochitlan
 The city fell on Aug. 13 1521
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  Alsono Álvarez de Pineda
 Alsono Álvarez de Pineda was sent to explore the gulf of Mexico
 Description of journey:
 He sailed from Jamaica to map the coastline.
 He reached Florida and from there his ships sailed west and south.
 He passed what are now the states of Alabama, Mississippi,Louisiana and Texas.
 Álvarez de Pineda sailed north and founded a settlment that failed.
 *date of departure is only an estimate
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  Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca Cabeza De Vaca joined an expedition to Florida but was seperated and on a barge landed on an island of of Texas
 Journey:
 Cabeza De Vaca joined an expedition to Florida.
 After landing he became seperated from the ships.
 He and a few companions sailed to an island off of Texas.
 He reachined northwestern Mexico on foot.
 *date of expedition to Florida is an estimate
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  Pánfilo de Narváez
 Pánfilo de Narváez was given the land of Florida and led an expedition there.
 Journey:
 Narváez led an expedition to Florida in 1528.
 He landed near Tampa Bay and lost many men in storms.
 He was cut off from the ships so he built 5 barges
 In November 1528 winds and currents forced his boat out into the gulf of Mexico and he drowned.
 *date of departure is and estimate
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  Luis De Moscoso Alvarado
 Luis De Moscoso Alvarado was commander of 1 of 7 ships in Soto's fleet, He later became commander of the army.
 Journey:
 On Apr. 7 1538 he sailed from a spanish port to Florida
 On Mar. 1541 Soto proclaimed Moscoso commander while he was dying.
 On June 5 1542 the army left to go to New Spain.
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  Hernando De Soto
 Hernando De Soto arrived near present-day Tampa Bay in 1539. He brought more than 600 men with horses to help him colonize the land and search for gold. De Soto planned to capture Indian chiefs.
 Journey:
 The army camped for the winter in what is now northern Florida
 It headed north during the spring and summer of 1540.
 On May 21, 1542, de Soto died from a fever by the banks of the Mississippi.
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  Francisco Vásquez de Coronado
 Coronado led expeditions to supposed cities of gold
 journey:
 Coronado left from Comostela,New Galica.
 In July Coronado reached Cibola
 In the winter of 1540 Coronado moved his headquarters
 The following spring he led an expedition to Quirva
 In The spring of 1542 he returned to new Spain
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  René Robert Cavelier Sieur de La Salle
 René Robert Cavelier Sieur de La Salle sailed to seek the mouth of the Mississippi.
 Journey:
 René Robert Cavelier Sieur de La Salle sailed from Rochefort, France.
 The fllet was forced to make repaires.
 La Salle failed to find the Mississippi.
 La salle lands on Matagorda Bay.
 In late winter 1686 the only remaining ship wrecked
