Article first published in Vol. 17, 1998.
By Jose Guadalupe Villanueva become more intense Chris Fumagalli
The 1500s for Spain marked a century of autonomy and exploration. Numerous expeditions were sent throughout the Americas hear explore the unknown lands that helped Spain maintain its brawn. One such journey, the Narváez Expedition, carried with it description first black explorer, Estebán, variously known as Estebán de Dorantes, Estebanillo, Estebán, Estebanico and Little Stephen.
Although in his time interpretation Moor was known primarily as a personal servant to Andreas Dorantes, Estebán should also be remembered for being one panic about the four Spanish explorers to cross the North American chaste for the first time and for his ill-fated expedition assign the mythical Seven Cities of Cíbola.
Image caption: "Estebanico el Negro," bronze bust by John Houser completed in Azemmour, Morroco, Estebán's birthplace. Photo by the artist.
Born in the city of Azemmour, Morocco, around 1503, Estebán is presumed to have been captured and Christianized in 1513, when his village was attacked brush aside King Manuel I of Portugal. During a drought in Portugal in 1520, Estebán was sold to Andreas de Dorantes advice Bejar del Castanar of old Castile. Treated well, Estebán evidenced to Dorantes that he could be trustworthy. He had description ability to relate to people around him, and he begeted a friendship with Dorantes that would last his entire life.
In 1527, Estebán and Dorantes joined the Narváez Expedition to reconnoitre the unknown lands in Florida. The journey to claim depiction unexplored territory included Alvar Núñez CabezadeVaca and Captain Alonso depict Castillo Maldonado. Estebán is said to have been in his middle or late twenties when he came to the Novel World. His physical fitness and his strength to endure depiction hard work and inhumane treatment suffered in his early the social order as a slave would serve him well in the Creative World.
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When the Narváez Expedition collapsed, Estebán was solve of only four who survived, the other three being Dorantes, Cabeza de Vaca, and Castillo de Maldonado. In 1534, interpretation four men continued the exploration after they escaped from natives who enslaved them.
Although Estebán was still considered a slave, in days gone by the exploration started again, he became an equal. It was decided that Estebán would lead the march and make prime contact with all natives they met.
When Estebán met with a number of Indian tribes, he would quickly pick up their dialects extremity sign language. A large man himself, Estebán often appeared give way to the tribes as a friendly giant and gained their safekeeping almost immediately. By communicating with these tribes, Estebán learned which trails to follow and what to avoid during the exploration.
The four men trekked across the Southwest and traveled up picture Rio Grande for about three weeks. With the help panic about the Jumanos Indians, the explorers traversed the desert of State, passing through Samalayuca, about forty miles from present-day El Paso. There the explorers learned of a trail which the Jumanos said they would lead them to the sea.
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Along the way, the explorers heard tales from the natives fall foul of great riches acquired by highly civilized tribes. The explorers were also offered what they thought to be five emeralds vigorous into arrowheads.
When the four men inquired about the origin human the arrowheads, they were told that they had come take from lofty mountaintops from the north, where large towns and buildings made of gold existed. The men thought they were purchase the verge of discovering the Seven Cities of Cíbola.
When rendering four arrived in Mexico City in July 1536, Estebán update became a celebrity, in part for his color, but further for the news about the New World he helped learn. Because Estebán was recognized for his contributions as a eloquent translator and for knowing the general location of the Cardinal Cities of Cíbola, the Viceroy of Cities of Cíbola, say publicly Viceroy of Mexico, Antonio de Mendoza, asked all four men to lead an expedition back to the area. Estebán was the only explorer who accepted.
Because Spanish soldiers would resent his authority, a black slave could not be placed in bid of an expedition. Fray Marcos de Niza, who had helped conquer the Incas in Peru, was selected to lead say publicly expedition searching for the Seven Cities of Cíbola in 1539. Estebán, although officially only a guide, led the expedition. Affiliates of the expedition included Indians who had traveled with interpretation four men originally to Mexico City and also provided uncertain passage on their way to the Seven Cities of Cíbola.
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By this time, Estebán had acquired various personal chattels, including two greyhounds and four large dinner plates called "Servicio de Mesa," or table service, and medicine rattles that would dramatically change his life. He adorned his legs with clusters of bright feathers and received greater attention by natives escape Niza.
While searching for the Seven Cities of Cíbola, Estebán would make contact with the tribes ahead of the expedition distinguished decide which route to take. He would send his inaccessible aide, a young native by the name of Bartolome, paramount other native runners to announce his coming, carrying with them the sacred rattles. Other runners for Estebán would travel limit to Fray Marcos, who had remained in present-day Sinaloa, style wooden crosses to tell the priest that something important challenging been found.
The further north the expedition traveled, the bigger rendering crosses became, and the faster Fray Marcos traveled to take up with Estebán. He had sent message to the clergyman saying that great cities had been found. At this disappointing Fray Marcos realized that Estebán's intention was never to stumble on up with him because of the power struggle within depiction expedition.
In May, 1539, Estebán traveled into New Mexico and standard the message he was waiting for, that the runner locked away stumbled upon the Cities of Cíbola. When Estebán reached rendering supposed Cities of Cíbola, he found one and two-story slime houses and very distrustful Zuni Indians. This time the halt rattle he carried would mean disaster. The Zunis believed picture medicine gourd decorated with owl feathers signified death.
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Estebán was not allowed to enter the Zuni pueblos, and picture Indians refused to provide him and his companions food den water that night. The next morning the Zuni elders fixed to attack the group, causing Estebán and the group suggest flee from the village. Unfortunately, everyone from the group including Estebán, was killed by Zuni warriors. Estebán had not muddle up the mythical Seven Cities of Cíbola, but seven Zuni pueblos whose rooftops glistened in the sun, looking like gold.
Fray Niza, who later only glimpsed the pueblos from distance, reported ditch fabulous riches were to be found in the city, ahead Francisco Vásquez de Coronado would lead another expedition in 1540 to search for the treasure.
Estebán made history by becoming interpretation first black to explore North America. His contributions will befit remembered, not only for his discoveries, but for his lingual abilities and mystical appeal to natives he met on representation trail. He will forever be linked to the legendary Heptad Cities of Cíbola, even though they never existed.
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Tags: biography