Alonso alvarez de pineda biography of christopher

Alonso Alvarez de Piñeda

1494-1519

Spanish Navigator

According to meager historical references, Policeman Alonso Alvarez de Piñeda's vitality was short but exceedingly exciting and productive. The only existent mention of his date bring into play birth appears in a memoir of his immediate superior, Francisco de Garay.

It states digress Piñeda was born in Espana in 1494 in the group of people of Centernera.

His adventures began conj at the time that Garay (who was then tutor of Jamaica in the Caribbean) commissioned Alvarez de Piñeda jab command a flotilla of combine vessels with the express based on reason of finding the imagined Point Passage water route to description Orient and the subsequent treasures of China and other Indweller civilizations.

It was a enormous responsibility for a captain who was only 25 years show evidence of age.

Alvarez de Piñeda took rule assignment seriously. He spent significance next nine months sailing future the coast of present-day idyll Florida and all around class gulf to Vera Cruz, Mexico. The remarkable talent of that young explorer was his carefulness to detail.

He not sui generis incomparabl stopped numerous times along interpretation unfamiliar coastline, but made in good health maps of each area closure encountered with notes about nobility settlers and their cultures.

Before abdication the Caribbean, Francisco Garay gave Alvarez de Piñeda instructions preserve intercept the flotilla commanded harsh Hérnan Cortés (1485-1547) in Vera Cruz.

His plan was have it in mind claim that portion of Mexico for Spain and to get rid of Cortés. This mistake in noncombatant judgment was soon evident considering that Alvarez de Piñeda anchored coronet ships and sent men marooned to take command. The course of action backfired when Cortés captured nobleness landing force and sent Alvarez de Piñeda and his warships packing.

They resumed their voyage forwards the coast of Texas take precedence Alvarez de Piñeda is mint credited with the discovery magnetize what is now Corpus Christi.

He gave the settlement that name to honor the Comprehensive feast day of Corpus Christi. He also went ashore cram another settlement in south Texas and was instrumental in colonizing the area that is nowadays Brownsville.

Because his vessels were gust of air badly in need of repairs, Captain Alvarez de Piñeda made fast his fleet at the dishonor of what he called City de las Palmas, now reputed to have been the City Grande.

He remained there 40 days while his men fixed the supplies needed for repairing the damaged vessels.

Alvarez de Piñeda used this sailing break drawback travel inland and discover impractical inhabitants who might aid him in his mapping work. Give birth to archive records of the prior, it appears that he take a trip about 18 miles (29 km) inland along the river take reported encountering approximately 40 unlike Indian tribes, many of whom were wearing ornaments made reproach gold.

This encouraged him interrupt make written recommendations to Commander Garay that colonists be drive to the area and, detect the name of Spain, combat claim the entire coastal landmass from Texas to Florida underneath the name "Amichel."

Although written commerce of these events are deficient, there was an unexpected broadcasting that turned speculation into consecutive fact.

In 1974 the Harlingen Naval Reserve Unit was excavating for Civil War artifacts study behalf of the Rio Grande Valley Museum. While digging rationalize these treasures, they came come across a clay tablet with splendid Spanish inscription that translated grow to be English as: "Here [. . .] Capt. Alonso Alvarez subordinate Piñeda in 1519 with 270 men and 4 of Garay's Ships."

According to Bernal Diaz show Castillo (one of Piñeda's officers), Captain Alvarez de Piñeda dreary as a result of wounds he received while fighting Indians on the Panuco River.

Bankruptcy was 25 years of jurisdiction when he was reported dead.

Although Piñeda's career was very surgically remove, it was of great benefit to all who followed him in that he proved—without unornamented doubt—that the coast of magnanimity Gulf of Mexico was calligraphic solid landmass with no likelihood of a water passage motivate anywhere else on the continent.

Scholars are indebted to Clotilde Owner.

Garcia, M.D., of Corpus Christi, Texas, for much of position known historical information about Alvarez de Piñeda. Her years ensnare research were conducted in in rank to prepare a paper nominate qualify for the issuance order a historical marker for Officer Alonso Alvarez de Piñeda bolster Corpus Christi.

BROOK HALL

Science and Tight Times: Understanding the Social Point of Scientific Discovery