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Francisco Coronado

Francisco Vasquez de Coronado y Lujan (1510-22 September 1554) was a Spanish conquistador who was famed for his 1540-1542 expedition from Mexico to Kansas in search of Cibola, the "Seven Cities of Gold". 

Biography[]

Born in a noble Salamanca family, Vasquez de Coronado became a conquistador (explorer) in the service of the Spanish Empire, arriving in Mexico in 1535. In 1540, he set out to find Cibola, the Seven Cities of Gold. It was said that gold and silver in Cibola was so plentiful, that it was used for everyday items, such as tools and utensils. Coronado spent two years looking for this celebrated city. His expedition ventured as far north as Kansas, and, while he eventually found "Cibola", it turned out to be a poor Zuni Native American village with none of the promised wealth. During his journey, Coronado fought the Tiguex War with the Puebloans of Arizona and New Mexico, killing or executing hundreds of natives and enslaving many survivors. Coronado ultimately returned to Mexico City with only 100 of the original 300 men who began the journey, and he died there in 1554.

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