History of Arizona: Encyclopedia II - History of Arizona - European colonization

History of Arizona - European colonization

Main article: European colonization of Arizona

Although the first European visitors to Arizona may have come in 1528, the most influential expeditions in early Spanish Arizona were those of Marcos de Niza and Francisco Vásquez de Coronado^[3]. The accounts of the early Spanish explorers of large mythical cities like Cíbola and large mineral deposits of copper and silver would attract settlers and miners to the region in later years. These explorations led to the Columbian Exchange in Arizona, and widespread epidemics of smallpox among the Native Americans. Western documented history of early Arizonan exploration is hard to find, but the O'Odham calendar stick is a traditional way of recording notable events, including droughts, invasions, floods that could be used as a source.

Early Franciscans and Jesuits in Arizona also set up numerous missions around the area to convert the Native Americans, such as San Xavier del Bac. The missionary Eusebio Kino around the Pimería Alta, exchanging gifts and catechizing the natives, who were then used as scouts for keeping track of events on the frontier. In 1680, the Pueblo Revolt drove Spaniards temporarily from northern New Mexico, but the area was reconquered in 1694.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "European colonization", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki