Estevanico (c. 1500–1539), born in Morocco, was the first known person born in Africa
to have arrived in the present-day continental United States. He is known by many different
names, common are Esteban de Dorantes, Estebanico and Esteban
the Moor. Enslaved as a youth by the Portuguese, he was sold to a Spanish nobleman and
taken in 1527 on the Spanish Narváez expedition. He was one of four survivors
among the 600 men who started, and traveled for eight years with Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca, Andrés Dorantes de Carranza, and Alonso del Castillo Maldonado across northern New
Spain (present-day U.S. Southwest
and northern Mexico), before they reached Spanish
forces in Mexico
City in 1536.
Later Estevanico served as the main guide for a return expedition to the
Southwest, where he was killed in the Zuni city of Hawikuh in 1539.
Contents [hide]
Early life[edit]
Estevanico was sold into slavery in 1513 in the Portuguese town of Azemmour, on Morocco's Atlantic coast. Contemporary accounts referred to
him as an "Arabized black";[1] "Moor", a term sometimes used for Berber natives; and "black African". Diego de
Guzmán, a contemporary of Estevanico who saw him in Sinaloa in 1536, described
him as 'brown'.[2] He was
raised as a Muslim, but because Spain did not allow
non-Catholics to travel to the New World, some believe he converted to Roman
Catholicism.[3] In
1520 he was sold to Andrés Dorantes de Carranza, a Spanish nobleman.
North American
explorer[edit]
Reconstructed route of the Narváez-Cabeza de Vaca expedition.
Estevanico traveled with Dorantes to Hispaniola and Cuba with Pánfilo de Narváez's ill-fated expedition
of 1527 to colonize Florida and the Gulf
Coast. Estevanico became the first person from Africa known to
have set foot in the present continental
United States. After a failed settlement attempt near present day
Tampa Bay, Florida the party made a series of
makeshift boats to try and reach Mexico. The boats wrecked off the coast of
Texas leaving only Estevanico, Dorantes, de Vaca and Castillo alive.[4]
Castillo's ability as a faith healer was said to have helped them with the
Indians who told them about the 7 wonders.[2] The
four had spent years enslaved on many of the Louisiana Gulf Islands. In 1534 they escaped into the
American interior, contacting other Native American tribes along the way. The party
traversed the continent as far as present-day southeastern Arizona, and through the Sonoran Desert to the region of Sinaloa in New Spain (present-day Mexico), where they were reunited with
countrymen.
In Mexico City, the four survivors told stories of wealthy indigenous tribes
to the North, which created a stir among the Spanish in the colony.[5] While
the other three men returned to Spain, Estevanico was sold to Antonio de Mendoza, the Viceroy of New Spain. He
employed Estevanico as a guide in expeditions to the North.
In 1539, Estevanico was one of four men who accompanied Marcos de Niza as a guide in search of the fabled
Seven Cities of Cibola, preceding Coronado. Estevanico traveled ahead of the main
party with a group of indigenous servants. He was instructed to communicate by
sending back crosses to the main party, with the size of the cross equal to the
wealth discovered. One day, a cross arrived that was as tall as a person,
causing de Niza to step up his pace to join the scouts.[6]
Estevanico had entered the Zuni village of Hawikuh (in present-day New
Mexico). He had sent a gourd with a red feather, naive to the
fact that it was the symbol for war, and they killed him and expelled the
indigenous servants from the village.[2] After
seeing this, De Niza quickly returned to New Spain.
to have arrived in the present-day continental United States. He is known by many different
names, common are Esteban de Dorantes, Estebanico and Esteban
the Moor. Enslaved as a youth by the Portuguese, he was sold to a Spanish nobleman and
taken in 1527 on the Spanish Narváez expedition. He was one of four survivors
among the 600 men who started, and traveled for eight years with Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca, Andrés Dorantes de Carranza, and Alonso del Castillo Maldonado across northern New
Spain (present-day U.S. Southwest
and northern Mexico), before they reached Spanish
forces in Mexico
City in 1536.
Later Estevanico served as the main guide for a return expedition to the
Southwest, where he was killed in the Zuni city of Hawikuh in 1539.
Contents [hide]
Early life[edit]
Estevanico was sold into slavery in 1513 in the Portuguese town of Azemmour, on Morocco's Atlantic coast. Contemporary accounts referred to
him as an "Arabized black";[1] "Moor", a term sometimes used for Berber natives; and "black African". Diego de
Guzmán, a contemporary of Estevanico who saw him in Sinaloa in 1536, described
him as 'brown'.[2] He was
raised as a Muslim, but because Spain did not allow
non-Catholics to travel to the New World, some believe he converted to Roman
Catholicism.[3] In
1520 he was sold to Andrés Dorantes de Carranza, a Spanish nobleman.
North American
explorer[edit]
Reconstructed route of the Narváez-Cabeza de Vaca expedition.
Estevanico traveled with Dorantes to Hispaniola and Cuba with Pánfilo de Narváez's ill-fated expedition
of 1527 to colonize Florida and the Gulf
Coast. Estevanico became the first person from Africa known to
have set foot in the present continental
United States. After a failed settlement attempt near present day
Tampa Bay, Florida the party made a series of
makeshift boats to try and reach Mexico. The boats wrecked off the coast of
Texas leaving only Estevanico, Dorantes, de Vaca and Castillo alive.[4]
Castillo's ability as a faith healer was said to have helped them with the
Indians who told them about the 7 wonders.[2] The
four had spent years enslaved on many of the Louisiana Gulf Islands. In 1534 they escaped into the
American interior, contacting other Native American tribes along the way. The party
traversed the continent as far as present-day southeastern Arizona, and through the Sonoran Desert to the region of Sinaloa in New Spain (present-day Mexico), where they were reunited with
countrymen.
In Mexico City, the four survivors told stories of wealthy indigenous tribes
to the North, which created a stir among the Spanish in the colony.[5] While
the other three men returned to Spain, Estevanico was sold to Antonio de Mendoza, the Viceroy of New Spain. He
employed Estevanico as a guide in expeditions to the North.
In 1539, Estevanico was one of four men who accompanied Marcos de Niza as a guide in search of the fabled
Seven Cities of Cibola, preceding Coronado. Estevanico traveled ahead of the main
party with a group of indigenous servants. He was instructed to communicate by
sending back crosses to the main party, with the size of the cross equal to the
wealth discovered. One day, a cross arrived that was as tall as a person,
causing de Niza to step up his pace to join the scouts.[6]
Estevanico had entered the Zuni village of Hawikuh (in present-day New
Mexico). He had sent a gourd with a red feather, naive to the
fact that it was the symbol for war, and they killed him and expelled the
indigenous servants from the village.[2] After
seeing this, De Niza quickly returned to New Spain.