Alonzo Alvarez De Pineda led the first expedition to map the Gulf Coast between Florida and Mexico. Most historians believe that he and his followers were the first Europeans to set foot in Texas. In March 1519, Francisco de Garay, the Spanish governor of Jamaica, sent him to
explore the coast of the Gulf of Mexico. Alvarez De Pineda and 270 men departed Jamiaca with 4 ships. Starting with the Florida region that Juan Ponce de Leon had claimed for Spain
in 1513. The expedition established that Florida was a peninsula, not an island
as Ponce de Leon had believed. In the fall of 1519, expedition members returning
to Jamaica presented Garay with the first known map of the Gulf Coast. From Florida,he sailed west and east. He passed what are now the states of Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas. The ships reaches Villa Rica, known know as Veracruz,Mexico, by August 1519. The settlement had been recently discovered by Hernan Cortes of Spain. Cortes was suspicious of Alvarez De Pineda expedition and arrested the messengers it had sent. Alvarez De Pineda the sailed his ships north and started a settlement near (modern-day) Tampico, Mexico. In 1520, however, local Haustec Indians attacked the colony. Alvarez and many other of the colonist were dead.Alonzo Alvarez De Pineda led the first expedition to map the Gulf Coast between Florida and Mexico. Most historians believe that he and his followers were the first Europeans to set foot in Texas. In March 1519, Francisco de Garay, the Spanish governor of Jamaica, sent him to
explore the coast of the Gulf of Mexico. Alvarez De Pineda and 270 men departed Jamaica with 4 ships. Starting with the Florida region that Juan Ponce de Leon had claimed for Spain
in 1513. The expedition established that Florida was a peninsula, not an island
as Ponce de Leon had believed. In the fall of 1519, expedition members returning
to Jamaica presented Garay with the first known map of the Gulf Coast. From Florida,he sailed west and east. He passed what are now the states of Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas. The ships reaches Villa Rica, known know as Veracruz, Mexico, by August 1519. The settlement had been recently discovered by Hernan Cortes of Spain. Cortes was suspicious of Alvarez De Pineda expedition and arrested the messengers it had sent. Alvarez De Pineda the sailed his ships north and started a settlement near (modern-day) Tampico, Mexico. In 1520, however, local Haustec Indians attacked the colony. Alvarez and many other of the colonist were dead.
This is a picture of Alonzo Alvarez De Pineda.
This is Alvarez De Pineda Route, going from Jamaica to Texas to Florida and back to Jamaica.
This is a sketch of Alvaez's ship.