Between 1539 and 1542; some two thousand people under Spanish leadership; mostly Indians from central and western Mexico; made an armed reconnaissance of a place they knew by the name Tierra Nueva; now the American Southwest. They intended to seize control of the people who lived there; in places called CÃbola; Marata; Totonteac; Tiguex; Tusayan; and Quivira. The expedition eventually failed and most of those who survived returned to Nueva España disillusioned and heavily in debt. They left in their wake dislocation and destruction; and their disruptive presence set the stage for further friction when the Spaniards next entered the region. This book examines the environmental and cultural impact of the Coronado expedition while also placing it in the context of what was happening in Mexico as Spain expanded west and north of Mexico City. Including multidisciplinary studies by archaeologists; historians; and others; the volume gives a much fuller biographical account of the actual members of the expedition as well as a clearer understanding of how and where this large assemblage moved each day.
#3059065 in Books University of Missouri 2008-02-01Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.00 x .80 x 6.00l; .95 #File Name: 0826217729192 pages
Review
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Tightly written and highly readableBy AfroAmericanHeritageWhen Reconstruction ended in 1877; blacks in the South were in some ways worse off than they'd been before the Civil War. Though slavery as it had been known was now illegal; Southerners found new ways to subjugate black Americans through fear; intimidation; forced labor and murder. For many Freedmen; the only glimmer of hope for a reasonable life was elsewhere; in a more tolerant and progressive area such as Kansas.An unorganized mass exodus began in 1879; and thousands of mostly penniless refugees began arriving in St. Louis as their first stop. The city; while not exactly progressive or tolerant; did have a thriving; established and educated African American community (and some white allies) who sought to aid the Exodusters. As the title of the book indicates; this is the primary focus of this study; though other supporting threads are also explored and help place the story in context.It's not a simple story; within the African American community and among their white allies there were different ideas about what the goals were and exactly how best to accomplish them. Powerful personalities sometimes clashed and even lost sight of the goals. As the flood grew; some began to question whether the Exodusters might be better served by going back home; or being discouraged from leaving in the first place. (Frederick Douglass opposed the Exodus on several grounds; and rebuffed appeals for assistance.) Unfortunately some black citizens even abused their trust. But all in all; most of St. Louis' black citizens understood they had a stake in all this; too; they were taking a stand for civil rights; for the freedom of movement. And perhaps depriving the South of its cheap/free labor force would force it to change.Tightly written and highly readable; I'd recommend this book to anyone interested in St. Louis history; as well as to those interested in African American studies.
