Early Spanish Exploration

Early Spanish Exploration. . In the autumn of 1540, Coronado's conquistadores entered the Rio Grande valley from the north, after visiting the Zuni pueblo of Hawikku, south of modern-day Gallup, and the Tiguex pueblos near Bernalillo and Albuquerque. From early records, we learn that Coronado's passing heavily impacted the lives of the native peoples of this region., In 1581, the Chamuscado-Rodriguez expedition sought to convert the native peoples of the region to Christianity. Many native people fled before them, fearing more of the harsh treatment they had suffered at the hands of Coronado. Discouraged, and running dangerously low on supplies, the expedition was about to turn back when they encountered friendly Piro-speaking Pueblo people who supplied them with food and were more open to their religious overtures. The relatively harmonious relationship that developed between the Spanish and Piro peoples over the next century paved the way for later Spanish exploratory parties led by Antonio de Espejo, Castaño de Sosa, and others. They, too, received support, and experienced minimal resistance to the establishment of missions, visitas (unmanned churches), and parajes (resting places), like one located just a few miles south of Fort Craig., By the 1600s, thousands of settlers and explorers were following the 1,200-mile-long El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro along the Rio Grande. Many rested here in this area before setting out over the 90 miles of open desert known as the Jornada del Muerto, or "journey of death." In summer, travelers suffered from burning heat and a lack of water. In winter, frigid winds blew relentlessly. At any time of year, there was the danger of unfriendly encounters with Mescalero, Chiricahua, and Gila Apache peoples who lived in the surrounding hills. Even so, the Camino Real continued to be the principal commercial and travel route through New Mexico until the beginning of the twentieth century.