Why Is Marcos De Niza Important

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Fray Marcos or more commonly known as Marcos De Niza was a french explorer and friar from the 1500s. Why Marcos De Niza is important to history is that he may have led the first american southwest european expedition. The expedition also caused someone named Francisco Vázquez de Coronado to explore more of the american southwest and even explored as far as Kansas. I personally thought Marcos de Niza was a good person naturally because he opened more reasons to explore North American southwest but now I am not really sure anymore that my first thought about Marcos de Niza because of his lie of the Seven Golden Cities of Cibola, the cities told to have been bigger than the city of Mexico City and wealth so high that the streets were made of gold. …show more content…

The first expedition of the North American interior was started in 1539. Marcos de Niza went with a African slave known as Esteban the Moor to act as a guide. Marcos de Niza gave Esteban the Moor specific instructions to go ahead and leave crosses. Because crosses were common as grave markers, Marcos de Niza thought the there was great wealth. But he was wrong when realized the cross was a grave marker for Esteban the Moor. Shortly after Marcos de Niza realized Esteban the Moor was killed by the people of the Zuni pueblo Hawikuh, and was thought by the Zuni to be a witch, Marcos de Niza observed the Zuni pueblo and said it was one of the Seven Cities of Gold which he specifically said were cities all bigger than the capital city, Mexico City and so wealthy that the streets were pure gold. At this time of day, which should be either dawn or dusk, the sun must have been glaring off the the Zuni pueblo Hawikuh that may have made it look bigger and a city of gold. Marcos de Niza returned to Mexico City and soon after Viceroy Antonio de Mendoza sent Francisco Vázquez de Coronado with Marcos de Niza back to Cibola to see the Seven Golden Cities of Cibola. Shortly after the return of Francisco Vázquez de Coronado, Marcos de Niza was disgraced for a short