The Coronado Expedition, 1540-1542.
Excerpted from the Fourteenth Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, 1892-1893, Part 1.
"The Coronado Expedition, 1540-1542" by George Parker Winship is a historical account written in the late 19th century. The book chronicles the expedition led by Francisco Vázquez de Coronado, focusing on his journey through what is now the southwestern United States as he sought the fabled Seven Cities of Cibola. The narrative details not only the expedition's struggles and encounters with Native American tribes but also sets the context through earlier expeditions and reports, primarily from Cabeza de Vaca and Friar Marcos de Niza. The opening of this historical work provides an introductory note that outlines the contributions from various scholars and historians who supported Winship's research. It also details the preliminary itineraries and significant events that lead to the Coronado expedition, laying out the sequential events from previous expeditions that influenced Coronado's journey. Notably, the struggles faced by the earlier explorers, like Narvaez and Cabeza de Vaca, are mentioned, alongside the Californian and Mexican backdrops that shaped the Spanish colonial ambitions. It sets up a rich historical context, preparing readers for the detailed expedition narrative that follows.