Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca (c. 1490 – c. 1559) was an early Spanish explorer of the New World and is remembered as a protoanthropological author. Member of the Narváez expedition, he was one of four shipwreck survivors in the Gulf of Mexico, later enslaved by a Native American tribe of the upper Gulf coast, who eventually reached Mexico City. Events Tirant Lo Blanc by Joanot Martorell, Martí Joan De Galba is published. ... Events January 15 - Elizabeth I of England is crowned in Westminster Abbey. ... The New World is one of the names used for the continents of North and South America and adjacent islands collectively, in use since the 16th century. ... The Narváez Expedition was a Spanish attempt, in 1527–1528, to install Pánfilo de Narváez as adelantado (governor) of Florida. ... The Gulf of Mexico is a major body of water bordered and nearly landlocked by North America. ... Native Americans (also Indians, Aboriginal Peoples, American Indians, First Nations, Alaskan Natives, Amerindians, or Indigenous Peoples of America) are the indigenous inhabitants of The Americas prior to the European colonization, and their modern descendants. ... Mexico City (Spanish: Ciudad de México) is the federal capital of, and largest city in, Mexico. ...

Traveling mostly in this small group, he explored what are now the U.S. states of Texas, New Mexico and Arizona on foot from coastal Louisiana to Sinaloa, Mexico, over a period of roughly six years. During his travels Cabeza de Vaca developed sympathies for the indigenous population unusual among the conquistadors. Eventually, after returning to the colonized reaches of New Spain and encountering a group of fellow Spaniards in the vicinity of modern-day Culiacán, he went on to Mexico City and returned to Europe in 1537, where he wrote about his experiences in a work called La relación ("The Tale"). One motivation for publication of this work was Cabeza de Vaca's desire to succeed Pánfilo de Narváez as governor of Florida. A U.S. state is any one of the 50 states (four of them use the term commonwealth) which have membership in the federation known as the United States of America (USA or U.S.). The separate state governments and the U.S. federal government share sovereignty, in that an... State nickname: Lone Star State Other U.S. States Capital Austin Largest city Houston Governor Rick Perry Official languages None. ... State nickname: Land of Enchantment Other U.S. States Capital Santa Fe Largest city Albuquerque Governor Bill Richardson Official languages English and Spanish Area 315,194 km² (5th)  - Land 314,590 km²  - Water 607 km² (0. ... State nickname: The Grand Canyon State, The Copper State Other U.S. States Capital Phoenix Largest city Phoenix Governor Janet Napolitano Official languages English Only State Area 295,254 km² (6th)  - Land 294,312 km²  - Water 942 km² (0. ... State nickname: Pelican State Other U.S. States Capital Baton Rouge Largest city New Orleans Governor Kathleen Blanco Official languages None; English and French de facto Area 134,382 km² (31st)  - Land 112,927 km²  - Water 21,455 km² (16%) Population (2000)  - Population 4,468,976 (22nd)  - Density 39. ... Sinaloa is the name of a city, a municipality and a state in Mexico. ... Conquistador (meaning Conqueror in the Spanish language) is the term used to refer to the soldiers, explorers, and adventurers who brought much of the Americas under Spanish rule between the 15th and 17th centuries. ... Flag of New Spain New Spain (in the Spanish language Nueva España) was the name given to the Spanish colonial territory in North America from c. ... Night view of Alvaro Obregón Avenue Culiacán is a city in northwestern Mexico, the capital of and biggest city in the state of Sinaloa. ... Mexico City (Spanish: Ciudad de México) is the federal capital of, and largest city in, Mexico. ... World map showing location of Europe A satellite composite image of Europe Europe is geologically and geographically a peninsula, forming the westernmost part of Eurasia. ... Events January 6 - Alessandro de Medici assassinated August 25 - The Honourable Artillery Company, the oldest surviving regiment in the British Army, and the second most senior, was formed. ... Pánfilo de Narváez (1480? - 1528) was a Spanish conqueror and soldier in the Americas. ... State nickname: Everglade State, Sunshine State Other U.S. States Capital Tallahassee Largest city Jacksonville Governor Jeb Bush Official languages English Area 170,451 km² (22nd)  - Land 137,374 km²  - Water 30,486 km² (17. ...

Instead, in 1540 he was appointed governor of La Plata, in what is now Argentina and surroundings. Political intrigue against him caused his arrest and return to Spain in chains, in around 1545. He was eventually exonerated and wrote another book, Comentarios ("Commentary") about this experience. Events January 6 - King Henry VIII of England marries Anne of Cleves, his fourth Queen consort. ... Events February 27 - Battle of Ancrum Moor - Scots victory over superior English forces December 13 - Official opening of the Council of Trent (closed 1563) Births April 2 - Elizabeth of Valois, Queen of Philip II of Spain (d. ...

External links

• Cabeza de Vaca (http://www.bigoid.de/conquista/biographien/cabeza1.htm) The Journey of Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca
• PBS website for Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca (http://www.pbs.org/weta/thewest/people/a_c/cabezadevaca.htm)
• Cabeza de Vaca's Journey to the Southwest (http://www.english.swt.edu/CSS/Vacaindex.HTML)
• Cabeza de Vaca's La Relación (http://www.library.txstate.edu/swwc/cdv/about/index.html) – contains hi-res photography of the 1555 edition of La Relación.