Imaginary Cities of Gold
The Spanish Quest for Treasure in North America
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About the Book
Spanish conquistadors attempted to conquer the New World nearly a century before the English colonists established a permanent settlement at Jamestown. This book examines the unsuccessful elements of Spain’s attempt at expanding its empire in the Americas, focusing particularly on the misadventures of three conquistadors. Part One tells the story of Cabeza de Vaca who, along with three other survivors of the ill-fated Pánfilo de Narváez expedition to Florida, spent nearly eight years among the various tribes that wandered across Texas, New Mexico, and northern Mexico before finding his way back to civilization. Their tales of lands rich with earthly delights served as inspiration for two epic but failed expeditions that make up the second and third parts of the book: Francisco de Coronado’s quest to find the golden cities of Cibola and Hernando de Soto’s efforts to find the rich kingdoms of Florida.
About the Author(s)
Bibliographic Details
Peter O. Koch
Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 251
Bibliographic Info: 8 photos, notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2009
pISBN: 978-0-7864-4381-9
eISBN: 978-0-7864-5310-8
Imprint: McFarland
Table of Contents
Preface 1
1. The Lure of the Quest 5
2. The Narváez Expedition 22
3. The Spiritual Path of Cabeza de Vaca 50
4. Rumors of Magnificent Realms 67
5. Rivals for the Rights to Florida 74
6. A Clerical Error 89
7. The Coronado Expedition 102
8. Bitter Disappointment 110
9. Native Unrest 128
10. The Search for Quivira 138
11. The Road to Ruin 148
12. De Soto Claims His Prize 155
13. Pearls Before Swine 171
14. Across the Wide Mississippi 190
15. Nearing the End 217
16. The Long Way Home 224
Chapter Notes 233
Bibliography 235
Index 237
