In American west history there are many events, people, and ideas that have become known as myths and legends. One event or place that had become a legend over time is the seven lost cities of gold. This is what also known as the seven lost cities of Cibola. This legend dates back to about 1150 and came about before the Spanish conquest of the New World. [4] The legend goes that seven opportunistic bishops looted the gold and riches as well as anything else that was able to be taken from their respective churches and sailed it away to an unknown land in order to establish a new Jerusalem that is wealthy. The seven bishops built seven neighboring cities that became unbelievably wealthy. There were streets made of gold and houses made with silver and gems. It was said that if a man had found the seven cities of gold, he would be as wealthy as the pope and people believed that the cities would be found to the north in what is now, the United States. [2]
In 1528 Charles V. of Spain sent five armed ships as well as a well trained army to colonize and conquer Florida. He also sent them to convert Indians to Christianity but most importantly, he hoped to find gold. In less than a year, Charles’ army was destroyed weather it was from disease, shipwreck, or the Florida Indians. Although, four prisoners managed to escape and for eight years, they wandered through what is now Northern Mexico. On their way, they heard of several large cities and one of the men, Esteban was bought as a slave by the viceroy of new Spain, Don Antonio de Mendoza who secretly began traveling north in search of the seven cities with a party and Esteban as a guide. They pretended to look like they were on a religious pilgrimage with Marcos de Niza as the head of the trip. Esteban and many others knew that the expedition would fail without him and in the fall of 1538 or 1539 he met Pima Indians who told him about Zuni pueblos which were beyond the Gila. The Zuni pueblos came to be the cities that Esteban was searching for and the Pima Indians offered to guide him. They reached the Zuni after 300 miles but it was not the cities they were searching for and the Zunis did not like him. [2] They started to kill those in Esteban’s party including Esteban and Niza escaped and ran. As he ran he thought he saw a sparkle of gold in the city ahead but knew Mendoza would not be happy if he went on and turned back. [4][2]
On February 23, 1540 Mendoza made Francisco Vasquez de Coronado, governor of a Mexican province who was born to a noble family in Spain, lead conquistadors in hope for fortune and Niza was drafted as the party guide. [4] Coronado financed this expedition in hope to find riches with 400 soldiers, 700-800 servants and Indian slaves carrying gear, and 1,000 horses. Coronado found the first of Niza’s Seven Cities of Gold and ordered his men to attack. They did not find any streets or houses of gold, but of mud, adobe, and stone buildings. Coronado knew that the truth was greatly stretched but still believed the lost cities were real. They continued to search for gold for more than two years destroying thirteen villages and punishing those who resisted. [3] Although they didn’t find any gold, a new land was discovered but to Coronado’s dying day he was sure that the Seven Cities of Gold still existed. [2]
Author: Micaela Cronin
Bibliography
[1] Axelrod, Alan. The Complete Idiot’s Guide to American History. 5th edition. New York:
Penguin Group, 2009.
[2] Rutter, Michael. Myths and Mysteries of the Old West. New York: MJF Books, 2005.
[3] New Perspectives on the West. PBS. 2001. Web. 27 October, 2009.
[4] Fumagalli, Chris. Coronado Searched for Cities of Gold. Borderlands. 2001-2009. Web. 27
October, 2009.
