García López de Cárdenas
Encyclopedia
García López de Cárdenas, (fl.
16th century), is credited with the first European discovery of the Grand Canyon
.
, Spain
, son to Alonso de Cárdenas y doña Elvira de Figueroa and Maria García Osorio. He was the comendador of Caravaca.
López de Cárdenas was conquistador
attached to the exploits of Francisco Vasquez de Coronado
. Expeditions, including one led by Pedro de Tobar, had heard reports of a large river north of Cíbola
(Zuñi). Cárdenas was dispatched in 1540 by the general stationed in Cíbola with the express mission of locating such a river and returning within 80 days. Pedro de Sotomayor accompanied him to record the event as a cronista. After some twenty days of marching in a northerly direction, he was successful; but his band found difficulties in reaching the river (called the River Tizon), owing to the sheer vertical distance down from their position. They were standing on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon
. After several days of failed attempts to descend to the water (his men were suffering from thirst), his party was forced to return to Cíbola.
While Cárdenas is credited with being the first European to lay eyes on the Grand Canyon, Hernando de Alarcón
had explored the Colorado River
several months beforehand.
Floruit
Floruit , abbreviated fl. , is a Latin verb meaning "flourished", denoting the period of time during which something was active...
16th century), is credited with the first European discovery of the Grand Canyon
Grand Canyon
The Grand Canyon is a steep-sided canyon carved by the Colorado River in the United States in the state of Arizona. It is largely contained within the Grand Canyon National Park, the 15th national park in the United States...
.
Life
Cárdenas was born in LlerenaLlerena
Llerena may refer to:*Llerena, Badajoz in Badajoz province, Spain, postal code 06900*A Hispanic surname, including the poet José A. Llerena...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, son to Alonso de Cárdenas y doña Elvira de Figueroa and Maria García Osorio. He was the comendador of Caravaca.
López de Cárdenas was conquistador
Conquistador
Conquistadors were Spanish soldiers, explorers, and adventurers who brought much of the Americas under the control of Spain in the 15th to 16th centuries, following Europe's discovery of the New World by Christopher Columbus in 1492...
attached to the exploits of Francisco Vasquez de Coronado
Francisco Vásquez de Coronado
Francisco Vásquez de Coronado y Luján was a Spanish conquistador, who visited New Mexico and other parts of what are now the southwestern United States between 1540 and 1542...
. Expeditions, including one led by Pedro de Tobar, had heard reports of a large river north of Cíbola
Cibola
Cibola commonly refers to one of the legendary Seven Cities of Gold.It may also refer to:* Cibola, Arizona* Cibola County, New Mexico* Cibola National Forest, in New Mexico and Oklahoma...
(Zuñi). Cárdenas was dispatched in 1540 by the general stationed in Cíbola with the express mission of locating such a river and returning within 80 days. Pedro de Sotomayor accompanied him to record the event as a cronista. After some twenty days of marching in a northerly direction, he was successful; but his band found difficulties in reaching the river (called the River Tizon), owing to the sheer vertical distance down from their position. They were standing on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon
Grand Canyon
The Grand Canyon is a steep-sided canyon carved by the Colorado River in the United States in the state of Arizona. It is largely contained within the Grand Canyon National Park, the 15th national park in the United States...
. After several days of failed attempts to descend to the water (his men were suffering from thirst), his party was forced to return to Cíbola.
While Cárdenas is credited with being the first European to lay eyes on the Grand Canyon, Hernando de Alarcón
Hernando de Alarcón
Hernando de Alarcón, a Spanish navigator of the 16th century, noted for having led an early expedition to the Baja California peninsula, meant to be coordinated with Francisco Vasquéz de Coronado's overland expedition, and for penetrating the lower Colorado River, perhaps as far as the modern...
had explored the Colorado River
Colorado River
The Colorado River , is a river in the Southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico, approximately long, draining a part of the arid regions on the western slope of the Rocky Mountains. The watershed of the Colorado River covers in parts of seven U.S. states and two Mexican states...
several months beforehand.