Curated OER
National Park Service: The Forts of Old San Juan: Guardians of the Caribbean
Visit such Spanish sites in Puerto Rico as El Morro, the fort that provided the keystone to protection of the Spanish Empire that spread across the Caribbean. Many photographs and drawings.
Curated OER
National Park Service: Los Castillos Del Viejo San Juan: Guardianes Del Caribe
A great site for Spanish Exploration. See one of the greatest fortresses in the Western Hemisphere. King Phillip IV called it "The front and vanguard of all my West Indies, and consequently the most important of them all and the most...
Library of Congress
Loc: Parallel Histories: Exploration and Early Settlement
Read about the Spanish conquistadors who explored what was to become Spanish America. Included are links to digital collections from the Library of Congress and the National Library of Spain.
Library of Congress
Loc: Hispanic Reading Room: Cabrillo's Discovery of California
Site provides a brief explanation of Cabrillo's travels up the coast of California. A map of Cabrillo's expedition is also included.
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Harcourt: Biographies: Hernando Cortes 1485 1547
Furnished is a brief summary of the life and explorations of Spanish explorer, Hernando Cortes. Take a look at the photos and maps of his journey of what today is called Mexico.
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Harcourt: Biographies: Alvar Nunez Cabeza De Vaca
Gain insight into the life and adventures of Spanish explorer, Cabeza de Vaca, whose expeditions led him to Texas and Mexico.
Other
Encyclopedia of Arkansas: Hernando De Soto (1500? 1542)
Read about Hernando de Soto's travels throughout Arkansas in his quest for gold and silver.
Then Again
Then Again: Web Chron: Coronado Explores the Southwestern United States
This page details Coronado's expedition, the discovery of the Grand Canyon and the search for Quivira. Click on the map for a closer look at Coronado's Expedition.
Soylent Communications
Notable Names Database|nndb: Francisco Pizarro
Known for conquering Peru for Spain in the sixteenth century, Francisco Pizarro moved north along the coast to discover Central America. He is highlighted in this biography.
Soylent Communications
Notable Names Database|nndb: Vasco Nunez De Balboa
A brief biography of one of the successful Spanish conquistadors, Vasco Nunez de Balboa. He is recognized for his discovery of the Pacific Ocean and land in the Americas.
Other
Aas: The Expedition of Hernando De Soto in 16th Century Arkansas [Pdf]
Read an article from the Arkansas Archaeology Survey that traces a probable route of Hernando de Soto in what is now Arkansas. Evidence has been found especially in the Parkin site in northeast Arkansas.
Mariners' Museum and Park
Age of Exploration: Christopher Columbus: The Second Voyage
A report of Christopher Columbus' second voyage to the New World. Find out what islands he visited in the Caribbean, and discover how successful he was in finding riches.
Other
Uiw: Journal of the Life and Culture of San Antonio: Naming San Antonio in 1691
Two men wrote accounts of how San Antonio got its name. See excerpts from their journals with explanation and discussion.
A&E Television
Biography: Ferdinand Magellan
A biography on the life and voyages of 16th century Portuguese explorer, Ferdinand Magellan, who was the first to circumnavigate the globe, although he did not survive the journey. Magellan was Portuguese but he commanded a Spanish fleet.
Soft Schools
Soft Schools: Amerigo Vespucci Timeline
A timeline illustrating the significant events of Amerigo Vespucci's life and legacy. Amerigo Vespucci is credited for being the first explorer to "discover" America by stating that it was a new country, not the West Indies.
Curated OER
National Park Service: Coronado National Memorial: Coronado's Seven Cities
Read about Francisco Coronado's quest for the Seven Cities of Cibola that took him across the Southwest and into the Midwest. Included is a link to a map showing his route.
Curated OER
National Park Service: De Soto National Memorial
A description of Hernando De Soto's involvement in expeditions in the New World, hinting at but not fully describing his exploration of La Florida and much of the rest of southern North America prior to his deat.
Curated OER
National Park Service: Hernando De Soto
A biography of Spanish conquistador Hernando de Soto who explored the southern coast of what became the United States. Read about his travels and demise.
University of Florida
Florida Museum: 400 Years of Florida Shipwrecks
Exhibition from Florida Museum demonstrates that the waters surrounding Florida are treacherous indeed! The site identifies famous shipwrecks from as far back as 1559. Artifacts and pictures abound.
A&E Television
History.com: Ferdinand Magellan
A biography of Ferdinand Magellan, a 16th century Portuguese explorer who travelled with a Spanish fleet, and an account of his voyage around the world, from which he did not return.
Mariners' Museum and Park
The Mariners' Museum: Exploration Through the Ages: Alonso Alvarez De Pineda
Little is known about Alonso Alvarez de Pineda's life except for the last year. Read about his explorations for Spain and his contributions to the Spanish empire.
Other
New Mexico Genealogical Society: Early Spanish Exploration of the Southwest
This site describes the early Spanish exploration and beginning of colonization in what we know today as New Mexico.
Other
Historical Museum of Southern Florida : The Spanish Colonization of Florida
Follow the early colonization of Florida. From explorers to settlers to trades between England and Spain, and finally to the emergence of the American territory of Florida.
Mr. Nussbaum
Mr. Nussbaum: Hernando De Soto Biography for Kids
Information about de Soto's life and explorations in the New World.