Narváez, Pánfilo de
Narváez, Pánfilo de
(pän`fēlō thā närvä`ĕth), c.1470–1528, Spanish conquistador. After service in Jamaica, he aided Diego de VelázquezVelázquez, Diego de, c.1460–1524?, Spanish conquistador, first governor of Cuba, b. Cuéllar, Spain. He sailed with Christopher Columbus on his second voyage (1493) to Hispaniola and in 1511 commanded an expedition sent by Diego Columbus to conquer Cuba.
..... Click the link for more information. in conquering Cuba and was sent (1520) to Mexico by Velázquez to force CortésCortés, Hernán,
or Hernando Cortez
, 1485–1547, Spanish conquistador, conqueror of Mexico. Expedition to Mexico
Cortés went (1504) first to Hispaniola and later (1511) accompanied Diego de Velázquez to Cuba.
..... Click the link for more information. into submission. Narváez's force was defeated, and he was captured and imprisoned. Released in 1521, he returned to Spain. Charles V commissioned him to conquer and settle Florida, which he reached (probably near Tampa Bay) in Apr., 1528. Narváez sent his ships on toward Mexico and then led 300 men inland to Apalachee (near the present-day Tallahassee) in a futile search for gold. Disappointed and much harassed by Native Americans, the Spanish turned back to the coast. There they built several crude vessels in which they set out for Mexico, but all except Cabeza de VacaCabeza de Vaca, Álvar Núñez
, c.1490–c.1557, Spanish explorer. Cabeza de Vaca [cow's head] was not actually a surname but a hereditary title in his mother's family; he is frequently called simply Álvar Núñez.
..... Click the link for more information. and three companions were lost off the coast of Texas or after landing among hostile Native Americans.