ipl-logo

The Portola Expedition: A Narrative Analysis

1528 Words7 Pages

In the late 1760s, Spain and other European countries realized the importance of the Pacific Coast would have on maritime trade. Spain took initiative and financed the Portola expedition to explore present day California on July 14, 1769. On July 14, 1769, the Portola expedition financed by Spain set out to become the first recorded European exploration of present day California. Portola's exploration of the Bay Area bolstered the Spanish and drove out other competitors from gaining a foothold in America. The Portola expedition's failure to discover Monterey Bay led to further exploration of California, encounter with Native Americans and new, unfamiliar territories in the Bay Area, and the exchange of religious and cultural ideas with Native …show more content…

The Native Americans were originally suspicious of the foreigners but gradually tolerated the foreigners. "The Indians in the neighborhood, warned of our coming, came out to meet us, so confident, it seemed, and certain our friendship that they brought all their women." ("Diary of the Portola Expedition" 5) The natives walked straight into their camp and offered sardines. Portola's party accepted the sardines and reciprocated with glass beads and clothing. Most tribes in the region were very friendly and welcomed the foreigners. The friendliness of the large native population, sheltered valley, and vast amount of resources led Portola to consider the area as a perfect site for a mission. The Native Americans were fascinated by the foreigners, especially with the strings of glass beads presented by the foreigners. In return for Portola's gesture of good faith toward the Native Americans by distributed beads and clothing, the natives accompanied the expedition and scouted/opened up new passages for the party to go through. What seemed complex and unfamiliar, unchartered wilderness to the explorers was known and friendly land with elaborate networks of trails. As is the case of other European explorers, Portola and his crew were preceded by knowledgeable natives who followed friendly and familiar trails and

Show More
Related

  • Francisco Pizarro's Expedition

    236 Words  | 1 Pages

    1.) Francisco Pizarro was a Spanish conquistador whose expedition led to the conquering of the Inca Empire. He was born around 1476 in Trujillo, Spain. He and his family lived in an area of poverty and he did not even have the ability to read. Francisco and along with Vasco Nunez de Balboa, discovered the Pacific Ocean.

    Read More

  • Cabeza De Vaca DBQ

    545 Words  | 3 Pages

    How to go on a Successful Expedition Cabeza de Vaca, one of the world's greatest explorers. It's amazing how he was able to survive with little tools and help. Cabeza started his expedition in 1525 in seville, he later crashed in Galveston Island, Texas. He and 3 other people had to be able to survive in the new world, with nothing other than themselves and other little resources. Cabeza de Vaca was able to survive seeing that he knew a bit about the Indian tribes and how to speak their language(s), He also knew how to heal wounds and other such things, and most of all he knew how to survive in the wilderness.

    Read More

  • Native Americans Dbq Analysis

    580 Words  | 3 Pages

    It raises the question of how the Spanish viewed the natives: as people standing in the way of their gold, or fascinating and interesting people with rich culture and

    Read More

  • Christopher Columbus DBQ Essay

    634 Words  | 3 Pages

    Why you Don’t Need to be Smart to Get Good Grades Sophomore year, AP U.S. History. My class was writing a Document Based Question (DBQ) over Christopher Columbus and the Age of Exploration. (A document based question is an essay where you use factual evidence given in the form of documents to write an essay). I knew nothing! My mind was blanker than the vacuum of space itself.

    Read More

  • The Lies My Teacher Told Analysis

    1114 Words  | 5 Pages

    Loewen argues, “That people from other continents had reached the Americas many times before 1492. Europeans may already have been fishing off Newfoundland in the 1480s. In a sense, Columbus’s voyage was not the first but the last “discovery” of the Americas (Loewen 33). Christopher Columbus was not the only person portrayed inaccurately. Pilgrims were also portrayed as peaceful Europeans who came to the new world and got along nicely and “broke bread” with the natives without any violence.

    Read More

  • Why Europeans Were Conquerors

    1160 Words  | 5 Pages

    They went as merchants to make profits, but used the abundance of natural resources as reasons to stay. Europeans traveled for glory, and used lack of recognized ownership as reasons to claim the New Worlds as their own. They went as missionaries to convert the indigenous people. They used reasoning and force to convert them. They believed it would be easy to use and control the Natives.

    Read More

  • How Did Christopher Columbus Changed The World

    304 Words  | 2 Pages

    During the 15th and 16th centuries, leaders of a few European nations sent expeditions out in the hope that explorers would find great wealth and vast undiscovered lands. The Portuguese were the earliest participants in this “Age of Discovery.” Starting in about 1420, Portuguese ships sailed the African coast, carrying spices, gold, slaves and other goods from Africa and Asia to Europe.

    Read More

  • San Diego De Alcala Essay

    699 Words  | 3 Pages

    Some Native Americans were welcoming him. He was important in the history of San Diego because he found the state called “California” and a city name San Diego. Father Serra and Gaspar de Portola Father Serra and Captain Gaspar de Portola sailed through California. They decided to establish the first mission in San Diego Bay, where Kumeyaay was settling. This was the first mission for them.

    Read More

  • When Dogs Could Talk Analysis

    960 Words  | 4 Pages

    The first Europeans set foot on the New World was by a complete accident. Despite their differences, the Spanish was fed and sheltered by a group of Indians. The Spanish’s warm welcome was cut short when they began to spread diseases to the Indian group, killing over half of them. I can understand how the indigenous people would be enraged at these strangers, however in the Spanish’s defense they were not aware of the threat they posed to the Indian tribe. Eventually, the leader of this Spanish expedition escaped the clutches of the angry tribe and trekked onto Mexico.

    Read More

  • Compare Christopher Columbus And Bartolome De Las Casas

    861 Words  | 4 Pages

    The 15th Century marked the beginning of exploration to the new world. Explorers Christopher Columbus and Bartolome de Las Casas had different perspectives about the natives they encountered upon their voyages. Columbus’ journal and de Las Casas’ narration portrayed the Indians’ appearances similarly however; both explorers had different attitudes towards them. From Columbus’ first encounter with the Indians, his attitude was condescending. He described them as very poor people and believed them to be ignorant.

    Read More

  • European Exploration Dbq

    754 Words  | 4 Pages

    European exploration was brought on by the three G’s: God, gold, and glory. People wanted to spread Christianity whether it be Catholicism or Protestantism, while explorers such as Cortes were looking for gold to get rich and glory to get famous. This age of exploration was able to occur because of technological advances such as the caravel, cannons on ships, more advanced cartography, and the magnetic compass. The impact exploration had on the natives of the New World was changes in the natives culture, enslavement of the native people, and a massive population decrease.

    Read More

  • Compare Christopher Columbus And Bartolome De Las Casas

    1008 Words  | 5 Pages

    It showed how different the Europeans where from the Natives and how they they all had different opinions on the Natives. Columbus thought the Indians were gullible and lost people who could be persuaded into doing anything, like changing to Christianity. Sepúlveda thought the Indians were down right Barbarians who enjoyed ripping out human hearts and sacrificing them to God. On the other hand, Las Casas saw talent in the Native Americans and saw they weren't a stupid as they seemed. We wouldn't have this information if explorers like Columbus didn't write journey and books of their experience.

    Read More

  • Columbian Exchange Dbq Essay

    407 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Spaniards gave them gifts of beads and red caps.(Doc 1) They believed these gifts would encourage the Natives to show them where the gold and other wealth was. However, as Columbus became more and more frustrated with the lack of help from the Arawaks, his treatment of them became increasingly worse. Eventually, all of the Arawaks were in slavery and were being worked to death. They were treated as sub-human and had no freedom.

    Read More

  • Consequences Of The Columbian Exchange

    217 Words  | 1 Pages

    Spanish voyages searched for gold. Spanish conquistadors in the 16th century

    Read More

  • Explorers And Conquistadors During The Age Of Exploration

    734 Words  | 3 Pages

    European explorers and conquistadors during the age of exploration were motivated by three things: God, gold and glory. The two most prominent of the three between 1492 and 1607 were gold and glory. Beginning in 1492 gold motivated many explorers, from Christopher Columbus’s voyage to the New World to the Virginia Company’s colonization of America. Gold is a symbol for wealth, and many explorers soon realized the New World’s potential for wealth. The Spanish’s interest in wealth inspired Columbus’s expedition in the first place, as he was sent to India to trade for spices.

    Read More

More about The Portola Expedition: A Narrative Analysis

Open Document