Discovering America Podcast

This trip Champlain sails with 4 friars who start the process of building their new homes and chapels, with the intent of converting the Indians to Christianity. Champlain sets out to fulfill another promise of helping his Indian allies against the Iroquois. This time around he was late and the war party left without him. Along the way, he would visit many Indian villages cementing the friendship...

Poutrincourt was having trouble with the aristocrats in France, being forced to allow the Jesuits into his realm and trying to keep Port Royal to himself. Marquise de Guercheville had the means and the desire to save the souls of New France, take the land for herself and of course, profit from the fur trade. Champlain had connections with Count de Soissons, Charles de Bourbon and would stand behin...

Champlain had to make good on his promises so, he set out with the Algonquin, Huron and Montagnais Indian tribes to battle the Iroquois, the firing of the French arquebuses un-nerved the Iroquois, and  the battle was soon over. Once this was behind him, he set out to lay the groundwork for another settlement, La Place Royale - Montreal. Champlain wanted to experience the unknown lands of these Ind...

De-Monts' commission extended his monopoly of the fur trade for one more year, and so two ships were fitted out at the port of Honfleur. Pontgrave's trading post at Tadoussac was still holding on. The Basque fur traders were trading with the Indians and were not inclined to honor his piece of paper from the king of France about the fur trade. Champlain heads down the St. Lawrence to create a most...

Poutrincourt was driven to make sure his little trading post at Port Royal would continue to flourish. Champlain was still on the look-out for that perfect location to start his new colony. He would explore again Nauset Harbor, Cape Cod Bay and a little bit beyond. His crew paid a visit to many Indians, noting their customs and living conditions, not all were friendly. Lescarbot was, may I say, al...

The fisherman of the world had been sailing across the Atlantic for years, some even trading European wares for firs with the Indians in Canada. Aymar de Chastes would beg from Henry IV a patent to colonize the New World. He formed a company with the more prominent among the merchants. Two small ships set sail one commanded by Francois Grave Du Pont and the other by Samuel de Champlain. Frenchman...

Sir Walter Raleigh wanted to be a part of the colonization of the New World. He had the financial abilities to fund such a venture. And so with a patient in hand from the Queen of England, the voyages began to establish a colony on the shores of what they called Wingandacon, later called Virginia and today is actually the state of North Carolina. The settlement only lasted 10 months; the settlers...

The battles of Gravelines pushed the Spanish back. Francis tried to pursue the survivors but the weather changed his mind. When Phillip heard that England was cutting the dragon loose, that being Drake, he had many of his sea ports fortified, Francis would soon realize the days of plundering were behind him. In the name of the Queen, I want your gold!

The fire in the eyes of Sir Francis Drake was not dead; he knew Spain was planning to attack England, but when? The Queen wanted a defensive war well; Francis wasn't a defensive type of guy. He wanted to destroy the Spanish armada once and for all. The fight would come to England and in the age of sails sometimes it came down to the temperament of Mother Nature. "Hold on tight mates, here comes an...

Francis Drake had the abilities to have men flock to his side; they knew action was in their future. He also had the tactics to wage destruction to those who fought against him upon the high seas and had strategies to conquer coastal settlements. Francis was a thorn in the side of King Phillip; these next few assaults would only further his irritation.

While Queen Elizabeth was busy figuring out if a war with Spanish was emanate, Francis slipped away on a mission of his own. The sailors on board were told they were bound for Alexandra but, after a wrong turn, they must have realized this trip was headed for more interesting waters. Francis Drake and his ships would load up on Spanish treasures. This was not all, second on the agenda was a trip a...

England and Spain are in the middle of deciding whether to go to war or not. Drake had other plans so he slipped down to the Spanish Main to help himself to the treasures sitting in their storehouses. The ex-Spanish African slaves, the Cimarrones or Maroons as called by the sailors would go along with Drake's schemes. Shipping was not what it used to be; now there was Drake and company. The ships...

This episode mixes in the history of the unsettled affairs in Europe and how a very famous pirate or should I say privateer got involved. Francis Drake is just getting his feet wet with the fight against the Spanish control of the wealth coming out of the Indies and beyond.

Winter was coming on, the temperature was dropping and many of the men were sick. Admiral Gomez on the Santo Tomas was instructed to head home with letters, journals and charts and give an account to the viceroy what they had discovered. Unfortunately that's not all, the ship would carry home. The ship would be loaded with the sickest of men. Scurvy had taken over the ships. Later on, a storm woul...

This is a special edition of the Discovering America podcast, an interview with author Maggie Espinosa where she explains her extraordinary journey walking to 21 Spanish Missions in the Southern California region.

The three ships, Santo Tomas, San Diego and the Tres Reyes would continue exploring and mapping the California coast in search of that perfect port to be used by the Spanish ships as a stopping point on the Philippine trade route. Most of the time the natives were very friendly towards the strangers but, then again this wasn't the first time the Europeans had visited these shores. Juan Cabrillo ha...

The Spanish discovered an ocean route from the west coast of North America and took control of the Philippines. Now the west coast was the target of the other European nations. It would best to secure a port, a harbor, anyplace as a safe haven for the incoming Spanish galleons. Cabrillo had explored the western coast but that was several years ago. Spain sends another group of ships to search out...

Coming back from the east and finding San Juan almost deserted, this was very disheartening for Onate. With the help of Saldivar after talking to the king, the settlement was revived. Now it was time for Onate to venture towards the sea. His group would experience the great Colorado and visit many of the people who lived among its banks, well at least one side of it. After the men smelled the sea...

Juan de Onate, Vicente de Saldivar, two religious men, Fray Francisco de Velasco, and Fray Pedro de Vergara along with 70 hand-picked soldiers, and let's not forget the 700 horses would set off in June 1601 to explore the country to the east or to see Coronado's Quivira first hand. Along the way the group would come in contact with the Apache, Escanjaques and the Quivira Indian tribes. Far to the...

While Saldivar was off playing with the buffalo, Onate decided to visit the surrounding pueblos and pay a visit to the Salinas and Xumanas tribes. They headed westward to Zuni and onto Moqui or Hopi villages and also discovered some salt marshes. Onate's journey among the many pueblos went well, not so with Juan Zaldivar and his group at the pueblo of Acoma. So many people so little time to say he...

Onate's group builds the settlement of San Juan while he ventures and visits the outlying communities. In his travels the natives respond in a friendly manner towards the Spanish. Although trouble does rear its head among the settlers at San Juan, they were expecting riches that did not abound. With a tree and a rope this matter was soon taken care of.  And then Saldivar was sent east to capture s...

The next Spanish Explorer on the scene with approval from the crown would be Juan de Onate, who had the means and drive to make this expedition to New Mexico a reality. The new viceroy, Gaspar de Zuniga, 5th count of Monterrey had a different agenda. Inspection after inspection was ordered by the viceroy, two years would pass. When can I leave?

So many men of means wanted to throw their hat into the arena to become the governor of the New Mexican region. You would think that would be Don Antonio Espejo but, that was not to be, politics. A changing of the viceroys may have added to the indecisions. A man by the name of Gasper Castano de Sosa acting as Lieutenant Governor of Nuevo Leon thought he could pack up and head out, without written...

It wasn't the big names we have all hear about in books that were now exploring, or re-exploring the country, no it would be miners looking for that next bonanza of silver or religious figures expiring to convert the natives. Ibarra's uncle had already made in big, now it would be his turn. Exploring northern Mexico he would establish a new region, Nueva Vizcaya along with new mines, as well as cr...

It seems the Luna expedition was on a downward spiral. Everybody was tired and hungry; the necessary supplies were not inward bound as needed. When Major Suaz arrived in Mobile Bay, the group was all together once again. Settling the Gulf Coast was secondary, the king's top priority was now colonizing Santa Elena, so heading home was a good idea, start anew I say.