“An anonymous source has sent an old letter to my office.  It is a brief autobiography from a man named Estevanico.  He was a Moroccan man who became a slave to the Spanish, and he may have been the first African man to step foot on American soil.   King Charles V sanctioned the Narváez expedition to explore Florida in 1528.  Storms forced the ships to take shelter along the east coast in the Gulf of Mexico.  The expedition leader Narváez ordered the ships to continue sailing north in search of a large port while he led the majority of his crew by foot.  He made a huge miscalculation and never saw his ships again.  Narváez had the men build canoes to travel as far as they could along the coast.  Another storm separated the boats and crew. All perished expect for Estevanico and three others who washed ashore on what is now Texas. Estevanico survived by learning the languages of several Native American tribes.  He convinced them that he was a healer and was thereafter respected as a medicine man.  After 8 years, the four men finally entered Mexico City and told their story.  The Spanish Navy brought Estevanico to Spain to speak before King Charles V.  He told the king a wonderous tale of the Seven Cities of Cibola.  A legend not only described by Native Americans, but one that he saw with his own eyes.  Each city is brimming with gold.  Gold bricks construct the brilliant architecture.  Every citizen wears gold jewelry and intricately woven gold clothing.  Even the streets are paved with gold.  The story enchanted the Spanish king, and he sent a new expedition to America.  This time, Estevanico was to guide the Spanish to this golden city.  However, Estevanico was not granted his freedom and instead continued on as a slave to the Spanish. He felt betrayed and knew that he would need to take destiny into his own hands. In 1539 they left Mexico City on this new expedition and Estevanico traveled ahead of the group to communicate with the Native Americans before the party’s arrival.  The expedition arrived at the next village to learn that the Native Americans had killed Estevanico.  With their plans for further expedition ruined, they were forced to head back.  Though all was not as it seemed.  The Native Americans had lied and helped Estevanico fake his death.  He lived the rest of his life as a respected medicine man.  In his old age, he wrote down his story in the hopes that people would remember his legacy.  His story is inspiring and Estevanico was a true survivalist.  The Seven Cities of Cibola sounds like a grand tale and the part of me that loves adventure wishes it were true.  The French and Spanish control most of the land to the west.  If we were ever to continue exploration for these cities, the United States would need make arrangements with those countries.   

-John Adams 1800″