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God, Gold and Glory
Seven Cities of Cibola

The Governor of Mexico City listened to an Indian slave named Tejo recount tales of trading expeditions that he and his father had taken for years.  He also claimed that during his travels with his father, they had seen seven cities where gold and silver were used in every day life for jewelry and decorating homes.  That is what started the quest for the Seven Cities of Gold.

Fray Marcos de Niza set out in 1539 to find the cities.  He and an African slave Estevanico (also known as Esteban) headed north.  As they encountered different Native Americans, the tribes began to worship Estevanico as a god.  Estevanico would dress in red feathers, bells, and rattles. He was treated as a medicine man.  For this reason, de Niza sent Estevanico ahead to check out the village of the Pueblo Indians.  They came up with a series of signals to send back to de Niza if the gold was found.  If the village was friendly, Estevanico would send a cross that was about two hands long.  If gold was found, he would send an even bigger cross.  

Estevanico looked in the distance and confirmed that he had found the city of Cibola.  He sent a courier with a cross about six feet tall back to de Niza.  He did not wait for the rest of the expedition to arrive before he entered the pueblo of the Zuni Indians with only a few men.  The natives did not think of Estevanico a god; they thought that he was an evil spirit and they killed him.  The other men were able to run away and report to Fray Marcos de Niza about Estevanico’s death.  

Marcos de Niza was afraid to enter the pueblo so he only looked upon the city from a distance.  It is believed that fear and anticipation may have blurred his vision, because his report still stated that he had seen the seven cities of gold.  Because of this report, another expedition was sent in search of these seven cities of gold.  This time, Francisco Vasquez de Coronado was in charge.  He took de Niza with him.  Coronado wanted de Niza to show them where Cibola was.  There was a brief battle before they entered the Zuni pueblo.  The only things that the expedition found were the adobe dwellings, there was no city of gold. Coronado sent de Niza back to Mexico City in shame.  Coronado continued his expedition to claim lands for Spain in Nuevo Mexico (New Mexico).

Map showing the Seven Cities of Cibola
Credit:  Spain in the Americas.Map-National Geographic Society

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