2019-10-01 BBC World Histories Magazine

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Cortés’s exploits

fuelled the

desires of would-be

Conquistadors,

some of whom

set their sights on

Florida, and the

failed expeditions

began to mount up

Strange new world

An illustration of Spanish explorer Juan

Ponce de León in Florida. He initially

believed he had landed in the Bahamas

Lie of the land

An 1847 map shows the extent of

Mexico after the annexation of

Texas by the US, but including Alta

California stretching north to the

border with Oregon. Much of this

territory would be ceded to the

US the following year