territorial claims to Louisiana, established
a presence in what are now the states of
Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas. The inter-
national jockeying between Spain and
France did not end until 1763, when
France transferred to Spain its claim to the
Louisiana Territory from the Mississippi
River to the Rocky Mountains. Even then
the conflict was not completely over: this
territory was ceded back to France in 1800
and then ceded by Napoleon to the young
United States as the Louisiana Purchase in
1803, prompting American explorers to
venture west across the plains.56 ATLAS OF HISPANIC-AMERICAN HISTORY
Coronado’s Exploration in the Southwest, 1540–1542
An historic map depicting a portion of
Coronado’s journey(Library of Congress)In search of the legendary riches of the
Seven Cities of Cibola, Francisco
Coronado and his men journeyed from
Mexico (1540–1542) across present-day
Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma,
and Kansas. The expedition encountered
such wonders as the Grand Canyon of
the Colorado River but no gold.