Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo

Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo was a Portuguese explorer, although being Portuguese Juan explored on behalf of Spain. He is best known for being the first European to navigate the coast  of what is now California. As a young man he sailed to Havana, later on in his life, he would go on to become a comrade of the famous Hernan Cortes. Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo became well documented only after the events of the Navarez defeat in the year 1520. Cabrillo joined the conquistadores in 1521 in Tlaxcala under the command of Juan Rodriguez Villafuerte. His service would be of use in the conquest of Tenochtitlan On August, he helped in the construction of the thirteen brigantines. Cabrillo’s astonishing hand in the conquest elevated his status between his peers and earned him respect from them. With a much more respected position the following two years allowed him to accompany to other men in two different conquests, Francisco de Orozco in the conquest of Oaxaca, and Pedro de Alvarado in the conquest of Guatemala as a captain and commander of crossbowmen. The two conquest where successful and he was further recognized by Europe, on his return to Spain in the year 1524 he was married to a woman named Beatriz Sanchez de Ortega, the sister of Diego Sanchez de Ortega, even after he had already married an Indian woman .  

Cabrillo was granted an encomienda for his exploitation in Coban of mines near Uzpantlan  and Tequiziztlan rivers. Cabrillo was no different from other Spaniards, he set out looking for the same thing as every other explorer Gold and he too had no limit to what he was willing to do. His curriculum as explorer further expanded when he took part in the navigation of the coast of what is now known as California. He entered the voyage with Pedro de Alvarado. Cabrillo was named admiral by Alvarado and sailed the Colima coast to join with the enterprise. In New Spain immediate exploration was not possible, due to the Mixton war, because the voyage was going nowhere Álvaro decided to enter the war. Alvaro was killed making Cabrillo the official commander of the voyage.

Cabrillo and Mendoza continued the expedition and set out sea to navigate San Salvador and Victoria along the coast. They from Navidad and from that moment on began a historic voyage that would lead to his death. On November 23, 1542 Cabrillo suffered an injury while stepping out of a boat; his wounds were not treatable and died January 3, 1543.