Question

What was Cibola and what role did it play in the early Spanish exploration of Texas?

Answer 1

The legend of Cibola was particularly important to the Spanish exploration of Texas, because it provided explorers with the necessary motivation to lead those explorations.

According to legend, Cibola was a city that had enormous amounts of gold. In this city, everyone was rich and roads and buildings were made of this precious metal. This interested the Spanish explorers greatly, as one of their main goals was to become rich. As they engaged in the mission of discovering this city, they were forced to travel the area of what is now Texas, leading to its discovery and exploration.