The Latest Word from 1540: People, Places, and Portrayals of the Coronado Expedition

Beginning of article

The Latest Word from 1540: People, Places, and Portrayals of the Coronado Expedition. Edited, with an introduction, by Richard Flint and Shirley Cushing Flint. (Albuquerque, NM: University of New Mexico Press, 2011. Pp. xi, 505. $55.00.)

Francisco Vazquez de Coronado began his exploration of Tierra Nueva on New Spain's far northern frontier in 1540. Accompanied by more than a thousand Indian "allies" and African and Indian slaves, Coronado and his 375 Spanish followers searched for God (Catholic converts), glory (higher social status), and gold (although silver would do). Parts of the expedition traveled as far west as the Grand Canyon, as far east as the current state of …