Estéban de Dorantes

Estéban de Dorantes (born c. 1500, western Morocco—died 1539?, Háwikuh [now in the Zuni Reservation, New Mexico, U.S.]) was an enslaved Moroccan man who was a member of the Narváez expedition to the Gulf Coast and later participated in the Spanish exploration of the American Southwest in the 1530s. He is thought to be the first African to visit what is now Texas and the first non-Native American to explore the Colorado Plateau, traveling through present-day Arizona and New Mexico.

Background

Most of what is known of Estéban comes from the account of Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca, who was part of the Narváez expedition. Almost nothing is documented of his life before enslavement, and Estéban left no firsthand accounts. It is believed that he was born about 1500 in western Morocco. According to Núñez, Estéban was a Black Moor from the Moroccan town of Azamor (now Azemmour). As a youth he was enslaved, and in 1520 he was sold to Andrés Dorantes de Carranza (hence the name Estéban de Dorantes), a Spanish explorer eager to make his fortune in the New World. Some accounts indicate he was baptized as a Christian, likely because Spanish expeditions to the New World forbade the inclusion of Muslims.

Expedition to North America

In 1527 Dorantes de Carranza was made a captain in a five-ship exploratory expedition to the North American Gulf Coast, led by Pánfilo de Narváez. The ships set sail from Spain on June 17, 1527. About 10 months later Narváez landed near Tampa Bay. Some 300 men went ashore and began an overland expedition that ended in the area of present-day St. Marks, Florida. When their ships failed to meet them, the men built five rafts, and on September 22, 1528, they set sail for Mexico. During the arduous journey some of the vessels became separated, and in November a storm forced Estéban and his shipmates to land at present-day Galveston Island, Texas.

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More struggles ensued, and eventually only four men remained alive: Dorantes de Carranza, Cabeza de Vaca, Alonso Castillo Maldonado, and Estéban. The quartet was sometimes helped by the Indigenous peoples of the region, though for periods they were held captive. While suffering hardships, the explorers, especially Estéban, learned several new languages, and the men gained a reputation among Native Americans for their supposed healing abilities. Estéban’s linguistic skills helped make him a valued scout.

After years of traveling, the four men reached Spanish settlements in San Miguel de Culiacán, New Spain (now Culiacán, Mexico), in 1536. They continued on, reaching present-day Mexico City in July. There the men recounted their travels, including the tales they had heard of lands rich in gold. The region’s viceroy, Antonio de Mendoza, who had already heard rumors of wealthy cities to the north, started planning an expedition. However, Dorantes de Carranza, Cabeza de Vaca, and Castillo Maldonado refused to be guides. Estéban was sold, or perhaps loaned, to the viceroy for the mission.

American Southwest and death

On March 7, 1539, the mission set out, led by Franciscan Fray Marcos de Niza. Estéban traveled a few days ahead as a guide, and he was to send back a messenger with a cross if he found wealth: The larger the cross, the richer the city. Marcos soon received a cross “as tall as a man.” Believing Estéban had found the fabled Seven Cities of Cíbola, Marcos raced to meet up with him.

In May 1539 Marcos ran into Estéban’s guides, who reported that Estéban was dead. He had apparently tried to enter Háwikuh, which the Spaniards thought was one of the legendary cities. However, it was actually an A:Shiwi (Zuni) pueblo (now in New Mexico), and the guides believed that Estéban had been killed when the A:Shiwi people began firing arrows at them. Later accounts say he was killed for assaulting Native American women. Some modern scholars have also theorized that Estéban faked his own death with the help of his Native American friends to finally escape enslavement.

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Marcos returned to Mexico City, and his reports convinced Mendoza that the golden cities were likely real. Explorer Francisco Vázquez de Coronado was chosen to head another expedition. During the journey members of the mission encountered many physical landmarks previously unknown to Europeans, including the Grand Canyon, but failed to find the treasure-laden cities they sought.

Legacy

Estéban was little more than a footnote in the accounts of his fellow travelers, who sought to embellish their own achievements. His story was not a part of most historical studies that covered European expansion into North America. However, Estéban’s status as the first African to travel through large parts of the continent—and the first non-Native American to encounter the A:Shiwi people—has made him, in recent years, a focal point for historical studies. He is featured in several museums and buildings. Notably, the grounds of the Texas State Capitol in Austin have a monument to African Americans in the state that includes Estéban.