Spanish Frontier, The

Columbus set sail West to find Cathay, China or Japan. It was a unique concept for a world that generally conceived that the earth was flat. He set sail for very high stakes (gold, silver, silk, spices and other luxury goods). The program explores the cultural, political and geographic issues of this time.

The "New World" was seen as a land of great opportunity. Juan Ponce de Leon set out to find a Fountain of Youth. The story continues as many Spaniards followed these explorers throughout the Americas. This includes Cabeza de Vaca, Hernando de Soto and Coronado's search for the Seven Cities. In general, the Spanish policies succeeded in their purpose ---to create a New Spain. The competitive search for the riches of the New World would bring the powerful forces of other European nations that would challenge the Spanish and Portuguese. These activities are explored in this video (through to the eighteenth century).