Prehistory & History Mission Trails//History of San Antonio// Back to Historic SitesSpanish Exploration & The Colonial Era (1689-1820)The Era of Exploration1718-1820The Era of ExplorationEarly contact between native groups and Spanish explorers during the era of exploration was infrequent and poorly documented. While there is extensive evidence of interaction between these groups throughout south Texas, it appears that present‐day San Antonio was not explored until 1689 when the Spanish crown sent General Alonzo (Alonso) de León on an expedition to the area (Fox and Cox 1989; Fox 1997; Wade 2003). The earliest journey across the land eventually known as Texas was the well known trek of Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca between 1528 and 1535 (Rogers and Harris 2012: 50). This journey did not approach central Texas or present day San Antonio; however, and it would be another 150 years before the Spanish made another attempt to assert their title to the region.Route of Alonso de Leon in 1690Begi...
