Editing Spanish missions in California (section)

=== Early Spanish exploration ===

Only 48 years after Columbus discovered the Americas for Europe, [[Francisco Vázquez de Coronado]] set out from Compostela, New Spain on February 23, 1540, at the head of a large expedition. Accompanied by 400 European men-at-arms (mostly Spaniards), 1,300 to 2,000 Mexican Indian allies, several Indian and African slaves, and four Franciscan friars, he traveled from [[Mexico]] through parts of the southwestern [[United States]] to present-day [[Kansas]] between 1540 and 1542.<ref>Winship. pp. 32–4, 37</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|title=What They Never Told You about the Coronado Expedition|first=R.|last= Flint|journal=Kiva|volume=71|issue=2 |date=Winter 2005|pages=203–217 |doi=10.1179/kiv.2005.71.2.004| jstor = 30246725|s2cid=129070895}}</ref> Two years later on 27 June 1542, [[Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo]] set out from [[Barra de Navidad, Jalisco|Navidad, Mexico]] and sailed up the coast of Baja California and into the region of Alta California.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Kelsey |first1=Harry |year=1986 |title=Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo |publisher=The Huntington Library |location=San Marino}}</ref>