How It All Started - Texas Explorers

Explorers of Texas

How it all started

How it all started

Before 1492, the world was essentially divided into two parts, the Eastern and
Western Hemispheres. They were so far apart that they didn’t even know about
each other.

Columbus lived in the Western Hemisphere during this time. He tried to take a short
cut and ended up on the other side of the world. People said he had discovered a
new world. It wasn’t really new, of course, but it was new to them since they had
never known about it before.

How it all started

People were really excited about this discovery and a little scared too.

Since everyone is different, people reacted in different ways.

Some people said, “So what? Things are good for me here. I think I will stay home where it is safe.”

Other people rushed to get on the next boat to the New World, even though they could die on the long trip or be lost and never able
to return.

Open Ended

How would you feel if you found out there was a new place on Earth no one had ever known about?

Open Ended

What could make people risk dying?

Poll

What would you have done?

• Stayed at home where it was safe

• Signed up for an adventure in a new world

Most explorers came for one of three reasons:

God, gold, and glory.

Some people wanted to go straight to the
New World to tell the Indians about God.

Some people thought the New World was full of treasure, and you know the rule about treasure: finders, keepers, losers, weepers.

A lot of people raced to be there first. I imagine they were pretty excited when they left, dreaming of treasure. I also imagine a lot of them must have been pretty disappointed--and scared--when they
actually arrived at their destination.

Most explorers came for one of three reasons:

Some people went just because they wanted to be famous. They wanted the glory. Since they were so concerned with being celebrities, I imagine they would have loved to take selfies if they lived today.

We will take a closer look at these people who were willing to become explorers. We will learn how their quests for God, gold, and glory played out in Texas.

Poll

If you had been an explorer, what reason would you have gone for?

• Gold

• God

• Glory

Draw

Draw a picture of what you think Texas would have looked like when the explorers landed.