Fun with History - Spanish Arizona
Spanish conquistadors and priests first came to what is today Arizona
with Coronado in 1541. Spaniards established a presence in southern Arizona
beginning in the late 1600s to spread the Catholic faith, to search for
mineral wealth and to claim the land for Spain.
Spanish explorers established missions along rivers and trade routes in
southern Arizona and among Native American communities. Visit the recreated
early 18th century Spanish Guevavi mission, founded by Father
Kino in 1691, along the Santa Cruz River. In 1821, Mexico won its
independence from Spain.
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