In the 1500s, Spanish explorers found huge supplies of ranchosThe AlamoTexasDavy CrockettgoldSelect your answer and silver in Mexico, Central America, and South America. In 1540, Francisco Coronado marched his army into the Southwest looking for great wealth. Coronado was a ranchosgoldChristiansconquistadorsettlementsSelect your answer, which means "conqueror" in Spanish. He and his army visited several Pueblo communities, but they found no gold or silver.

Coronado claimed southwestern lands for Spain. The Spanish empire and the Catholic Church wanted Native Americans to become Santa FeTexasconquistadorDavy CrockettChristiansSelect your answer. Priests were sent to oversee missions. These settlementsranchosTexasconquistadorgoldSelect your answer were made up of a church, workshops, houses, and farms. The Spanish also introduced ranching to North America. Coronado led a herd of 500 Spanish cattle, called "longhorns," into the Southwest. Settlers raised thousands of cattle on huge farms called Davy CrockettChristiansThe AlamoranchossettlementsSelect your answer. Rancho is Spanish for ranch.

In 1680, Pueblo Native Americans attacked Spain's post in TexasSanta FeMexicosettlementsChristiansSelect your answer, New Mexico, and drove the Spanish out. But the Spanish army returned, and by the 1700s, Spain claimed a large area of North America. The Spanish won their independence from Spain in 1821, and the Southwest became a part of the new country, ranchosThe AlamoMexicoTexasSanta FeSelect your answer. In the 1830s Davy CrockettChristiansTexassettlementsconquistadorSelect your answer was a part of Mexico. Settlers began to move there from the United States. They did not want to be ruled by Mexico and rebelled in 1835. A major battle led by The AlamoconquistadorTexasranchosDavy CrockettSelect your answer and others was fought at The AlamoTexasSanta FeconquistadorChristiansSelect your answer in San Antonio. Although Texas lost the battle, they later won the war. Later still, in 1845, Texas joined the United States.