Esteban: The African Slave Who Explored America

✍ Scribed by Dennis Herrick

• Publisher: University of New Mexico Press
• Year: 2018
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 305
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

When Pueblo Indians say, "The first white man our people saw was a black man," they are referring to Esteban, who came to New Mexico in 1539. After centuries of negative portrayals, this book highlights Esteban's importance in America's early history.

Books about the history of the American West have ignored Esteban or belittled his importance, often using his slave nickname, Estebanico. What little we know about Esteban comes from �lvar N��ez Cabeza de Vaca and other Spanish chroniclers, whose condescension toward the African slave has carried over into most history books. In this work Herrick dispels the myths and outright lies about Esteban. His biography emphasizes Esteban rather than the Spaniards whose exploits are often exaggerated and jingoistic in the sixteenth-century chronicles. He gives Esteban full credit for his courage and his skill as a linguist and cultural intermediary who was trusted and respected by Indians from many tribes across the continent.

✦ Table of Contents

Cover
Half Title
Title
Copyright
Dedication
Table of Contents
Preface
Acknowledgments
Noteworthy Dates
Notes for the Modern Reader
Chapter One. A Man of Mysteries
Chapter Two. The Morocco Connection
Chapter Three. Terrorism in the Caribbean
Chapter Four. Esteban Arrives at Hispaniola
Chapter Five. Early Indian Resistance
Chapter Six. A Disastrous Beginning
Chapter Seven. Invasion of Florida
Chapter Eight. The Quest for Gold
Chapter Nine. Arrows Penetrating “Good Armor”
Chapter Ten. Fleeing in Rickety Boats
Chapter Eleven. Spaniards Forced into Slavery
Chapter Twelve. Faith Healing and Proselytizing
Chapter Thirteen. Esteban’s Rise and Fall
Chapter Fourteen. Return to Slavery, but an Indispensable Man
Chapter Fifteen. An African in Arizona and New Mexico
Chapter Sixteen. A Mysterious Fate
Chapter Seventeen. Death? Or Freedom?
Chapter Eighteen. The Durability of Myth
Chapter Nineteen. Inhumane Bondage and Historical Context
Chapter Twenty. What Isn’t Known about Esteban
Appendix. An American Sculptor’s Tribute
Notes
Bibliography
Index