It is highly unlikely you’ve ever heard the name Estevanico the Moor. Don’t worry, prior to doing this research and reading many other pieces, I wasn’t aware either, which is why it is important to shed light on our history.

Not because this is a pivotal piece in our story, but to add to the mosaic of understanding we have been purposefully and systematically written out of history. (Believe it or not, this is hard for some of us to accept, but on with the story.)

Estevanico was born in the port city of Azemmour, Morocco, circa 1503. After a fierce struggle between the Portuguese and local leaders, the Portuguese captured Azemmour in 1513. During the great drought of 1520-21, the Portuguese sold many Moroccans, including Estevanico, into slavery into Europe.

Estevanico became the personal servant of Andres de Bejar del Castanar of Old Castile. In 1527, they joined an expedition to the unknown lands of Florida.

Estevanico had traveled from Florida all the way to Mexico and California.  He was responsible for the exploration of all new territories west of the Mississippi. He was the last of the men of this expedition to actually survive.

American history has never given him credit for his amazing discovery; instead it went to Lewis and Clark nearly 200 years later….but this shouldn’t surprise anyone who has done real research outside of the American mis-educational system.