In 1539, a Franciscan friar (Marcos de Niza) described a location of untold wealth to Francisco Vázquez de Coronado, then the governor of New Galicia (today part of Mexico). Backed by his wife’s wealthy family, Coronado took de Niza as his guide and in February of 1540 set out to find these Seven Cities of Gold. Needless to say, he didn’t find them, but at the Tiguex pueblos (which is near Santa Fe, New Mexico today) Coronado met a slave referred to as “the Turk,” who told Coronado of a land known as Quivira replete with gold.
Leaving a trail of blood and violence in his wake, by mid-1541 Coronado found himself no closer to any gold, but out of patience and confronted the Turk, who admitted he had lied. Although he told Coronado that he was hoping to gain his freedom by helping lead the expedition, Coronado was told by others that secretly the Turk simply hoped Coronado would become lost in the wilderness and die. Unfortunately for the Turk, Coronado believe those others and had the Turk strangled.
Coronado returned to his post as governor of New Galicia, disgraced and bankrupt.