Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo

by Harry Kelsey

Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo brought the first European explorers to the west coast of the United States more than four centuries ago. This biography traces Cabrillo's rise from a ragged childhood in the streets of Seville to a position of power and wealth as one of the richest landholders and most intrepid adventurers in the New World. There have been many biographical essays, but this is the first full-scale biography of Cabrillo based on original research. Working from the earliest published accounts, through thousands of pages of unpublished documents—especially the rich collections of the Huntington Library—Kelsey presents us with a vivid account of Cabrillo's life and times.

276 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1998

Reviews

[Emmett Beech · Rating 4 out of 5]

Terrific book that vividly brings alive an important period of history. Kelsey also explains the complicated nature of the primary sources - they are often unclear or incomplete. We don't know for sure where or when Cabrillo was born.

Where details of Cabrillo's life is lacking, Kelsey helps explain the world of early 16th century Spanish America. This is essentially the 50 years after Columbus first trip to America.