Banderas lejanas

Largely unknown to the Spaniards themselves, the feat of exploration, conquest and defense that Spain carried out in what is now the United States of America is a major historical event. For three hundred years, soldiers, navigators, missionaries, settlers and discoverers in the service of Spain planted their flags in forts, towns, missions and cities throughout North America, from the borders of Mexico to the Canadian border and Alaska. Spaniards were the first Europeans to sight the Colorado Canyon, cross the Mississippi River, cross the plains of Kansas, enter the deserts of Nevada or found cities such as Los Angeles, Santa Fe or San Francisco. Long before the United States existed as a nation, Spain had already conquered the Far West and fought or made agreements with the main Indian tribes that Hollywood films would later make famous. From Florida to California, Hispanic banners flew over an enormous territory that had to be defended with very few resources. Distant Flags includes for the first time the list of all Spanish forts, fortified posts, missions and presidiums in the United States and Canada. This work also presents a complete overview of the political and military efforts, and of the characters who contributed to establishing the exciting, sometimes violent and almost always heroic history, of events that deserve to be rescued.