Podcast – Sebastián Vizcaíno Exploration in California

Sebastián Vizcaíno Exploration in California
In this episode you will hear about the explorations of Sebastián Vizcaíno, who named San Diego, California and was the first European explorer to visit Monterey Bay.
From the Book:
Colonial American History Stories – 1215 – 1664

Transcript:

In this episode you will hear about the explorations of Sebastián Vizcaíno, who named San Diego, California and was the first European explorer to visit Monterey Bay.
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Five months out from the beginning of their voyage from Acapulco, Mexico the expedition headed up by Sebastián Vizcaíno reached a bay that an earlier explorer, Rodríquez Cabrillo, had called San Miguel. They entered the bay on November 10. The expedition of three ships entered the bay and anchored.
Feast Day of San Diego de Alcalá
November 12 was the feast day of San Diego de Alcalá. A Franciscan priest with the expedition set up a tent to serve as a chapel on Ballast Point. The priest celebrated the first Catholic mass on California soil.
Renaming the Bay
The flagship of Sebastián Vizcaíno’s three-ship fleet was the San Diego. He renamed the port San Diego to honor his ship and the feast day. He said of the harbor that it was “a port which must be the best to be found in all the South Sea (the Pacific), protected on all sides and having a good anchorage.” During this voyage, he would rename many of the points that Rodríquez Cabrillo had named. He felt that Cabrillo’s records were too inaccurate to show the points he had visited.
By November 22, Vizcaino’s expedition left the bay and continued north along the California coast.
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December 16, 1602 – Sebastian Vizcaíno Enters Monterey Bay
The first known Europeans explorers to reach Monterey Bay arrived with Sebastian Vizcaíno’s expedition in 1602. His three ships, San Diego and Santo Tomás, and Tres Reyes entered the bay, which he named after the man that had sent the expedition out, Mexican viceroy Don Gaspár de Zúñiga y Acevedo, Count of Monte Rey.
Poor Condition
The men were sick with scurvey. Sixteen of their number had died. They erected a tent under an oak tree near a spring on December 17 where the priest, Father Andrés de la Asunción said mass. Vizcaíno sent the San Tomás back to Acapulco with the many of the sick on December 29. He also sent a report of his progress thus far. The party remained in the area until January 3, 1603, when they headed north. The expedition managed to get as far north as present day Cape Blanco when adverse winds forced Vizcaino to turn back south on January 21. The ships returned to Acapulco on March 21, 1603.

The episode is based upon my book, Colonial American History Stories – 1215 – 1664, available on the web site, http://www.mossyfeetbooks.com. The book is the first book in the 6 volume Timeline of United States History Series . Discover some of the famous and almost forgotten historic stories of America. The story begins with the signing of the Magna Carta in 1215 and the beginnings of the concept of limited government and ends, for now, with the beginning of the American Revolution in 1775. The articles in the book have much more detail as well as articles not included in this podcast series.