Juan Cabrillo was a European sailor born around 1500 in either Portugal or Spain. When Cabrilllo was a young man he was part of Hernan Cortes’ force that fought the Aztecs. After winning the battle against the Aztecs, Cabrillo settled in Guatemala, where he was leased mines and farms and was given the right to use slave labor to profit from the property. This was known as the Encomienda System which helped the rich prosper in Spanish colonies. Cortes and his partner were about to set off to find trade routes between Central America and Indonesia when Cortes died. Cabrillo took his place in the expedition. In addition to looking for a trade route to Indonesia, Cabrillo was also searching for the Cities of Cibola. The Cities of Cibola were mythical cities made of gold. The expedition lasted for years, but they didn’t find the Cibola or a trade route. However, Cabrillo saw many things such as indigineous people, islands, and a bay. He named the bay “The Bay of Smokes'' because of the fog he saw there. The bay that Cabrillo saw is now the Port of LA. Unfortunately, Cabrillo tripped and then died of gangrene soon after. Cabrillo may not have lived a perfect life, but he accomplished many things That helped make the Port of LA what it is today.
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Cabrillo became a Spanish conquistador and served under Hernan Cortes to conquer the Aztecs.
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This was the route that they followed on the expedition.
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