who was the first european explorer in the area where texas is now located
History of Texas The first European to see Texas was Alonso Álvarez de Pineda, who led an expedition for the governor of Jamaica, Francisco de Garay, in 1520. While searching for a passage between the Gulf of Mexico and Asia,[22] Álvarez de Pineda created the first map of the northern Gulf Coast.[23] This map is the earliest recorded document of Texas history.[23]