Although the Spanish failed to find gold, their exploration of Texas was important. It gave Spain a strong claim to the area. The Spanish also gained valuable knowledge about the land and people of Texas. In addition, Texas served as a buffer between Spanish settlements to the south and American Indians and other (later) European colonies.
At the same time, Spanish exploration greatly changed the lives of American Indians in Texas. During their travels, European explorers unknowingly spread diseases such as measles and smallpox. Although most Europeans recovered from such illnesses, American Indians often died because they had never been exposed to these diseases. Epidemics, or widespread outbreaks of disease, killed thousands of American Indians. In time, many Indians in Texas died from European diseases and from conflicts with Europeans.
The spread of diseases from Europe to the Americas was part of the Columbian Exchange. This term refers to the transfer of plants, animals, and diseases between the Americas and other continents. The Columbian Exchange is so named because it began with Christopher Columbus’s arrival in the Americas in 1492. The Spanish brought to the Americas new plants and animals, such as bananas, cattle, and horses. When they returned to Europe, explorers took back American plants and animals, such as corn, peanuts, and turkeys.
The wild offspring of the horses the Spanish brought to the Americas became known as mustangs. In the 1600s American Indians in Texas began obtaining mustangs through trade and raids. Horses greatly changed Indian life, particularly on the plains. Using horses, Indians could move their belongings more easily. Some Indians became more nomadic, or mobile, as they used horses to follow the buffalo herds. On horseback, Indians became more effective hunters and fighters. They could ride deep into enemy territory, strike quickly, and then vanish into the plains. The rise of a plains horse culture marked the start of a new phase in Spanish-Indian relations and warfare.