The United States isn’t the only 250th anniversary happening this year.
Also reaching the landmark sesquicentennial anniversary in 2026: the Domínguez-Escalante Expedition.
Indeed, this Spanish expedition was originally set to launch from Santa Fe, New Mexico, on July 4th, 1776–yes, the very same day the Founding Fathers convened in Independence Hall in Pennsylvania and signed the Declaration of Independence.
But logistics pushed the actual expedition start date to July 29th, 1776–250 years ago today.
Haven’t heard of the Domínguez-Escalante Expedition? Understandable. In the strictest sense, the expedition was a failure. Franciscan friars Domínguez and Escalante, along with 10 crew members, failed to reach their goal in finding an overland route to their destination, the Roman Catholic mission in Monterey, California.
In fact, a good chunk of the padres journey skewed northeast–the exact opposite direction of California. Their circuitous route through New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, and Arizona never even got close to the Pacific coast. This, along with several other key reasons, is why, despite the expedition’s failure to reach their destination, makes the padres journey no less interesting than Lewis and Clark’s famed trek. How so?
One of the main reasons: the friars kept a detailed journal of their journey. Friar Escalante wrote the original chronicle, documenting the expedition. No doubt aided by fellow Padre Domínguez, Escalante’s journal details their trek through terra incognita.
Compared to Lewis and Clark’s journals, which the late great adventure writer David Roberts describes as, “disjointed, preoccupied with minutiae,” the Domínguez-Escalante journal is “coherent, succinct, yet full of curious asides.”
Indeed, my goal with these blog posts is to explore these “curious asides” of this somewhat obscure journey, and to reflect overall on la Expedición de Domínguez y Escalante.
While I’d like to provide a post per D&E journal entry, realistically that may be tough. D&E’S contains over 150 entries, over a span of six months. For now, I may focus on specific events and individuals within the expedition that catch my attention.
To aid my research and writing, I’ll be referring to the following resources:
Books
- The Domínguez-Escalante Journal: Their Expedition Through Colorado, Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico in 1776, Translated by Fray Angelico Chavez, edited by Ted J. Warner
- Escalante’s Dream: On the Trail of the Spanish Discovery of the Southwest, by David Roberts
Great book, I highly recommend. Now if you’re a dork like me, you can read the original journal alongside Roberts’ book, as I did. Escalante’s Dream adds plenty of context to the original journal text.
Websites
Domínguez-Escalante Expedition Project (DEEEP): A phenomenal online resource that dives deep (yes, pun intended) into D&E’s days traversing through what is now Colorado. Complete with interactive map and Colorado journal entries, you can now follow the padres journey through the Centennial State.
So, if you’re a history buff like me, a student of southwest history, stay tuned as I embark on my own writing quest, reflecting on the intriguing Domínguez-Escalante trek, 250 years on.
-LMC
