I was reading one of Stefan Zweig's books, and he mentions Spanish expeditions in which the people involved all died, disappeared into the rainforest forever, and even went native.
Is this true? I know Cortez and co were very successful, but i'm more interested in expeditions which were great failures. Any resources on this?
Love you guys as always.
Please see this previous post written for in another community that explores failed expeditions in eastern North America, and this follow up comment on failed expeditions in Central and South America.
The most accessible introduction to a failed conquest would probably be A Land So Strange: The Epic Journey of Cabeza de Vaca by Andrés Reséndez. The book pieces together the tale of a failed expedition, which set out to conquer Florida, and resulted in the death of all but three would-be conquistadors, and one slave. Also, if you are interested, MacDonald and Waters have a book coming out this October, We Could Perceive No Sign of Them: Failed Colonies in North America, 1526–1689, on the failed colonies of North America, and it looks fascinating.