Which explorer led the expedition that searched for the mythical Seven Cities of Gold and explored parts of present-day Arizona, New Mexico, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas?

• A. Alonso Alvarez de Pineda
• B. Francisco Coronado
• C. Rene-Robert Cavalier Sieur de La Salle
• D. Fray Damian Massanet

Answer: (B)

The main idea here is identifying who led the famous quest for the mythical Seven Cities of Gold and then tracing how far that expedition traveled. Francisco Vásquez de Coronado commanded the 1540–1542 expedition that searched for wealth rumored to be in the interior of the North American Southwest. He and his men pushed from what is now Mexico into present-day Arizona and New Mexico, then moved north and east across the Great Plains into parts of what are now Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas. Although they did not find the fabled gold, their journey opened up vast areas of the interior to Europeans and contributed important early European knowledge of the region.

Context helps tie the other names to their roles: Alonso Álvarez de Pineda is known for mapping the Gulf Coast and the Texas coast, not leading a search for Seven Cities. Rene-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle explored the Mississippi River and claimed Louisiana for France, while Fray Damian Massanet was a missionary who helped establish missions in East Texas. But the expedition linked to the Seven Cities myth and the broad Southwest and Plains route is led by Francisco Coronado.