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==Spain==
Of course, when the native American populations are not ignored, many more than six nations have occupied the lands that are modern day Texas. But the first European nation to stake a claim in Texas was Spain, beginning with a decree by Charles I in 1519. <ref>Robinson III, Charles M, ''The Spanish Invasion of Mexico 1519-1521'', Osprey Publishing, 2004, Introduction</ref> With this arbitrary edict, Hernán Cortés, who had washed out of law school and signed on as a soldier-adventurer to Santo Domingo in 1504, set his sights on the Aztec nation in Mexico which was rumored to control vast reserves of wealth. Cortés received permission to lead an expedition towards Mexico City but when it was rightly assumed he was no more than a fortune hunter the orders were withdrawn. Cortés sailed with 600 men on eleven ships anyway and completed the conquest of the Aztecs in 1523. The land was now under the control of New Spain.
While in Mexico City the Spanish did little to colonize the lands to the north for nearly 200 years. From time to time they would hear tell of a "great kingdom of Texas." The name was apparently in wide use by Indians of East Texas and roughly translated to "friends" or "allies." Damián Massanet would finally found the first Spanish mission among the Tejas Indians in 1689. <ref>Fry, Phillip L.,"Texas, Origin of the Name,” Handbook of Texas Online published by the Texas State Historical Association, June 15, 2010</ref>
