Who documented the lands and peoples of Texas in his accounts in 1536?

The correct answer is Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca. In 1536, he provided one of the earliest accounts of the lands and peoples of Texas following an extensive journey after being shipwrecked along the Gulf Coast. His narrative, titled "La Relación," describes not only his personal experiences, including his survival and interactions with various Indigenous groups, but also valuable observations about the geography, flora, fauna, and the cultures he encountered in what is now Texas. His work stands out because it is one of the first comprehensive European descriptions of the region, greatly contributing to the understanding of early Texas history.

Other explorers mentioned, such as Francisco Coronado, Hernán Cortés, and Hernando de Soto, were active in different contexts and regions. Coronado explored primarily in the southwestern United States and parts of Mexico, but his accounts are from slightly later expeditions. Cortés is best known for his conquest of the Aztec Empire in Mexico, while de Soto explored the southeastern United States. Their interactions and observations did not focus specifically on Texas in the same way that Cabeza de Vaca’s did.