Final answer:
Spanish leaders, influenced by reports of northern wealth from Cabeza de Vaca, funded expeditions like those of Coronado to find gold and expand their territories, but often encountered hardship and failure instead.
Step-by-step explanation:
After hearing Cabeza de Vaca's stories of wealth in the north, Spanish leaders in New Spain decided to launch further expeditions to explore and conquer the northern territories in pursuit of riches.
This drive for expansion and wealth motivated conquistadors like Francisco Vásquez de Coronado, who led a large expedition across what is now the southwestern United States between 1540 and 1542.
The Spanish explorers were propelled by tales similar to those of rivers of gold and great wealth, spurred by the successes of earlier expeditions such as those by Hernán Cortés and Hernando de Soto.
However, these expeditions often led to dire consequences including bankruptcy for Coronado and the spread of European diseases that devastated Native populations, without finding the fabled treasures.