Final answer:
Francisco Vázquez de Coronado's expedition led to the European discovery of the Southwestern United States. Although seeking vast wealth, Coronado's journey culminated without finding legendary gold reserves and left a legacy of cultural encounters and the spread of European diseases among Native American peoples.
Step-by-step explanation:
Francisco Vázquez de Coronado's expedition, which was aimed at finding mythical cities of wealth such as the golden city called Quivira, resulted in the European discovery of the Southwestern United States. Coronado's extensive journey from 1540 to 1542, though motivated by the hopes of finding gold and riches similar to those acquired by Cortés in the Aztec Empire and Pizarro in the Inca Empire, ended without the discovery of such treasures.
The expedition traversed through various regions occupied by Native American peoples and led to clashes, notably the war against the Tiwa in what is now New Mexico, leaving Coronado bankrupt and alongside other expeditions, such as de Soto's, with a legacy of having brought European diseases to native populations.