You might be correct. However, there were settlements in Mexico in the 1500s, not just explorers. They were miners, traders, etc. My point is not undermined --

You might be correct. However, there were settlements in Mexico in the 1500s, not just explorers. They were miners, traders, etc. My point is not undermined -- there were many non-English settlements before the 1620 Pilgrims. Of note: "In the late 1560s, however, the able Viceroy Martin Enriquez stepped in to throw the weight of the royal government behind the effort to better (or more actively) defend the Spanish towns, mines, and ranches. In 1569, Enriquez declared all-out war ("war by fire and blood"-- guerra a fuego y sangre) against the Chichimecs and began establishing presidios in the Far North, with the result that by 1590, the presidio was a major frontier institution, a symbol of the King's authority in the Far North." https://californiamissionsfoundation.org/articles/the-presidios-of-alta-california/ https://californiamissionsfoundation.org/articles/the-presid... Unfortunately, it does not explain "Far North", but it is definitely distinct from Alta California (San Diego) if you read further. So I would guess this means the Baja, but I don't really know.