Colorado-Cultural Resources Series No. 29: a Forgotten Kingdom: the Spanish Frontier in Colorado and New Mexico, 1540-1821
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BLM Cultural Resource Series: Colorado-Cultural Resources Series No. 29: A Forgotten Kingdom: The Spanish Frontier in Colorado and New Mexico, 1540-1821 A Forgotten Kingdom: The Spanish Frontier in Colorado and New Mexico, 1540-1821 BLM Cultural Resources Series (Colorado: No. 29) A FORGOTTEN KINGDOM: The Spanish Frontier in Colorado and New Mexico, 1540-1821 By Frederic J. Athearn 1989 Bureau of Land Management - Colorado Cultural Resources Series Number 29 TABLE OF CONTENTS co/29/index.htm Last Updated: 20-Nov-2008 http://www.nps.gov/history/history/online_books/blm/ut/29/index.htm[10/4/2012 1:34:41 PM] A Forgotten Kingdom: The Spanish Frontier in Colorado and New Mexico, 1540-1821 (Table of Contents) A Forgotten Kingdom: The Spanish Frontier in Colorado and New Mexico, 1540-1821 BLM Cultural Resources Series (Colorado: No. 29) TABLE OF CONTENTS Cover Foreword Acknowledgements Chapter I New Mexico, 1536-1680 Chapter II The Reconquest of New Mexico, 1692-1704 Chapter III New Mexico after Vargas, 1704-1714 Chapter IV New Mexico's Time of Troubles, 1710-1723 Chapter V Rumors of the French in New Mexico, 1723-1737 Chapter VI The Church in Frontier New Mexico Chapter VII Indians, Traders and Trouble, 1735-1750 Chapter VIII New Mexico's Renaissance, 1749-1761 Chapter IX Visitors and Changes in New Mexico, 1760-1772 Chapter X New Mexico's Last Years of Freedom Chapter XI New Mexico, 1776-1821 Bibliographic Essay Bibliography About the Author Illustration Credits: Unless otherwise noted, all illustrations are adapted from: John L. Kessell, Kiva, Cross, and Crown (Washiington: National Park Service, 1979). Hardcopy Designed and Typeset By: Leigh Wellborn Series Production: Frederic J. Athearn Bureau of Land Management Colorado State Office http://www.nps.gov/history/history/online_books/blm/ut/29/contents.htm[10/4/2012 1:34:42 PM] A Forgotten Kingdom: The Spanish Frontier in Colorado and New Mexico, 1540-1821 (Table of Contents) Denver, Colorado Ths document is in the public domain and may be quoted. If portions of the work are used, please credit the Bureau of Land Management and/or the author. This work is dedicated to the memories of John Francis Bannon, S.J. and France V. Scholes <<< Previous <<< Contents>>> Next >>> co/29/contents.htm Last Updated: 20-Nov-2008 http://www.nps.gov/history/history/online_books/blm/ut/29/contents.htm[10/4/2012 1:34:42 PM] A Forgotten Kingdom: The Spanish Frontier in Colorado and New Mexico, 1540-1821 (Foreword) A Forgotten Kingdom: The Spanish Frontier in Colorado and New Mexico, 1540-1821 BLM Cultural Resources Series (Colorado: No. 29) FOREWORD This volume represents a bridge between Colorado's pre-historic past and the time of Anglo- American settlement in our state. Few people realize that hundreds of years before the discovery of gold in Colorado during 1859, a highly developed civilization had explored and settled the area now known as New Mexico and Colorado. Spanish conquistadores roamed the plains in the mid-1500s. They came here permanently in 1598 and founded the second oldest city in North America. This long cultural heritage was overshadowed when Colorado [and New Mexico] became part of the United States during the mid-1800s. I am pleased to present a new volume in our Cultural Resources Series that is somewhat unique. It is neither prehistory nor pure western history. It reveals an aspect of our past that is sometimes overlooked and forgotten. I hope that both the professional community and general public will enjoy this work. Tom Walker Acting State Director Colorado <<< Previous <<< Contents>>> Next >>> co/29/foreword.htm Last Updated: 20-Nov-2008 http://www.nps.gov/history/history/online_books/blm/ut/29/foreword.htm[10/4/2012 1:34:42 PM] A Forgotten Kingdom: The Spanish Frontier in Colorado and New Mexico, 1540-1821 (Acknowledgments) A Forgotten Kingdom: The Spanish Frontier in Colorado and New Mexico, 1540-1821 BLM Cultural Resources Series (Colorado: No. 29) ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Many contributed to the publication of this volume. John F. Bannon, S.J. and France V. Scholes, both now deceased, supported this research from the earliest stages. Professor Joe B. Frantz, directed my dissertation from which this document is derived. These three men were vital in assuring that my work was properly researched and they all provided important criticism. I thank them for their time and efforts. Also significant in this project was the help of Dr. Myra Ellen Jenkins, former director of the State Archives of New Mexico. She and her staff made the use of New Mexico's records much easier and assisted in researching this project. Dr. Eleanor B. Adams, of the University of New Mexico, was also an important contributor. She provided advise and she guided this author to little known resources. Gary McVicker, Colorado State Office, Bureau of Land Management, suggested that this manuscript could be used to fill a gap between our pre-history and "Anglo" history. This idea was excellent because it provides ethnic balance in the Bureau of Land Management's series of cultural resource overviews. Dave Strunk, also of the Colorado State Office, helped greatly by allowing me time to rewrite and prepare this volume. Any errors of fact or omission are strictly mine. I hope this historical narrative will be of value to both the general public and to professional readers. Frederic J. Athearn Denver, Colorado October, 1989 <<< Previous <<< Contents>>> Next >>> co/29/ack.htm Last Updated: 20-Nov-2008 http://www.nps.gov/history/history/online_books/blm/ut/29/ack.htm[10/4/2012 1:34:43 PM] A Forgotten Kingdom: The Spanish Frontier in Colorado and New Mexico, 1540-1821 (Chapter 1) A Forgotten Kingdom: The Spanish Frontier in Colorado and New Mexico, 1540-1821 BLM Cultural Resources Series (Colorado: No. 29) Chapter I New Mexico, 1536-1680 New Mexico was, from the first, a land of disappointment. Spaniards came to this hostile and barren terrain in the hope that the phenomenon of the Aztecs could be repeated. The stories and legends coming from the area to the north fired the imaginations of the crown. However, Spain was not to find another Mexico in the northern reaches. Rather she would discover death, starvation, rebellion, and finally entrapment in a place she soon had no desire to be. The Northern Frontier Legends regarding riches were in large part responsible for Spanish interest. Alvar Nuñez Cabeza de Vaca returned in the 1530s to Mexico City, so recently looted by Spain, with rumors of riches northward. He had not seen these places but he had heard from "reliable natives" that there were cities of great wealth to the north and west. He also reported that "cows" with shaggy hair were on the plains. These were, of course, buffalo. http://www.nps.gov/history/history/online_books/blm/ut/29/chap1.htm[10/4/2012 1:34:43 PM] A Forgotten Kingdom: The Spanish Frontier in Colorado and New Mexico, 1540-1821 (Chapter 1) There was truth in Cabeza's stories. The explorer claimed that he had vaguely heard of Seven Cities of Gold where citizens dined on solid gold platters, the streets were paved in gold and the lowliest resident was covered with riches. There were equally persistent rumors of a civilization far to the south. This was, of course, the Inca civilization, which fellow Spaniards were in the process of looting by the middle 1530s. [1] If Cabeza de Vaca stirred the interest of officials at Mexico City, the exploits of Fray Marcos de Niza were even more thrilling. While Cabeza de Vaca was interesting to Viceroy Mendoza, more information was needed. In 1537 the Bishop of Mexico, Juan de Zumarraga, brought to the viceroy's attention a priest named Marcos de Niza. Fray Marcos was an experienced traveller in "America" and, based on his knowledge, he was permitted to go. In 1538 he was given orders by the viceroy to move north and find out what was there. For this trip the Moorish slave, Estevan, was borrowed from Dorantes, a companion of Cabeza de Vaca's. It was not until 1539 that Marcos and his little group moved from Culiacan. Near the River Mayo, Estevan decided he wanted to go on faster than the rest of the group. Fray Marcos never heard from El Moro again. Indian tales later indicated that Estevan, a black, so fascinated Indian women that he was killed by jealous native men. Fray Marcos pushed on. He marched up the Sonora Valley into southern Arizona and then into the area of what was called "Cibola." Marcos had, by now, heard of Estevan's demise. Undaunted, he pushed on to "Cibola." He described the place only from a distance. However, he stated that it was larger than Mexico City and that it was "shimmering". He said the houses were of stone, with terraces and flat roofs. He also noted that he was told that Cibola was the smallest of the seven cities. Marcos returned to Mexico City and filed his report. It was Marcos' stories that caused Viceroy Mendoza to agree to a full scale expedition. Marcos got to Arizona. This can be told from his geographic descriptions, but what he saw is another matter. Most likely, Fray Marcos did see the pueblos of Zuñi from a distance. They were in no way cities of gold but, in the shimmering summer heat they may have appeared so. [2] The Spanish government was interested in the potential of what was then generally called 'the north' [el norte]. After the successes of Mexico and Peru, Spain felt that northern New Spain was ready to be added to the empire.