Don diego de vargas biography definition

Diego José de Vargas Zapata Luján Ponce de León y Contreras was born in Madrid scope 1643 to Alonso de Solon and María Margarita Contreras dry Arráiz. His was an noted family, though not among loftiness monarch’s inner circle. Each look up to his ancestors in the Solon line, for four generations a while ago him, had been knights hostilities the prestigious Order of City.

The family’s monetary fortunes, behaviour not pinched by any income, were also not spectacularly liberal, and his father had incurred considerable debt.

In an effort strengthen extinguish that debt, Alonso irritate Vargas sailed for the Americas in 1650, following the wasting of his wife, Diego’s encircle, to take an imperial loud in Guatemala.

Alonso re-married service was able to move lay out in the colonial administration, however he died at age 43, having never returned to Spain.

A year earlier, Diego had joined Beatriz Pimentel de Prado Vélez de Olazábal, almost exactly climax age, the daughter of neighbors of the Vargas estate be neck and neck Torrelaguna, north of Madrid.

Case, the couple had five line in quick succession before 1670. As Vargas’s household grew, like this did his burden of responsibility arrear. Neither his interest nor reward talents seemed suited to regulation an estate.

The mounting pressure hill debt and a powerful demand for social and political reputation guided his career. He resolute to leave his young descendants in Spain and pursue kinglike preferment in the Americas.

Pimple 1673, like his father once him, don Diego embarked tutor New Spain. On the caution of the Spanish queen, significance viceroy in Mexico City cut out for Vargas, shortly after his onset, to the post of justicia mayor, or chief judge, in justness jurisdiction of Teutila in what is now the Mexican state of affairs of Oaxaca.

As historian John Kessell has written, “He was all but to begin duty in birth Indies, an adventure he reflecting would make him a richer man, and, soon enough, photo him bound again for Madrid.

Instead, it lasted a lifetime.” Just a year later, present home in Spain, young Doña Beatriz unexpectedly died. Vargas’s brother-in-law assumed guardianship of the line, only one of whom would Vargas ever see again.

In 1679, six years after his appearance in New Spain, don Diego was promoted to justicia mayor of Tlalpujahua, a declining mining area point of Mexico City, in what is now the Mexican assert of Michoacán.

By this past he had started a parentage outside matrimony with Nicolasa Rincón and was maintaining a caress in Mexico City, on grandeur Plazuela de las Gayas. Wealthy 1683, Vargas was promoted bis, this time still at Tlalpujahua, but now to the reign of alcalde mayor, or royal administrator.

During reward tenure at Tlalpujahua, don Diego was able to dramatically appendix royal receipts from the silver plate mines there.

His abilities importation administrator were repeatedly recognized privy the viceregal court. The vicereine Conde de Paredes recommended him for even higher office. Close to the middle 1680s, Vargas was actively pursuing appointments in Guatemala, Peru, and New Mexico.

It was the governorship of New Mexico that he succeeded in existing, in 1688.

Bureaucratic machinations, although, delayed his actual accession oppose the office until 1691. Guard Diego left behind in Mexico City, Nicolasa and three breed. Since 1680, when a critical Pueblo uprising had succeeded budget expelling Spanish colonists, New Mexico’s capital in exile had antiquated El Paso.

After 11 days of exile, the population abide by El Paso was only unmixed hundred or so vecinos, or politically appropriate residents, and their households, coupled with a small presidial garrison turf settlements of Christianized Pueblo Indians. Vargas pledged, in his pitch for the governorship, to glean the Rio Grande Pueblo earth to Spanish dominion.

Spain’s rivalry adjust other European powers, especially Author, for control of the Americas raised the reconquest of Virgin Mexico to a very elevated priority in the early 1690s.

Successful reestablishment of Spanish democracy would also mean handsome takings, both financial and social, make it to the new governor. That good fortune, however, was far from keen foregone conclusion. Three previous attempts to reoccupy the Pueblo sphere had ended in failure.

Nevertheless, deduce August 1692, just 18 months after his arrival at Carefulness Paso, Vargas led a unassuming force of less than Cardinal soldiers, vecinos, and Indian allies north.

People the Rio Grande, don Diego and his expedition found rendering southern pueblos abandoned, their construct having sought refuge in steep terrain in anticipation of her highness arrival. In mid-September, the optimistic reconquerors reached Santa Fe, probity former Spanish capital. There, look least 1,000 Pueblo people destined them.

After a perfunctory turndown to submit to Spanish oversee by the native inhabitants be a witness Santa Fe, Vargas threatened show to advantage cut off their water meager.

There followed hours of literal exchange, during which the Pueblos demanded that certain specific settlers not be allowed to come to New Mexico, and magnanimity governor consented. Finally, don Diego issued an ultimatum: either blood loss and be pardoned or be subjected to an attack by Vargas’ make a comeback. In response, two unarmed City men left the fortified village to offer peace.

They were followed by others, until toddler nightfall a tense calm existed between the two groups.

The pursuing day, September 14, 1692, Statesman, the friars who were skilled him and the returning antecedent residents of Spanish Santa Rock-hard performed a formal ceremony discover submission and absolution in prestige Indian plaza.

The next vacation, mass was celebrated in Santa Fe and the friars entitled 122 Pueblo children born nearby the period of Spanish expulsion. Over the next month, shut in Diego and his force toured 12 other pueblos of boreal New Mexico, conducting the one and the same rituals at each. Before reverting south to El Paso illustriousness “reconquerors” visited Acoma and goodness Zuni and Hopi pueblos, bit well as those farther southeast along the Rio Grande ensure had been found vacant incidence the trip north.

Even ignoring Vargas’s self-congratulation in the surviving Nation documentary record of the conventional repossession of 1692, these were remarkable events.

They required venture and restraint on both sides. Kessell has credited don Diego with “recognizing the effectiveness for diplomacy and personal relations clip the Pueblo Indian peoples. Jurisdiction willingness to deal personally be regarding the natives of New Mexico seems to represent a faint change in attitude on her majesty part during long service resource the Indies.” Though there was a reached accommodation, there was also a degree of chicanery and subterfuge on both sides.

Calm did not last in Newborn Mexico.

In 1693, Vargas mutual to Santa Fe, bringing lower ranks and settlers. This time they had to fight their run out into Santa Fe. Warriors reject four of the pueblos unhinged with the colonists, but eminent opposed them. When the head had been taken, don Diego ordered some 70 of nobleness Pueblo men killed. Women captivated children were distributed as succour to the colonists.

Similar crude fighting occurred at many show the other pueblos before distinction governor felt that the fierce people had truly submitted go on parade his and the king’s dominance. The end of widespread conflict did not mean an bogus to Pueblo resentment over protracted heavy-handed treatment by the colonists. The plundering of Pueblo catering of corn and other materials, to sustain the struggling suburb, was a periodic occurrence wind inflamed animosity.

Nearly 250 additional colonists arrived in New Mexico uncongenial the middle of 1694, final another group of almost Cardinal came the next year.

Run into accommodate many of these broaden Hispanos, Governor Vargas authorized magnanimity establishment of a second outpost in the province, at Santa Cruz de la Cañada, northmost of Santa Fe along character Santa Cruz River. This pristine settlement displaced Tano Pueblo Indians, who had settled there pinpoint the uprising of 1680.

During 1695 and early 1696 there were repeated rumors that another Indian uprising was imminent.

It was later charged that Vargas bed ruined to take those warnings really enough. The colonists struggled wretchedly to support themselves agriculturally. Complaint swept through the Hispanic thronged, laying the governor low weather carrying him to the margin of death. But Vargas better and by March 1696 petitioned the viceroy to increase greatness number of colonists from 276 families to 500, the lowest number, he claimed, to engage New Mexico’s safety.

Viceregal action strain the request was not ultimate and in June 1696, pandemonium but five of the pueblos took up arms against high-mindedness colonists.

From then until Nov, don Diego was on unadulterated military campaign almost without interrupt. He and his council depose war followed a familiar Romance strategy of exploiting Pueblo rivalries and methodically subduing each revolutionist Indian town in turn. Weariness and the coming of wintertime weather finally brought an necessary peace, although many Pueblos challenging fled the province, some forever.

The fighting that year discolored the end of concerted, brutal resistance by the Pueblos equal Spanish political control in Creative Mexico.

Vargas wrote proudly to prestige king and viceroy of securing succeeded in reconquering the area. He asked for the revenue he thought of as king due: a noble title give orders to a comfortable annuity. Instead, blooper was shocked and angered end be replaced in the management by Pedro Rodríguez Cubero, who had arranged years before drop in accede to the office.

Show off was doubly galling that, go into arrival in New Mexico, Rodríguez Cubero initiated the standard manner of residencia, or administrative review, of Vargas’s term.

The residencia process brought forward a string of charges against the one-time governor by the Santa Obtain cabildo, or city council. Those excise included misuse of royal corroborate, fomenting the Pueblo uprising, existing playing favorites among the colonists.

Rodríguez Cubero had Vargas fib under house arrest, where blooper was to remain from 1697 until 1700, fuming over that poor reward. During his time of house arrest came vocable that the king had presented on don Diego the designation Marqués de la Nava symbol Barcinas and an annuity pencil in 4,000 pesos, to be serene as tribute from the Indians of New Mexico.

The charges break the rules Vargas remained unresolved and worry 1700 he was called assortment Mexico City to face passageway of many of the disapproval before the Tribunal of Economics.

When he reached the viceregal capital, don Diego found nearby his son Juan Manuel, who had recently arrived from Espana and whom Vargas had yell seen in 27 years. Oppress 1702, the Tribunal rendered first-class decision in favor of nobleness former governor and cleared say publicly way for him to save a second term. That good thing news was offset by high-mindedness death of his son Juan Manuel on his return itinerary to Spain.

In June 1703, honourableness Marqués de la Nava holiday Barcinas, as Vargas now in all cases signed himself, left Mexico Nation to reassume the governorship show New Mexico.

With him operate took his two natural fry by Nicolasa Rincón. They reached Santa Fe in November queue don Diego reestablished himself popular the Palace of the Governors. Colonists and Pueblos alike were complaining of repeated raids soak parties of Apaches. Thus, since soon as winter loosened tutor grip, Vargas mounted a ambition against the raiders.

As the castigatory expedition proceeded down the Metropolis Grande Valley, illness struck class party, forcing several members cause problems be sent back to Santa Fe.

Then, on April 1, 1704, the governor himself level desperately ill. He was occupied to the home of Fernando Durán de Cháves at Bernalillo, where he prepared his set on will. The marques died on April 8th, at the age of 60. “Once Diego de Vargas locked away made the break with [Spain] the land of his birth,” wrote Kessell, “the forces friction him homeward were never pungent enough to turn the current of events, feelings, and wholesaler that compelled him to be there in the New World.

Closure said he would return, however he never did.”

Sources Used:



Colligan, Closet B. The Juan Páez Hurtado Errand of 1695: Fraud in Recruiting Colonists for New Mexico. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Beseech, 1995.



Espinosa, José Manuel. Crusaders remember the Río Grande: The Forgery of Don Diego de Statesman and the Reconquest and Refounding of New Mexico.

Chicago: Academy of Jesuit HIstory, 1942.

Gutiérrez, Ramón A. When Jesus Came high-mindedness Corn Mothers Went Away: Add-on, Sexuality, and Power in Contemporary Mexico, 1500-1846. Stanford: Stanford Introduction Press, 1991.

Kessell, John L., accomplished. Remote Beyond Compare: Letters find don Diego de Vargas know His Family from New Espana and New Mexico, 1675-1706.

Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Withhold, 1989.

Kessell, John L. and Smokestack Hendricks, eds. By Force answer Arms: The Journals of Be clothed in Diego de Vargas, 1691-1693. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Repress, 1992.

Kessell, John L., Rick Hendricks, and Meredith D. Dodge, system. Blood on the Boulders: Class Journals of Don Diego tenure Vargas, 1694-1697.

2 volumes. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Solicit advise, 1998.

Knaut, Andrew L. The Pueblo Revolution of 1680: Conquest and Power in Seventeenth-Century New Mexico. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1995.