James Baquet

It is typical today to consider the conquest of North America as being just one European victory after another. But from time to time, the natives retaliated with fierce effectiveness.

Such is the case with the Pueblo Revolt of 1680.

Santa Fe, New Mexico is called the oldest capital city in what is now the United States, having served that purpose since 1610 for Nuevo Mexico, a province of New Spain — what is now the American state of New Mexico. However, it wasn’t permanently in European hands until nearly a century later.

From the beginning, the Spanish often mistreated the Indians, suppressing their religious practices, forcing them to labor on Spanish projects, and subjecting them to European diseases against which they had no immunity. The population was reduced roughly 60-80 percent in less than a century.

Then, in 1675, a native religious leader named Pope was arrested with 47 other Pueblo leaders for “witchcraft” — that is, for practicing their own, non-Catholic religions. Some were executed; most others were whipped or imprisoned; and some were sold into slavery. (“Pueblo” was the name the Spanish gave to native villages, and thus to the people.)

Upon his release, Pope went north to Taos Pueblo and began making plans to destroy the Spanish once and for all, and return to traditional ways. With his charisma, he was able to enlist most of the other Pueblos, and in 1680, the revolt was ready.

The Spanish estimated — perhaps with some exaggeration — that 2,500 natives besieged them in the governor’s palace in Santa Fe by Aug. 15. On Aug. 21, all remaining Spanish made the trek to El Paso (now in Texas), unmolested by the Pueblos. Four hundred Spanish had been killed, including 21 of New Mexico’s 33 priests. The province was to remain in native hands for 12 years.

Reconquests were attempted in 1681 and 1687, but it wasn’t until 1692 — four years after Pope’s death — that the Spanish effected a relatively peaceful return.

They treated the natives better, forgoing forced labor and allowing native religious practices (so long as they still attended church), and New Mexico became the unique blend of native and Spanish culture we see today.

Vocabulary:

Which words above mean:

1. charm, magnetism

2. long, hard walk

3. putting down

4. struck back

5. resistance to disease

6. undisturbed

7. caused, brought about

8. attacked

9. causing to suffer

10. giving up