Cristóbal de Oñate facts for kids

Cristóbal de Oñate (born 1504 — died October 6, 1567) was a Spanish explorer and leader. He was born in the Basque region of Spain. He is known for helping to found the city of Guadalajara in 1531. He also helped establish other important places in a region then called Nueva Galicia in western New Spain.

Early Life and Wealth

Cristóbal de Oñate was born in 1504 in Vitoria, a town in Spain. His family was important, with roots going back many centuries. His parents were Juan Perez de Oñate and Osaña González.

Oñate was a skilled leader and a very successful businessman. He became one of the wealthiest people in North America during his time. He discovered some of the richest silver mines on the continent. These mines were in a dry area where the Mexican city of Zacatecas now stands.

Adventures in New Spain

Oñate arrived in New Spain (which is now Mexico) in 1524. He worked as an assistant to Rodrigo de Albornoz, a royal official. Albornoz was one of five officials sent by the King of Spain to oversee the government in the new colony.

In New Spain, Cristóbal de Oñate met up with his nephews, Juan and Vicente de Zaldívar y Oñate. He also married Catalina de Salazar de la Cadena. Her family was very important in the colony's government and finances.

Exploring and Founding Cities

In 1529, Oñate joined an expedition led by Nuño Beltrán de Guzmán. This group explored and took control of a large part of western Mexico. This area included what are now the states of Nayarit, Jalisco, Colima, and Aguascalientes. It also included parts of Sinaloa, Zacatecas, and San Luis Potosí. This newly explored region became known as Nueva Galicia.

Oñate is credited with helping to establish several cities. These include Compostela and Tepic in present-day Nayarit. He also helped found Guadalajara and Zacatecas.

The Founding of Guadalajara

In 1531, Cristóbal de Oñate founded a small town near Nochistlán. He named this town Guadalajara. However, the town moved a few times. Two years later, the people of Guadalajara were worried about attacks from native groups. They also needed more water. So, the town was moved to Tonalá in 1533. Later, it moved again to a place near Tlacotan. This final move happened between late 1541 and early 1542.

Silver Mines and Family Legacy

During the exploration of Zacatecas, very rich silver mines were found. These discoveries made Cristóbal de Oñate and his partners, Diego de Ibarra and Juan de Tolosa, incredibly wealthy. Oñate settled near the Pánuco mine in Zacatecas. Five of his six children were born there.

One of his sons, Juan de Oñate, became a famous explorer himself. Juan married Isabel de Tolosa Cortes-Moctezuma. She was the granddaughter of the famous conquistador Hernán Cortés. She was also the great-granddaughter of Moctezuma Xocoyotzin, the last Aztec Emperor. Juan de Oñate later explored western North America. He founded the first European settlement on the upper Rio Grande in what is now New Mexico, USA. Both Juan and his son, also named Cristóbal, served as Spanish governors of Nuevo Mexico.

Later Life and Contributions

Cristóbal de Oñate served as governor of the province of Nueva Galicia three times. He tried to calm tensions with the Caxcan native people during the Mixton War in 1541. He later faced accusations of mistreating native people from a Caxcan leader named Francisco Tenamaztle.

Besides being an explorer and mine owner, Oñate was also a farmer and rancher. He owned large estates where native people worked. Even though he worked with Nuño Beltrán de Guzmán, who was known for being harsh, Oñate also showed a kinder side. He was a supporter of the cities he helped create. He was known for being generous. He offered meals to those in need every day of his life. It is said he used money from his estates to help improve native villages.

Today, many streets, businesses, and places in the cities he founded are named after him. He started a family line that remained wealthy and powerful for 300 years.

Cristóbal de Oñate passed away in Pánuco, Zacatecas, on October 6, 1567. He was buried in the local church there.

See also

In Spanish: Cristóbal de Oñate para niños

• Juan de Oñate
• Guadalajara
• Tepic
• Compostela, Nayarit
• Nuño Beltrán de Guzmán
• Nueva Galicia