Cristóbal de Olid facts for kids
Cristóbal de Olid (born 1487, died 1524) was a Spanish explorer and soldier. He was known as a conquistador, which means he helped Spain conquer new lands. He played an important part in the Spanish takeovers of Mexico and Honduras.
Contents
Early Life and First Expeditions
Cristóbal de Olid was born in Baeza, Spain. He grew up in the home of Diego Velázquez de Cuéllar, who was the governor of Cuba.
In 1518, Velázquez sent Olid on a mission to help another explorer, Juan de Grijalva. However, a big storm hit, and Olid's ship lost its anchors. He had to go back to Cuba.
Conquest of Mexico
On January 10, 1519, Olid joined Hernán Cortés's fleet. He served as Cortés's quartermaster, which meant he was in charge of supplies and lodging. Olid was very active in the Spanish conquest of Mexico.
He fought in the Battle of Otumba on July 14, 1520. He also took part in the fight against the Purépecha people.
During the Siege of Tenochtitlan, which was the attack on the Aztec capital city, Cristóbal de Olid was one of Cortés's main captains. He was very important in capturing the city of Xochimilco.
Olid was also the commander of the Texcoco camp. He helped save Cortés during one of the battles on the causeways, when Mexican warriors tried to capture Cortés.
Expeditions in West Mexico
After marrying a Portuguese lady, Cortés sent Olid to the region of Michoacán.
In 1522, Olid led Spanish soldiers and their allies from Tlaxcala. They conquered areas like Jalisco and Colima in western Mexico.
Expedition to Honduras and Rebellion
In 1523, Cortés chose Olid to lead an expedition to conquer Honduras. But while getting supplies in Havana, Olid decided to break away from Cortés. This was suggested by Velázquez, the governor of Cuba. Olid wanted to conquer Honduras for himself.
He landed east of Puerto Caballos and started a settlement called Triunfo de la Cruz. Many of Olid's followers moved to Naco because it had good farmland and gold.
When Cortés found out about Olid's rebellion, he sent Francisco de Las Casas to fight him. Las Casas had two warships. Even though a storm destroyed both of Las Casas's ships and many of his soldiers joined Olid, Las Casas still managed to defeat Olid in battle and capture him.
How He Died
There are different stories about how Cristóbal de Olid died.
- One account, by Bernal Díaz del Castillo, says that Las Casas had Olid beheaded (his head cut off) in Naco.
- Another account, by Antonio de Herrera y Tordesillas, says that Olid's own soldiers turned against him and killed him.
See also
In Spanish: Cristóbal de Olid para niños
