Diego Velázquez de Cuéllar facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Diego Velázquez de Cuéllar
1st Governor of Cuba
In office 1511–1524
Succeeded by	Juan Altamirano
Personal details
Born	1465 (1465) Cuéllar, Segovia, Crown of Castile
Died	c. June 12, 1524 (aged 58–59) Santiago de Cuba, Cuba, New Spain

Diego Velázquez de Cuéllar (born around 1465 – died June 12, 1524) was a Spanish explorer and soldier. He is famous for leading the Spanish takeover and settlement of Cuba. He became the first governor of the island in 1511.

As governor, Velázquez helped set up many important towns that are still around today. He also made Cuba a key place for trade. It became a starting point for other Spanish expeditions to explore new lands. Some of these trips led to the Spanish discovery and conquest of the Aztec Empire in Mexico.

Early Life and Adventures

We don't know much about Diego Velázquez's early years. He was born in a town called Cuéllar in Spain, around 1465. For a while, he was a soldier in the Spanish army. He even served in Naples, a city in Italy.

In September 1493, Velázquez joined Christopher Columbus on his second trip to the "New World." He was one of 1500 men who sailed across the ocean. Velázquez never went back to Spain after that.

He settled on the island of Hispaniola (which is now Haiti and the Dominican Republic). Many early settlers struggled, but Velázquez did well. He was good at handling the different groups of people on the island. Bartholomew Columbus, Christopher's younger brother, thought highly of him. Bartholomew was in charge of Hispaniola for a time. When he left the island, he often made Velázquez the acting governor.

Later, when Nicolás de Ovando became governor in 1501, Velázquez quickly became one of his trusted helpers. In 1503, a group of Taíno people (Native Americans) on the island rebelled. Velázquez was sent to stop the rebellion, which he did.

After the revolt, Governor Ovando decided to build five new towns. Velázquez was put in charge of building one of them, Salvatierra de la Zabana. He lived there and managed all five new settlements. By 1511, Velázquez was one of the richest people on Hispaniola. He owned several encomiendas. This was a system where Spanish settlers were given control over groups of Native people. These people were then made to work for the settlers, often in mines.

Taking Over Cuba

In 1509, Diego Columbus (Christopher's son) became governor. The king of Spain, King Ferdinand, told him to explore and settle the nearby island of Cuba. The king hoped to find new sources of gold and Native workers there.

Velázquez was chosen to lead this important trip. He had to pay for the project himself. Even though he was promised money back from the king, he never got it. He gathered a small fleet of four ships and about 300 men. Among them were famous explorers like Hernán Cortés and Pedro de Alvarado.

Velázquez sailed to Cuba in January 1511. They landed in a small harbor. The Spanish faced resistance from a Taíno leader named Hatuey. Hatuey had come from Hispaniola and helped the local Natives fight back. But the Spanish had better weapons. After two months of fighting, the Taínos were defeated. Hatuey was captured.

The first Spanish settlement in Cuba was Baracoa. It was built in August 1511 on the northeast side of the island. It was a fort with thatched huts and became the main base for the Spanish. Later that year, Pánfilo de Narváez joined Velázquez. He brought more Spanish soldiers and Native helpers from Jamaica. Velázquez was happy for the extra help and made Narváez his second-in-command. They spent over a year taking control of the eastern part of Cuba.

In early 1513, Velázquez married Maria de Cuéllar in Baracoa. Sadly, Maria died less than a week after their wedding.

The Spanish takeover of Cuba sped up in 1513. Velázquez sent out three groups to explore the island and set up Spanish towns. Narváez led a group through the middle of the island. Velázquez and another leader went along the south and north coasts. Narváez met a group of 2,500 Taínos led by Chief Caguax. The Spanish attacked first, defeating Caguax and killing about one hundred Taínos. This was the last major resistance the Spanish faced. After this, they continued to settle and search for gold without much trouble.

In October 1513, Velázquez received letters from the king. These letters gave him more power in Cuba. He could now assign Native people to encomiendas and build more towns. The king especially wanted settlements on the southern coast. These would help with trade with the growing Spanish presence in Panama. By 1514, Cuba was mostly peaceful. A lot of gold was found in several places, leading to a short "gold rush" until about 1520.

Besides Baracoa, Velázquez established six more Cuban towns by 1515. Most of these new towns were on the coast. They were near gold deposits and places where many Native people lived. Bayamo was founded in 1513. Then came Trinidad, Sancti Spíritus, and Havana in 1514. Havana later became the most important city in Cuba. Puerto Príncipe was set up in 1515. Velázquez also added Santiago de Cuba in July 1515. He made Santiago de Cuba his home and the new capital of the island.

Velázquez used the encomienda system to reward his family and friends. This made sure that the important people on the island were loyal to him. By 1522, his relatives and close friends controlled many Native workers.

The new settlers in Cuba did not want to be under the direct control of Diego Columbus. So, Velázquez called a general cabildo (a local government meeting). This council was allowed to talk directly with Spain. This meant Velázquez and the settlers were no longer under Columbus's authority. This decision would later cause problems for Velázquez with the expeditions to Mexico.

Exploring Mexico

In 1514, Velázquez heard rumors about unknown lands north and west of Cuba. At first, the king told him to focus on Cuba and gold production. But as the need for workers grew, Spanish ships explored the area. They were looking for Native people to work on Cuban farms and in gold mines. Interest in exploration grew in 1516. A ship returned with a lot of gold taken from Natives on small islands near Central America.

Velázquez quickly sent Francisco Hernández de Córdoba on an expedition in February 1517. They were told to explore nearby islands. They soon found a large land they thought was an island. This was the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico. The first meetings with the Mayans living there turned into fights. Many Spaniards were hurt or killed. When Córdoba returned to Cuba, he told Velázquez that the Mayans were very advanced. They had stone buildings, woven clothes, and items made of gold and silver.

Velázquez organized another trip. He hoped to trade with the Mayans for their gold. He put his nephew, Juan de Grijalva, in charge of four ships. They left Cuba in January 1518. Grijalva sailed along the Yucatan coast and then north along the Mexican coastline. He explored and traded with the Native people. When Grijalva returned in October, he brought back a good amount of gold. But Velázquez was still unhappy. He felt the trip didn't bring enough profit for the time and effort.

Even before Grijalva returned, Velázquez was planning an even bigger expedition to the Yucatan. He asked Spain for permission to trade with or conquer the new lands. He was given the title of adelantado (a special leader) for the Yucatan and any other lands he found. Velázquez wasn't sure who should lead this new effort. After some thought, he chose Hernán Cortés. Their relationship had been difficult. Cortés had been Velázquez's secretary but was involved in a plot against him. Velázquez had pardoned Cortés and given him land.

Cortés quickly accepted the job and started getting ships and volunteers ready. But Velázquez soon regretted his choice. Friends warned him that Cortés might not be loyal. Velázquez tried to replace Cortés, but Cortés refused to give up command. He even convinced one of the messengers to join him. Despite more orders, Cortés would not step down. In February 1519, he left Havana for Mexico with ten ships and about 500 soldiers. He was basically saying he was no longer under Velázquez's authority.

In August 1519, Velázquez heard that Cortés had sent a ship to Spain. It carried Aztec treasures and a request for Cortés to be recognized as the rightful leader of the new territory. Velázquez quickly sent his own messenger to Spain. He argued against Cortés and said he was the true authority. The king agreed to hear the argument but waited two years to decide. He probably wanted to see how the fight played out in Mexico.

Velázquez was determined to remove Cortés, even by force. In early 1520, he put together a large fleet of 18 ships and about 1000 soldiers. Pánfilo de Narváez was chosen to lead this force. His orders were to arrest Cortés and take control of the new land for Velázquez. But Narváez was easily defeated by Cortés. Most of Narváez's soldiers were convinced to join Cortés's invasion of the Aztec empire. This failed mission was a disaster for Velázquez. He lost a lot of money invested in the fleet. Cuba also became less populated and more open to Native uprisings.

Later Life and Legacy

Velázquez spent his last few years defending his role as governor of Cuba. He also continued his argument with Cortés. Diego Columbus tried to replace Velázquez as governor in 1521. But Columbus himself was having political problems. By July 1523, Columbus was called back to Spain, and Velázquez was fully back in charge.

In 1522, King Charles I of Spain officially recognized Cortés as the governor of New Spain (Mexico). This ended Velázquez's claims to the newly conquered land. In 1523, Cortés sent Cristóbal de Olid to conquer Honduras. While getting supplies in Havana, Olid secretly agreed with Velázquez. They planned for Olid to turn against Cortés and take Honduras for Velázquez. When Cortés found out, he complained to the king. He then sent his own agents to Honduras, who eventually killed Olid.

Velázquez's health began to fail in the summer of 1523. He died about a year later, on June 11 or 12, 1524. He was 59 years old. He asked to be buried under the altar steps of the new cathedral in Santiago. His close friend, Gonzalo de Guzman, inherited most of his wealth. Guzman later served as governor twice. Even before Velázquez died, plans were being made to replace him. In May 1524, King Charles II named Juan Altamirano as the new governor of Cuba.

At the time of his death, Velázquez was considered "the richest Spaniard in the Americas." This was true even after losing money on the expeditions of Francisco Hernández de Córdoba and Hernán Cortés. He successfully led the takeover and settlement of Cuba. He founded towns that are still important today. He made Cuba economically strong. And he made it a key place for trade and for launching other expeditions of conquest.

See also

• List of Viceroys of New Spain
• Viceroyalty of New Spain
• History of Cuba
• History of Havana
• Juan de Grijalva

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  In Spanish: Diego Velázquez de Cuéllar para niños