Diego de Guadalajara expedition facts for kids

The Diego de Guadalajara expedition of 1654 was a trip made by the Spanish to find freshwater pearls. They were looking for these pearls in pearl mussels found in the Concho River in what is now Texas. Even though they didn't find many pearls, this expedition helped the Spanish stay in touch with the local people. This eventually led to Spanish settlements being built in and around San Angelo, Texas.

First Trip: Castillo-Martin Expedition

In 1650, Hernando de Ugarte y la Concha, who was the Governor of New Mexico, sent a group from Santa Fe. This group was led by Captains Diego del Castillo and Hernan Martin. Their goal was to explore what is now north central Texas.

The Castillo-Martin expedition traveled about 520 miles (837 km) southeast from Santa Fe. They followed a path that a friar named Juan de Salas had used before when he visited the Jumano Indians in 1632. They reached the Concho River, which they called the Río de las Perlas ("Pearl River"). They named the Concho River ("river of shells") because they found many Tampico pearly mussels there.

Some members of the expedition went another 130 miles (209 km) southeast. They reached the area where the large and many Tejas Indians lived. They didn't go further because they weren't sure how the Tejas people would react. The Tejas chief heard the Spanish were nearby and sent someone to meet them. The expedition stayed in the area for six months. They collected samples of the freshwater pearls. These pearls were sent to Luis Enríquez de Guzmán, who was the Viceroy of New Spain. These pearls were one of the main reasons for the next trip, the Guadalajara expedition.

The Guadalajara Expedition

The Diego de Guadalajara expedition was started in 1654. Its main purpose was to check on what Castillo's group had found. This expedition probably began before Easter in 1654. It was led by Sergeant Major Diego de Guadalajara. The group included thirty soldiers and 200 Christian Indians. They traveled to the Concho River in Jumano country, just like the earlier expedition.

The main part of the expedition stayed by the Concho River. They set up camp among the Jumanos. The Jumanos helped them collect mussels, hoping to find valuable pearls. Meanwhile, Captain Andrés López took a small group of twelve soldiers about 80 miles (129 km) east. There, they found a settlement of "Cuitao" people. They had a conflict with these people and returned with two hundred bundles of animal skins. When López's group rejoined the main expedition, the whole force went back to Santa Fe with their valuable animal skins.

What Happened Next

The expedition found far fewer pearls than they had hoped for. However, the Spanish became very interested in the region. There are no records of specific trips for the next thirty years. But, old records in Mexico show that many trading journeys happened. The Spanish likely traded iron tools and horses for animal skins and buffalo meat.

Juan Domínguez de Mendoza, who was part of the 1654 Guadalajara expedition, led another trip into the area in 1683-1684. The Spanish later built missions and eventually the town of San Angelo. Even today, people still fish for mussels and their pearls in this area.

See also

In Spanish: Expedición de Diego de Guadalajara para niños