Domingo Terán de los Ríos facts for kids

Domingo Terán de los Ríos was an important Spanish leader. He was the very first governor of Texas from 1691 to 1692. He also served as governor of Coahuila, which is now part of Mexico.

Early Career and Service

Terán worked for the Spanish government in Peru for 20 years. In 1681, he came to Mexico. He became the governor of the province of Sonora y Sinaloa in 1686. He held this position for about five years.

As governor, he helped develop the mining industry in the region. He also worked to establish peaceful relations with the Native American groups there.

Governor of Coahuila and Texas

On January 23, 1691, Domingo Terán de los Ríos was appointed governor. This appointment came from the Viceroy of New Spain, Gaspar de la Cerda, 8th Count of Galve. His job was to manage the areas of Coahuila, Texas, and nearby lands.

His main tasks as governor included:

• Setting up seven missions among the Tejas Native Americans.
• Finding and removing any foreigners who might have settled in Spanish territory.
• Mapping and recording information about the land, its natural resources, and the people living there.

The Expedition Begins

Terán and his group started their journey on May 16, 1691. They left from Monclova, a city in Mexico. They crossed the Rio Grande river on May 28. By December of that year, they had reached the Red River.

When they arrived at the area of San Francisco de los Tejas, Terán renamed the region. He called it Nuevo Reyno de la Montaña de Santander y Santillana.

Naming San Antonio

On June 13, 1691, Terán and his company set up camp. They were at a Native American settlement on a stream called Yanaguana. They decided to rename the stream "San Antonio." This was because it was Saint Anthony's Day, a special day for Christians. Father Damian Massanet traveled with Terán on this important trip.

Exploring and Challenges

As Terán traveled north, he met Gregorio de Salinas Varona. They met at the site of the French Fort Saint Louis. This fort had been abandoned after the French colonists faced challenges like disease and attacks. Terán received new orders there. He was told to explore the Tejas settlements in eastern Texas.

Later, while traveling south, Terán met Juan Enríquez Barroto. They met at Matagorda Bay on March 5, 1692. Barroto gave Terán new instructions from the viceroy. These orders were to explore the lower Mississippi River area.

Terán tried to follow these orders, but bad weather stopped him. He and his group returned to Veracruz on April 15. Terán's expedition did not succeed in setting up any new missions among the Tejas. In his report, he explained his actions and described the difficult situation he found in East Texas.

See also

In Spanish: Domingo de Terán de los Ríos para niños