Francisco de Montejo facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Francisco de Montejo
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A monument of Montejo in Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico.
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| Born |
Francisco de Montejo y Álvarez
c. 1479 |
| Died | c. 1553 (aged 73–74) |
| Nationality | Spanish |
| Occupation | Conquistador |
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Francisco de Montejo y Álvarez (born around 1479, died around 1553) was a Spanish explorer and soldier. He is known for trying to conquer the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico. He also explored parts of Central America.
Contents
Early Life and First Expeditions
Francisco de Montejo was born in 1479 in Salamanca, Spain. In 1514, he left Spain and sailed to Cuba. There, he joined an expedition led by Juan de Grijalva. This group explored the coast of Yucatán and the Gulf of Mexico. Montejo was a captain and commanded four ships.
After returning to Cuba, he joined Hernán Cortés's expedition. He helped establish the city of Villa Rica de la Vera Cruz. In 1519, Cortés sent Montejo and Alonso Hernandez Puertocarrero to Spain. Their job was to report on the expedition to King Charles. While in Spain, Montejo married Beatriz de Herrera.
Becoming Captain General of Yucatán
In December 1526, King Charles V of Spain gave Montejo an important title. He was named Adelantado (a high military governor) and Captain General of Yucatán. This meant he was in charge of conquering and ruling that region.
Montejo returned to Yucatán in 1528. He tried to conquer the area from the east coast, near Tulum and Chetumal. However, the native Maya people fought back fiercely. Montejo's forces were forced to retreat.
In 1530, he decided to try conquering Yucatán from the west. He started by bringing peace to the area that is now the Mexican state of Tabasco. He continued his efforts to conquer western Yucatán from 1531 to 1535. Despite some early wins, his forces were eventually driven out of Yucatán.
Governing Honduras and Return to Yucatán
In 1533, Montejo received another royal order. This order allowed him to conquer Puerto Caballos and Naco in Honduras. This caused a conflict with Pedro de Alvarado, who had a similar order. Alvarado continued to be the Governor of Honduras until 1540.
In 1540, the Spanish King made Montejo the Governor of Honduras. Montejo traveled to Gracias a Dios to set up his government.
The actual conquest of Yucatán was completed by Montejo's son. His son was also named Francisco de Montejo, but he was nicknamed "El Mozo" (meaning "the Younger"). El Mozo founded the city of San Francisco de Campeche in 1540. He also founded Mérida in 1542.
In 1546, the elder Montejo became the Governor and Captain General of Yucatán. However, by 1550, there were complaints about him. He was called back to Spain, where he died in 1553.
Montejo was survived by his son, "El Mozo," and a daughter, Catalina Montejo y Herrera.
See also
In Spanish: Francisco de Montejo para niños
