Gaspar Castaño de Sosa facts for kids

Gaspar Castaño de Sosa was an explorer and settler from Portugal. He lived from about 1550 to 1595. He helped start the towns of Saltillo and Monclova in Mexico. Castaño de Sosa led a trip to try and create a new settlement in New Mexico. Spanish officials said this trip was against the law. His attempt to build a colony there in 1590 and 1591 was not successful.

Early Life and Settling in Mexico

Castaño de Sosa was born in Portugal around 1550. Many people believe he was a converso. This means he was a person who seemed Christian but secretly continued to practice Judaism.

Around 1579, Castaño de Sosa came to northern Mexico. He was one of the first settlers in the area that is now the Mexican state of Nuevo León. He worked with Luis de Carabajal y Cueva, who was the governor. Castaño became the lieutenant governor. These men and their group of over sixty soldiers supported their settlement. They did this by capturing and forcing Native Americans to work for them. They traveled north along the Rio Grande, taking many Native Americans captive.

The Journey to New Mexico

In 1589, Governor Carbajal was arrested. He was accused of secretly practicing Judaism. Castaño de Sosa worried he would also be arrested. So, he decided to leave the colony of Nuevo León. He planned to settle in New Mexico, which was far away from the authorities in Mexico.

Castaño could not get official permission for his trip. But he left anyway on July 27, 1590. He started from Almaden, which is now Monclova, Coahuila. His journey was both a way to escape and an exploration. About 170 Spanish people from the town went with him. They brought many animals and their belongings in a slow wagon train. Unlike most expeditions, no Catholic priests joined Castaño's group.

The Expedition's Path

Castaño and his group traveled north from Almaden. They crossed the Rio Grande near where Del Rio, Texas and Ciudad Acuña are today. When they reached the Pecos River, near Sheffield, Texas, Castaño decided to follow the river north. This was the first time a Spanish expedition was known to use this route to the Pecos River.

As they went through the Pecos River valley, they saw Jumano Native American settlements. These places had recently been left empty. It is thought that these communities knew Castaño was coming and had moved away. The few Jumanos they met were not friendly. Castaño's men had several small fights with them.

Arrival at Pecos Pueblo

The expedition followed the Pecos River for about 400 miles (640 km) north. They finally reached Pecos Pueblo. At that time, Pecos Pueblo was home to about 2,000 people. Castaño sent a small group ahead to the Pueblo. Soon, this group ran into trouble.

The Spanish men said the Native Americans greeted them in a friendly way. They were led into the town, but then the Native Americans attacked them. Three Spanish men were hurt in the fight. Much of their equipment and guns were taken.

To get back at them, Castaño led 40 men and two cannons to Pecos. The people of Pecos continued to resist. So, Castaño fired cannons at the town. Several people were killed, and most of the others were forced to run away. Castaño then took supplies from the Pueblo and headed west toward the Rio Grande.

Exploring New Mexico

In the very cold month of January 1591, Castaño and his men searched for valuable minerals. They did not find any. They met several Pueblo communities in the Galisteo Basin, near what is now Santa Fe. Castaño said they officially claimed these pueblos. They put up crosses and read a formal statement to the people living there.

Members of the expedition then visited different towns along the Rio Grande river valley. They also explored the nearby mountains for silver. The Pueblo towns had been visited by two other Spanish groups before. These were the Chamuscado and Rodriguez and Antonio de Espejo expeditions. So, the Pueblo people already knew about Spaniards. However, Castaño's expedition was much larger than the others. This probably made it seem more threatening.

Castaño is believed to be the first person to call the river running through the Pueblo Indian valley the "Rio Grande." The very cold winter of 1590 to 1591 caused problems for Castaño. Some of his men wanted to go back to Mexico. Another group even threatened his life. The hard journey and the cold winter made many of the hopeful settlers and treasure seekers lose hope. During their retreat, two of Castaño's captured Keresan interpreters, Tomas and Cristobal, were left at Santo Domingo pueblo. They were later found by Juan de Oñate's official expedition in 1598.

Castaño's Arrest

The Viceroy in Mexico City ordered Captain Juan Morlette to find Castaño and arrest him. Morlette took 40 soldiers and a priest with him. He was told to use force if needed. Morlette was also told to free any Native Americans who had been forced into labor.

Most of the details about Morlette's trip to New Mexico are not known. Morlette did not take the Pecos River route that Castaño had used. Instead, he seemed to follow the earlier route of Chamuscado/Rodriguez and Espejo. This route went down the Conchos River to where it met the Rio Grande. Then, he went up the Rio Grande to the Pueblo Indian villages.

In late March 1591, Morlette arrived at Santo Domingo Pueblo. He arrested Castaño, who did not fight back. Morlette put chains on Castaño. But he seemed to treat him with respect. After 40 days, during which Morlette explored the Pueblo area himself, he took Castaño and his followers back to Mexico.

Castaño's Trial and Death

On March 5, 1593, Castaño de Sosa was found guilty. He was charged with entering lands where peaceful Native Americans lived, gathering troops without permission, and entering the province of New Mexico. He was sentenced to six years of exile in the Philippines. He also had to work there as ordered by the Governor. If he did not follow these orders, he could face the death penalty.

Castaño appealed his sentence to the Council of the Indies. Eventually, his conviction was overturned. However, the order to reverse his sentence arrived too late. Castaño de Sosa had already died in the Molucca Islands. He was killed when Chinese workers on his ship rebelled.

Images for kids

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  A map showing the Pecos River watershed.

See also

In Spanish: Gaspar Castaño de Sosa para niños