Gerónimo de Mendieta facts for kids

Gerónimo de Mendieta (1525–1604) was a Franciscan missionary and historian. He spent most of his life in the lands that Spain had recently taken over in Mexico and Central America. A Franciscan is a type of Catholic priest or monk who belongs to the order founded by Saint Francis of Assisi. A missionary is someone who travels to spread their religious beliefs.

Mendieta's most important book is called Historia eclesiástica indiana. He wrote it in the late 1500s. The book tells the story of how Franciscan missionaries spread Christianity in a Spanish colony called New Spain. It also talks about how the native people were treated unfairly by Spanish leaders. This book was not published until 1870, when Joaquín García Icazbalceta finally brought it to light.

Who Was Gerónimo de Mendieta?

Gerónimo de Mendieta was born in Vitoria, a city in the Basque Country region of Spain, in 1525. When he was twenty years old, he joined the Franciscan order in Bilbao.

Early Life and Journey to New Spain

In 1554, Mendieta traveled to New Spain, which is now Mexico. He lived in a place called Tochimilco. There, he learned Nahuatl, the language spoken by the Aztec people. Later, he moved to Tlaxcala. In Tlaxcala, he became good friends with another Franciscan, Toribio de Benavente, also known as "Motolinia." Mendieta learned a lot about the Nahuatl language from Motolinia. Motolinia also believed strongly that the native people would become Christians, and this idea influenced Mendieta.

In 1570, Mendieta went back to Spain. He carried with him the first copies of books written by Bernardino de Sahagún, another important Franciscan historian. Mendieta returned to Mexico in 1573 and never went back to Europe. He was ordered to write a history of the work done to spread Christianity in the Americas.

Writing His Famous History

From his return to Mexico until 1597, Mendieta lived in the monastery of Tlatelolco. A monastery is a building where monks live and work. He spent this time writing his famous book, the Historia eclesiástica indiana. This book was a detailed record of the early history of spreading Christianity in the New World.

However, the Spanish authorities did not allow his book to be published. They thought his ideas were too extreme or different from what they believed. Because of this, his book was not published until 1870. It was Joaquín García Icazbalceta who finally made sure the book was printed for everyone to read.