Gregorio de Salinas Varona facts for kids

Gregorio de Salinas Varona was an important Spanish leader who lived from around 1647 or 1650 to 1720. He was born in Tormé, Burgos, Spain, and passed away in Mexico City, which was then called New Spain. Gregorio was a noble, meaning he came from an important family. He worked as a Spanish administrator, serving as a governor in many different places. These included Texas, Coahuila, and Nuevo León in what is now Mexico. He also governed in Honduras and Pensacola. His family came from Burgos, Spain, and had a history of working in government.

Family Background

Gregorio de Salinas Varona started the family branch that settled in Mexico. His family was well-known for public service. His father, Francisco de Salinas Varona, was a Royal Scribe, a type of official writer. Francisco passed away in 1683. Gregorio's mother was Magdalena Ruiz.

Gregorio's Life and Career

Early Military Service

Gregorio was born in Burgos, Spain, either in 1647 or 1650. He joined the army when he was very young. He quickly moved up in rank. He served in the Spanish-controlled Flanders for about 19 to 24 years. In 1687, he became an Infantry Captain. He was then sent to New Spain (modern-day Mexico). He served under the Viceroy Melchor Portocarrero Lasso de la Vega. Gregorio's son, Alonso de Salinas Varona, traveled with him to New Spain.

Fighting Pirates in New Spain

Soon after arriving in New Spain, Gregorio was sent to the Gulf of Tehuantepec. His job was to lead Spanish forces against pirates and smugglers. At that time, pirates had taken control of much of New Spain's Pacific coast.

Exploring Texas

In 1690, a new Viceroy, Gaspar de la Cerda, sent Gregorio on an important mission. He was to explore the region of Tejas (Texas). He went with another explorer named Alonso de León. This trip also involved helping four Franciscan friars. They were going to start their first mission in Texas, called San Francisco de los Tejas.

Becoming a Governor

In 1691, Gregorio was given the title of Commander of the Presidio de San Francisco de Coahuila. A presidio was a Spanish military fort. Later that year, he joined an expedition led by Domingo Terán de los Ríos. Their goal was to expand Spanish missions into Eastern Texas.

In 1692, Gregorio de Salinas Varona was named the second Governor of Texas. He also became the fourth Governor of Coahuila. He held these important positions until 1697 for Texas and 1698 for Coahuila. While he was governor of Coahuila, he helped expand the number of missions. He also focused on settling the local Native American groups.

Other Governor Roles

In 1705, Gregorio was appointed Governor of the Nuevo Reino de León. He served in this role for two years, until 1707.

After that, he became Governor of Honduras. He held this position until 1709. Then, he was made the colonial Governor of Pensacola in Florida. He remained Governor of Pensacola until 1718. After Pensacola, he likely became Governor of the Presidio de Santa María de Galve around 1718.

Death

Gregorio de Salinas Varona passed away in Mexico City in 1720, or shortly after that year.

See also

In Spanish: Gregorio de Salinas Varona para niños