Isidoro de Atondo y Antillón facts for kids

Isidro de Atondo y Antillón was a Spanish admiral. He was born in 1639. He is best known for trying to start Spanish settlements in the Baja California peninsula. These attempts happened between 1683 and 1685, but they were not successful.

Who Was Isidro de Atondo?

Early Life and Military Service

Isidro de Atondo was born in Valtierra, a town in the Navarra region of Spain. His parents were from noble families. He was baptized in 1639. Atondo started his military career in 1658. He fought in many battles across Europe, both on land and at sea.

Journey to the New World

In 1669, Atondo traveled to the New World. This was the name Europeans gave to the Americas. By 1676, he became the governor and captain general of Sinaloa. This area is in northwestern New Spain, which is now part of Mexico. In 1678, he was given an important job. He was to lead a well-funded effort to establish a Spanish presence in Baja California. Spain had tried to settle this peninsula many times since the 1530s, but all attempts had failed.

Trying to Settle Baja California

First Try: La Paz

In April 1683, Atondo sailed to La Paz. He was joined by two Jesuit missionaries, Eusebio Francisco Kino and Matías Goñi. They tried to set up a settlement among the Pericú and Guaycura people who lived in the La Paz area. However, the Spanish soldiers soon got into fights with the local people. Because of these conflicts, the Spanish had to leave La Paz.

Second Try: San Bruno

After leaving La Paz, the Spanish moved north. They decided to try again at San Bruno in December 1683. This new location was among the Cochimí people, north of Loreto. Atondo's second attempt to create a colony was more peaceful. It also lasted longer than the first one. During this time, the Spanish explored more of the land. However, this settlement also failed. It could not produce enough food or supplies to support itself. So, in May 1685, it had to be abandoned.

What Happened Next?

After the Expeditions

After his attempts in Baja California, Atondo continued his service. He worked in other parts of New Spain, including Nueva Vizcaya and Oaxaca. In 1689, he was welcomed into the Order of Santiago. This was a very important and respected Spanish military and religious order.

Lasting Effects

Atondo's expeditions had important results. The Spanish government became unwilling to spend more money on colonizing Baja California. It was seen as too expensive and not productive. However, the expeditions also made missionaries like Kino very excited. They saw Baja California as a great place to establish new missions and spread their faith.

See also

In Spanish: Isidro de Atondo y Antillón para niños