Isidro de Espinosa facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Isidro de Espinosa
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| Born | November 26, 1679 |
| Died | February 14, 1755 (aged 75) Querétaro, New Spain
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| Nationality | Spanish citizen |
| Occupation | Franciscan |
Isidro Félix de Espinosa (1679–1755) was a Franciscan missionary. He came from New Spain, which is now Mexico. Espinosa went on many trips to explore and set up missions in Tejas, which is today's Texas. He was also in charge of the missionaries from the College of Santa Cruz de Querétaro.
Contents
Early Life
Isidro Félix de Espinosa was born in Querétaro, which is now part of Mexico. His parents were Isidro de Espinosa and Gertrudis de Miraelrío Tovar. Isidro had nine brothers and sisters, but three of them did not live to be adults.
He began studying at the College of Santa Cruz de Querétaro on March 18, 1696. A year later, on March 19, 1697, he started his work as a Franciscan. He became a priest on February 26, 1703. Later that year or in early 1704, he joined the Mission San Juan Bautista.
Missionary Expeditions
On April 5, 1709, Father Espinosa went on an important trip. He traveled with Father Antonio de Olivares, Captain Pedro de Aguirre, and fourteen soldiers. Their goal was to start a Spanish settlement in the area that is now San Antonio, Texas. They chose this spot because it had good water sources.
Along the way, they met the Pastia Indians near the San Antonio River. They also met the Yojuane, Simono, and Tusonibi groups. These groups asked Espinosa to visit their villages near the Rio Brazos, but he could not. The group continued past the San Antonio River to the Colorado River valley. They hoped to find the Hasinai people there. However, they did not find any native groups in that area. The expedition returned to San Juan Bautista on April 28, 1709. Soon after, Espinosa went back to Querétaro.
Building Missions in Texas
Espinosa was chosen to lead the building of missions in Tejas. He returned to Texas and, in 1716, joined Domingo Ramón. Together, they founded several important missions in East Texas:
In late April 1716, Espinosa and Ramón led another trip to East Texas to set up a Spanish colony. Espinosa also joined other major expeditions. He was part of Martín de Alarcón's trip in 1718. He also joined San Miguel de Aguayo's expedition in 1721.
Chronicler of Texas History
Isidro Espinosa was a very important writer and historian for Spanish Texas. He wrote about the events of the first half of the 18th century. He worked for the church during the day and wrote at night. People called him El Julio Cesar de la Fé en Nueva España (The Julius Caesar of Faith in New Spain).
He wrote many books and articles. He also wrote a biography about his friend, the Franciscan missionary Antonio Margil de Jesus. Espinosa wrote the Crónica de los Colegios de Propaganda Fide de la Nueva España. This book is considered the best source of information about the work of Franciscans in North America. It was even reprinted in 1964.
In February 1718, Espinosa wrote a letter. This letter is one of the oldest known documents to use the name "New Philippines." This was the official name for the northeastern part of New Spain in the 1700s.
Later Life and Death
In late 1721, Espinosa was put in charge of the missions in Tejas. These missions were set up by the Querétaro college. However, he left the region at that time and never went back. In 1733, he received the title "president of the future hospice of San Fernando in Mexico City". Espinosa spent his final years at the College of Santa Cruz in Querétaro. He passed away on February 14, 1755.
Works
- Crónica de los Colegios de Propaganda Fide de la Nueva España
- Chronica apostolica y seraphica de todos los colegios de propaganda fide de esta Nueva Espana de misioneros Franciscanos observantes
See Also
In Spanish: Isidro de Espinosa para niños
