Juan Núñez de Prado (conquistador) facts for kids

A drawing of Captain Juan Núñez de Prado.

Juan Núñez de Prado was a Spanish soldier and explorer from the 1500s. He is famous for leading the Spanish conquest of a region called Tucumán Province, which is now part of Argentina.

Early Life and Military Career

Juan Núñez de Prado was born in Badajoz, a city in Spain. In the early 1540s, he moved to Peru, a Spanish colony in South America. He joined the side of Gonzalo Pizarro during a civil war there.

Before 1548, he became the Alcalde (a type of mayor or judge) of the Potosí mines. These mines were very important for silver. During the civil war, he switched sides and helped the royal forces win against Pizarro's supporters. After the war, Captain Núñez de Prado returned to the city of Chuquisaca in what was then called Upper Peru.

Exploring and Settling Tucumán

In 1549, a Spanish leader named Pedro de la Gasca rewarded Juan Núñez de Prado for his help. He gave Prado the territory of Tucumán. This area was not clearly defined, but it covered parts of modern-day Bolivia and northern Argentina.

Núñez de Prado gathered money and 84 volunteers for his mission. He traveled through valleys to find a good place for a capital city. He chose a spot by the Dulce River and founded a city called El Barco. He named it after La Gasca's hometown in Spain.

Prado built a fort and brought settlers from Upper Peru. He wanted to work peacefully with the local people, the Calchaquí. He found that they were not eager to fight. Prado named his new province Tucumán after Tucumamahao, a local leader who became his ally.

Sadly, the first settlement of El Barco was destroyed in 1552 when the Dulce River flooded.

Disputes Over Land

During the Spanish conquest of the Americas, there were often arguments over who owned which land. The borders of new territories were not always clear. This led to many fights and disagreements between different Spanish leaders.

A dispute arose between Núñez de Prado and Pedro de Valdivia, the governor of Chile. Valdivia believed Tucumán belonged to Chile, even though the governor of Peru had given it to Prado. Valdivia sent Captain Francisco de Aguirre to take control of Tucumán.

In December 1552, Aguirre arrived at El Barco. Núñez de Prado was away at the time. When he returned, he was arrested and sent to Chile. Some of Prado's men were sent to Lima, Peru. Aguirre then took control of the territory for Chile.

Aguirre treated the local people harshly, forcing them to work for the Spanish settlers. This led to a rebellion by the native people. In 1553, the Spanish colonists had to move to a new location and founded Santiago del Estero.

In 1554, Aguirre went back to Chile. Many settlers left Tucumán during his absence, returning to Chile or Peru.

After the Conquest

The Royal Audience of Lima, Peru, later arrested Francisco de Aguirre for taking over Tucumán unfairly. They demanded that Núñez de Prado be released and given back his territory. However, Juan Núñez de Prado died before he could return to Tucumán.

See also

In Spanish: Juan Núñez de Prado para niños