Juan Rejón facts for kids
Juan Rejón was an important captain from Aragon, a region in Spain. He worked for the King and Queen of Castile, who were known as the Catholic Monarchs. They chose him to help conquer the Canary Islands. Juan Rejón is famous for founding the city of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.
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Early Expeditions and Founding a City
In 1478, Juan Rejón gathered about 600 men, mostly from Andalusia in southern Spain. Among them was Alonso Fernández de Lugo, who would later conquer other Canary Islands like La Palma and Tenerife.
On May 28, 1478, Rejón and his men set sail from Puerto de Santa María on three ships. They landed on June 24, 1478, near a place called Las Isletas. This area is now part of the city of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. Rejón set up a camp in a nearby palm grove. This camp grew into the city of Las Palmas.
Conflicts and Return to the Canary Islands
Juan Rejón faced problems with his men, including one named Bermúdez. These issues led to Rejón being arrested and sent back to Spain. Pedro de Algaba took over as governor of Gran Canaria.
However, Rejón was set free by the Castilian court. He then returned to the Canary Islands. Once back, he ordered the execution of Pedro de Algaba. He also sent Bermúdez away to the island of Lanzarote.
Operations in La Gomera and Death
In 1480, Juan Rejón took part in military actions on the island of La Gomera. This island had not yet been fully conquered by the Castilians. He landed with his soldiers at Hermigua. His goals were to complete the conquest of the island and to meet with Hernán Peraza. Peraza was the ruler of La Gomera.
Peraza saw Rejón, who had many soldiers, as a threat to his own power. Peraza sent his own troops to Hermigua. In 1481, one of Peraza's followers killed Juan Rejón.
Peraza had to explain Rejón's death to the court. He was forgiven but had to agree to certain conditions. He had to help conquer Gran Canaria with soldiers from La Gomera. He also had to finish the conquest of Gran Canaria, a task Rejón had not completed. Peraza himself was later killed by a native Guanche leader named Hautacuperche.
See also
In Spanish: Juan Rejón para niños
