Lope Conchillos y Quintana facts for kids

Lope Conchillos y Quintana was an important Spanish official who lived a long time ago, around the 1500s. He was a trusted secretary for King Ferdinand "the Catholic" in Spain. Lope Conchillos married a woman named María Niño de Ribera.

Lope Conchillos and His Role

Lope Conchillos was a key person in the Spanish government during a time when Spain was exploring and settling new lands. As a secretary to the King, he helped manage many important tasks for the kingdom.

Land Grants in the New World

One of the ways Spain managed its new territories was by giving out special land grants called "encomiendas." Lope Conchillos received one of these grants in Puerto Rico, even though he stayed in Spain. This meant he owned the rights to the land and the people living on it, but he didn't live there himself.

Managing Lands in Puerto Rico

In 1515, a large area of Puerto Rico, including the rivers "Rio Grande" and "Tanama," was given to Lope Conchillos. Since he was in Spain, he sent a helper named Pedro Moreno to manage these lands. Pedro Moreno found about 200 Taíno people, led by their chief Aracibo, living there. Under the encomienda system, the Taíno people were expected to work for the Spanish landowners. This system was very hard on the native people, and their traditional way of life was greatly affected.

Different Views on Native People

During this time, there were different ideas about how native people in the new lands should be treated. Lope Conchillos had disagreements with Bartolomé de Las Casas, who was a Spanish priest and writer. Las Casas was famous for defending the rights of native people and speaking out against the harsh treatment they received.

Family Life

Lope Conchillos had a daughter named Francisca de Ribera Niño. She married a man named Pedro Nuñez de Guzmán.