Luis Ponce de León (governor of New Spain) facts for kids

Luis Ponce de León was a Spanish judge who briefly served as the governor of New Spain. He was in charge for only a short time in July 1526. He died soon after arriving in the colony.

Who Was Luis Ponce de León?

Luis Ponce de León was a well-educated man from Spain. He was also a knight from Cordoba, a city in Spain. A knight was a person who served their king or lord, often as a soldier. He was a friend of Martín de Córdoba, who was a corregidor in Toledo. A corregidor was a local government official in Spain.

Why Was He Sent to New Spain?

In 1525, King Charles I of Spain and his advisors heard about big problems in New Spain. This area is now called Mexico. The famous Spanish explorer Hernán Cortés was the governor there.

In 1524, Cortés left New Spain to deal with a rebellion in Honduras. He left other officials in charge. But these officials started fighting among themselves. There were two groups: those who supported Cortés and those who did not.

Rumors even reached Mexico City and Spain that Cortés had died. Because of all this confusion, King Charles I decided to send someone to investigate. He wanted to find out what was really happening in the colony. He also wanted to check on the temporary government.

The King's Orders

King Charles I chose Luis Ponce de León for this important job. Ponce de León was named the new governor of New Spain. He was also given the task of leading a special investigation called a juicio de residencia. This was a formal review of how a public official had done their job. His yearly salary was 3,000 gold coins.

Ponce de León left Spain on February 2, 1526.

His Arrival in New Spain

While Ponce de León was traveling, Cortés returned to Mexico City in May 1526. He took back his role as governor. Ponce de León's ship had to stop in Hispaniola for repairs. He finally arrived in Mexico City in June.

On July 5, 1526, Ponce de León met with the city government. He showed them the king's order, which gave him power. Cortés respected the king's decision and stepped aside.

A Very Short Term as Governor

Ponce de León decided to keep all the city officials in their positions. He was about 65 years old when he arrived. He had caught a fever on his journey to Veracruz, a city on the coast. The fever continued for the 12-day trip to the capital. It did not get better even after he arrived.

After becoming governor, he was too ill to do much work. He died very soon after. Before he passed away, he gave his duties to Marcos de Aguilar. Aguilar was his assistant and had traveled with him. Aguilar also had a royal appointment. He took over the government on July 16, 1526.

Ponce de León died just four days later, on July 20, 1526. He was buried in the first church in Mexico City. Marcos de Aguilar, who was also old, died shortly after governing for only a brief time. Some people wondered if Cortés had caused the deaths of these two royal officials.

See also

• In Spanish: Luis Ponce de León para niños