Luis de Velasco, 1st Marquess of Salinas del Río Pisuerga facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Luis de Velasco Marquess of Salinas
9th Viceroy of Peru
In office July 24, 1596 – January 18, 1604
Monarch	Philip II
Preceded by	García Hurtado de Mendoza
Succeeded by	Gaspar de Zúñiga
Personal details
Born	c. 1534 Carrión de los Condes
Died	7 September 1617 Seville

Luis de Velasco, 1st Marquess of Salinas del Río Pisuerga was an important Spanish nobleman. He was born around 1534 in Carrión de los Condes, Spain. He was often called Luis de Velasco, hijo (the son) to tell him apart from his father, who was also a famous viceroy.

Luis de Velasco served as the viceroy of New Spain (which is now Mexico) twice. His first term was from 1590 to 1595. He then became the viceroy of Peru for eight years. After that, he returned to New Spain for his second term as viceroy, from 1607 to 1611. He died in Seville, Spain, on September 7, 1617.

Early Life and Education

Luis de Velasco was born in Spain. When his father became the viceroy of New Spain, young Luis stayed in Spain with his mother and siblings. His brother, Antonio, worked for Prince Philip.

Luis and his brother went with Prince Philip to England when he married Queen Mary. Later, they traveled to Brussels. There, Luis joined a special military-religious group called the Order of Santiago.

Around 1560, Luis de Velasco joined his father in Mexico City. He spent the rest of his youth there. He married María de Ircio, whose mother was related to the first viceroy. After his father passed away, Luis continued to live in Mexico. He worked as an alderman, which is like a city council member.

However, he became unhappy with the viceroy at the time. So, he went back to Spain. King Philip II then made him an ambassador to Florence, Italy.

First Time as Viceroy of New Spain

On July 19, 1589, Luis de Velasco was chosen to be the new viceroy of New Spain. He replaced the previous viceroy. People in Spain thought the colony was in trouble. So, Velasco was told not to land at Veracruz, the usual port.

Instead, he arrived at Tamiahua. But he soon found out that things were calm again. He then sailed to Veracruz and landed in mid-December 1589.

From Veracruz, he traveled to Mexico City. He officially took over the government on January 27, 1590. Everyone in Mexico City was very happy to welcome him back.

Bringing Peace to the Chichimeca Tribes

In 1591, Velasco helped make peace with the Chichimeca tribes. These tribes had been fighting against Spanish control for a long time. The Chichimeca leaders asked the Spanish for food. Velasco agreed, and they signed a peace treaty.

To help the Chichimecas learn about the colony's ways, 400 families from the Tlaxcalteca people were sent to live with them. Also, a religious group called the Franciscans started four new communities among the Chichimecas. Their main center was at Zacatecas.

In return, Velasco lowered the taxes for the Native Americans. He also made sure that lawyers were provided to help the tribes. This helped them join the colony's society more easily. In 1595, Velasco chose Juan de Oñate to lead an important trip into North America.

Boosting Local Industries

Velasco also worked to improve industries in New Spain. He especially supported spinning and weaving. He opened a new public park in Mexico City called the Paseo de la Alameda. He also made the forts at San Juan de Ulúa in Veracruz stronger.

Serving as Viceroy of Peru

In 1595, Velasco was appointed viceroy of Peru. He left Acapulco in November of that year. After eight years in Peru, he felt tired and sick. He asked to be allowed to leave his position so he could return to New Spain. When he came back, he focused on managing his own lands.

Second Time as Viceroy of New Spain

On February 25, 1607, Luis de Velasco was again chosen to be the viceroy of New Spain. This time, the new king, Philip III, appointed him. He took office on July 2.

Controlling Floods in Mexico City

Right away, Velasco started a big project to dig the Huehuetoca canal. This was to control floods. For many years, Mexico City had flooded during the rainy season. The canal project was led by an engineer named Enrico Martínez and a mathematician named Juan Sánchez. Work on the canal began on November 28, 1607.

Protecting Native Americans

In February 1609, a royal order arrived in Mexico. It said that Native Americans could not be enslaved anymore. Velasco made sure this rule was strictly followed. He enforced it against landowners and mine owners. Like his father, this viceroy was known for defending the rights of Native Americans.

Dealing with Runaway Slaves

Also in 1609, there were rumors of a rebellion by Afro-Mexicans. Velasco took steps to prevent it. He sent an armed group to Puebla. This group was to fight against escaped slaves, also called Maroons. These Maroons lived near the Rio Blanco and attacked travelers.

The leader of the Maroons, Gaspar Yanga, sent a letter to the Spanish captain. The letter explained that the slaves had run away because they were treated badly. Velasco read the letter. After a big battle with many losses on both sides, Velasco made a deal. He allowed the escaped slaves to start their own village. It was called San Lorenzo de los Negros, near Córdova.

Building Ties with Japan

A painting of Hasekura Tsunenaga during his trip to New Spain and Europe.

Luis de Velasco also helped start trade and diplomatic relations with Japan. In 1610, he welcomed a group from Japan. They had sailed from Japan on a ship called the San Buena Ventura. Velasco agreed to send an ambassador to Japan. He chose the famous explorer Sebastián Vizcaíno for this mission. Vizcaíno was also asked to look for "gold and silver islands" that people thought were east of Japan.

Velasco took control of the Japanese ship. He was worried that the Japanese might become too good at long ocean voyages.

Vizcaíno left Acapulco on March 22, 1611, on his ship, the San Bernardo. He arrived in Japan in June. He met with the Japanese leaders. Vizcaíno's ship was lost in Japan. He sailed back to Acapulco on October 28, 1613, on a Japanese ship called the San Juan Bautista. He arrived on January 25, 1614. With him came Hasekura Tsunenaga, who was the Japanese ambassador to Spain, and about 140 other Japanese people.

Later Life and Retirement

In 1610, King Philip III gave Luis de Velasco the title of Marqués de Salinas. This was a reward for his good work. On December 27, 1610, the king made him president of the Council of the Indies. This was a very important job in Spain.

In 1611, Velasco left New Spain to take on this new role. He served as president of the Council until August 7, 1617, when he retired because he was old and sick. He passed away one month later in Seville.

See also

In Spanish: Luis de Velasco y Castilla para niños