Marcos de Aguilar facts for kids

Marcos de Aguilar was a Spanish official who briefly served as the royal governor of New Spain. This was a huge area that included much of present-day Mexico. He was in charge from July 16, 1526, until his death on March 1, 1527.

Early Life and Career

Marcos de Aguilar was born in Seville, a major city in Spain. He earned a special degree called a licenciado, which meant he was trained in law. This training helped him get important jobs.

Before coming to New Spain, Aguilar worked in various legal roles in Seville. He was also an Inquisitor of the Indies. This meant he investigated religious matters in the Spanish colonies. He also served as alcalde mayor (a chief judge and administrator) in Santo Domingo. This city is on the island of Hispaniola.

Aguilar first arrived in Hispaniola in 1509 with Diego Colon. Diego Colon was the son of Christopher Columbus.

Trouble in New Spain

In 1525 or 1526, news reached Madrid, Spain, about big problems in the government of New Spain. Two important officials, Alonso de Estrada and Gonzalo de Salazar, were arguing and causing trouble.

There were also rumors that Hernán Cortés had died. Cortés was the famous Spanish conqueror of Mexico. He was away on a trip to Honduras and hadn't been heard from in a long time.

King Charles I of Spain (who was also Emperor Charles V) decided to act. He ordered a special investigation called a juicio de residencia. This was a formal review of Cortés's actions. The King also wanted to find out what was really happening in the colony. He needed to check on the temporary government.

Becoming Governor

To lead this important investigation, King Charles chose Luis Ponce de León. Ponce de León was named the judge for Cortés's review and the new governor of New Spain.

Ponce de León left Spain on February 2, 1526. His ship had problems and needed repairs in Hispaniola. He was delayed there until May 31, 1526. When he finally sailed again, Marcos de Aguilar joined him. Aguilar was sent as a visitador (an inspector). His special job was to look into any religious issues during Cortés's investigation.

Ponce de León arrived in Mexico City on July 5, 1526. He showed the city government, called the ayuntamiento, a special order from the King. This order gave him extraordinary powers.

He kept all the current city officials in their jobs. However, Ponce de León was about 65 years old and very sick. He had caught a fever when he arrived in Veracruz. The fever continued even after he reached the capital.

After officially taking office, he was too ill to work. He soon decided to hand over his duties to Marcos de Aguilar. Aguilar officially took over the government on July 16, 1526. On the same day, Diego Hernández de Proaño became the alguicil general (a chief law enforcement officer), appointed by the King.

Just four days later, Ponce de León died.

Challenges as Governor

The day after becoming governor, Aguilar named Gerónimo de Medina as his helper in governing the colony. At first, the city council, known as the cabildo, did not want to accept Aguilar's authority. This council was made up of people who supported Cortés.

However, Marcos de Aguilar was a strong and capable leader. He quickly showed everyone who was in charge. Even Cortés himself, who was the captain-general of New Spain, did not want to recognize Aguilar's power. On December 1, 1526, Cortés announced some new rules. This caused public arguments between him and Aguilar.

On January 7, 1527, Aguilar appointed Antonio Cordero as alguicil de campo. This officer represented farmers and ranchers outside the cities. The alguicil general had a say and a vote in the city councils.

His Short Time in Charge

Like the governor before him, Aguilar died in Mexico City after being in charge for only a short time. He governed for about seven and a half months. Some people suspected that Cortés might have been involved in the deaths of both royal officials.

Just before he died, Marcos de Aguilar named the Treasurer, Alonso de Estrada, as the next person to lead the colony.

See also

In Spanish: Marcos de Aguilar para niños

• List of Viceroys of New Spain