Nueva Vizcaya, New Spain facts for kids
Nueva Vizcaya (New Biscay) was the first large area in the north of New Spain that Spanish explorers and settlers moved into. It covered most of what are now the Mexican states of Chihuahua and Durango. It also included the southwest part of Coahuila.
Quick facts for kids New Biscay
Nueva Vizcaya
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| 1562–1821 | |||||||||
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| Capital | Victoria de Durango | ||||||||
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| • Type | Viceroyalty | ||||||||
| Governor-General | |||||||||
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• 1562
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Francisco de Ibarra | ||||||||
| History | |||||||||
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• Established
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1562 | ||||||||
| 27 September 1821 | |||||||||
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Contents
Spanish Exploration and Early Rule
Spanish explorers first came to this area in 1531. Nuño Beltrán de Guzmán led an expedition. He founded a main city and named it Villa de Guadalajara. He called the land he conquered "Conquest of the Holy Spirit of Greater Spain." Later, Queen Joanna changed the name to New Kingdom of Galicia.
Settlers moved further north into the continent. This happened especially under the leadership of Francisco de Ibarra. Silver was found near Zacatecas, which encouraged more movement. Ibarra named the new area Nueva Vizcaya. He named it after his home region in Spain, Biscay.
Nueva Vizcaya included the modern Mexican states of Chihuahua and Durango. It also covered eastern parts of Sonora y Sinaloa and southwestern Coahuila. The region was managed by the Royal Audience of Guadalajara.
Changes in Government
In 1777, the northern areas of New Spain were reorganized. This was part of changes called the Bourbon Reforms. These northern areas became the Commandancy General of the Internal Provinces of the North. This new government was supposed to be independent from the main Viceroy of New Spain. However, it still relied on the Viceroy for money, so it soon lost its independence.
In 1787, a new type of local government, called an intendancy, was set up in Durango. This was done to help the economy and population grow. Another intendancy was also created in Arizpe, Sonora.
The Internal Provinces were divided into two parts, east and west, in 1788. Nueva Vizcaya became part of the Western Internal Provinces. This division lasted until 1793, when the two parts were reunited. The Spanish Crown divided them again in 1813. This split remained until Mexico gained independence in 1821.
Struggle for Independence
The Mexican War of Independence began in 1810. Nueva Vizcaya was affected by the war. In 1812, there was a conflict at San Francisco involving several hundred men.
Nueva Vizcaya elected Juan José Guereña as their representative to the Cortes of Cádiz. This was a Spanish parliament. Guereña served from 1811 until his death in 1813. He signed the Spanish Constitution of 1812. People in the provinces liked this Constitution. But the Viceroy suspended it in 1813.
Some people who supported the Constitution kept trying to bring it back. In late 1814, José Félix Trespalacios and Juan Pablo Caballero planned an uprising in Chihuahua. But their plan was discovered. The main plotters were arrested. However, they were later pardoned thanks to efforts from local leaders and clergy. A small rebellion by the Opatas in Durango in 1820 was stopped without much fighting.
The war also made the northern border unsafe. The system that helped keep peace with nomadic tribes broke down because of the war. During this time, Chihuahua started to suffer from new raids by the Apache people. Also, the Jesuits, a religious group, were allowed to restart their missions. They had been stopped from doing so decades earlier.
Tensions also grew with the young United States. The U.S. had bought the Louisiana Territory from France. This territory included some areas that Spain believed were its own. In 1819, an explorer named Zebulon Pike was sent to explore the disputed land. He was arrested by Spanish authorities.
Mexico Becomes Independent
When the Spanish Constitution was restored in 1821, Mariano de Urrea became the governor of Nueva Vizcaya. Antonio Cordero y Bustamante, who had been a good governor in Durango, became the Commandant General of the West.
A major change happened later that year. General Agustín de Iturbide started a movement against the Spanish authorities. The governor of Nueva Galicia, General José de la Cruz, went to Durango. He wanted to make a final stand for the Spanish king. He arrived in Durango on July 4, 1821, with soldiers and officials.
Iturbide's officer, Pedro Celestino Negrete, followed him. Negrete surrounded Durango in early August with about 3,000 men. De la Cruz held out for over three weeks. His forces suffered many losses. On August 30, Negrete found a weak spot in de la Cruz's defenses. He placed cannons there and gained a big advantage. De la Cruz's forces were getting smaller because many soldiers left. He agreed to a truce on September 3. The soldiers surrendered and were allowed to leave Mexico for Spain.
Creating Chihuahua and Durango States
The First Mexican Empire lasted less than a year. Soldiers rose up against Emperor Iturbide. Chihuahua joined this rebellion. Durango was against it at first. But on March 5, 1823, the soldiers and people in Durango declared their support for the rebellion. Commandant General Cordero y Bustamante resigned. The governor of Durango also resigned. Gaspar de Ochoa became the new Commandant General. Juan Navarro became Governor of Durango.
On July 19, 1823, the Supreme Congress decided to divide Nueva Vizcaya into two provinces: Chihuahua and Durango. The capital of Chihuahua became a city and the center of a local council. Chihuahua had over 100,000 people. It benefited from having its own government. Chihuahua often found Durango to be far away and not always helpful.
As a new constitution was being written for Mexico, the provinces became states. Some people from Chihuahua and Durango convinced the Congress to create a new state. It was called Estado Interno del Norte. This state reunited the two former provinces and included New Mexico. Its capital was Chihuahua.
However, Durango objected. It wanted to keep the capital or separate from the new state. Durango had a large population and more resources. On May 22 and July 6, 1824, the separation was confirmed. New Mexico became a separate territory managed by the federal government. The next year, Chihuahua and Durango created their own constitutions. Chihuahua set up a legislative council. Durango created a two-house state legislature.
See also
In Spanish: Reino de Nueva Vizcaya para niños
