Pedro de Peralta facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Pedro de Peralta
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| 2nd Spanish Governor of New Mexico | |
| In office 1610–1614 |
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| Preceded by | Cristóbal de Oñate (son of Juan de Oñate) |
| Succeeded by | Bernardino de Ceballos |
| Personal details | |
| Born | c. 1584 Valladolid, Crown of Castile |
| Died | 1666 Madrid, Crown of Castile |
| Signature |  |
Pedro de Peralta (born around 1584 – died 1666) was a Spanish governor. He led the province of New Mexico from 1610 to 1613. At that time, New Mexico was part of New Spain.
Peralta is famous for officially founding the city of Santa Fe, New Mexico in 1610. In August 1613, he was arrested and jailed for nearly a year. This happened because of a conflict with a Franciscan friar named Isidro Ordóñez. Later, a special court in Mexico cleared his name. After this, he held other important jobs in the Spanish government.
Contents
Early Days in New Mexico
The Spanish first started settling New Mexico in 1598. Juan de Oñate led the first group of settlers and was governor until 1609.
By 1608, only about 200 Spanish people lived there. Most lived in the capital, San Gabriel. This town was on the west bank of the Rio Grande, across from San Juan Pueblo.
The settlers had not found any gold or silver. Also, there were reports of settlers treating the Native Americans badly. Many settlers were also close to starving. Because of these problems, the Spanish government thought about leaving New Mexico in 1608.
However, a friar named Lázaro Jiménez brought good news. He said that 7,000 Native Americans had become Christians. The king of Spain, Philip III of Spain, decided they could not abandon these new converts. So, he stopped the order to leave the colony.
Pedro de Peralta Becomes Governor
Pedro de Peralta was appointed governor of New Mexico on March 31, 1609. The Viceroy, Luis de Velasco, marqués de Salinas, chose him. Peralta had just arrived from Spain.
Juan de Oñate, the previous governor, wanted his son to take over. But the Viceroy had already chosen Peralta. Oñate was told to hand over power to Peralta and return to Mexico City.
Peralta arrived at the capital, La Villa de San Gabriel, in early 1610. He brought twelve soldiers and eight Franciscan priests with him. His orders included looking for the Straits of Anián, a legendary waterway.
Founding Santa Fe
San Gabriel was far from where most Pueblo Indian people lived. Juan de Oñate had planned to move the capital. Peralta chose a new, better spot for the capital. It had good defenses, lots of land, and plenty of water. He named this new town Santa Fe.
Peralta and his surveyor planned the town carefully. They laid out areas for houses, gardens, and a main square called the Santa Fe Plaza. This plaza was for government buildings. These buildings included the governor's home, offices, a jail, and a chapel.
The plaza was very large. It could hold "1,000 people, 5,000 sheep, 400 horses, and 300 cattle without crowding." The governor's palace was built with thick adobe walls for defense. Today, the Palace of the Governors is the oldest building in the United States that has been used continuously. It now houses the Museum of New Mexico.
Conflict with the Church
In New Mexico, the church believed its main goal was to convert Native Americans. They thought the government's job was just to protect and support this goal. But the governor, as head of the army and chief judge, had different goals. This often led to disagreements.
The church felt it had a duty to protect Native Americans from unfair treatment by soldiers and settlers. Peralta tried to address this. He made strict rules against mistreating Native American workers. If a Spaniard was found guilty, they would be jailed for ten days. They also had to pay a fine to the victim.
In 1612, Fray Isidro de Ordóñez arrived with new supplies. He was the leader of nine Franciscan friars. Ordóñez claimed he was the head of the church in New Mexico. Some later said his document was fake.
Ordóñez started to challenge Peralta's power. He told soldiers and settlers they could leave if they wanted to. He also accused Peralta of not giving enough food to the Native Americans building Santa Fe. The power struggle grew stronger. In May 1613, Ordóñez removed Peralta from the church. He posted a notice on the church doors in Santa Fe.
On August 12, 1613, Ordóñez and his followers arrested Peralta. They chained him and put him in jail at the Sandia mission. His jailer was Fray Esteban de Perea, who did not agree with the arrest but followed orders.
Ordóñez took over all power in New Mexico. He held this power until a new governor, don Bernardino de Ceballos, arrived in the summer of 1614. Peralta was not allowed to leave until November 1614. By then, Ordóñez and the new governor had taken most of his belongings. This event started many long arguments between the friars and the government. These arguments became so serious that the King of Spain had to step in later, supporting his governors.
Later Life
After his release, Peralta went back to Mexico City. He told his side of the story about the conflict with Ordóñez. The Mexican Inquisition, a special court, eventually ordered Ordóñez to return to Mexico City and criticized him. Peralta was cleared of any wrongdoing.
Soon after, Peralta was made the chief official of the port of Acapulco. Later, he moved to Caracas, which is now in Venezuela. There, he worked as a royal treasury official in the 1640s and early 1650s. He got married in Caracas in 1637. Peralta retired in 1654 and lived in Madrid until he died in 1666.
Legends About the Peralta Family
Because Pedro de Peralta was a governor, his family name, "Peralta," became part of many legends in the American Southwest. It is not clear if any later Peraltas in the 1700s were related to Pedro de Peralta.
In the late 1800s, a man named James Reavis spread stories about a rich Peralta family. He claimed they owned a huge area of land in Arizona and New Mexico, including the Superstition Mountains. Reavis tried to prove this land grant was real. He even married a woman he said was the Peralta heiress. Reavis became known as "the Baron of Arizona." However, his documents were later found to be fake, and he went to prison for fraud.
Legends say the Peralta family owned land near the Superstition Mountains. The Peralta Massacre is a story about Apaches attacking a mining group sent by the family into the mountains. Some carved stones in the area are called "Peralta Stones." Some people believe the Spanish text and maps on these stones lead to a Peralta family gold mine. Others think the stones are not real. The Peralta mine is also part of the legends about the famous Lost Dutchman's Gold Mine.
See also
In Spanish: Pedro de Peralta para niños
