Rodrigo de Bastidas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Rodrigo de Bastidas
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Rodrigo de Bastidas
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| Born | c. 1465 |
| Died | 28 July 1527 Santiago de Cuba, Governorate of Cuba, New Spain
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| Cause of death | Homicide |
| Burial place | Cathedral of Santa María la Menor, Santo Domingo |
| Monuments | Santa Marta |
| Nationality | Andalusian |
| Occupation | Conquistador |
| Years active | 1493-1527 |
| Employer | Spanish Crown |
| Known for | Discoverer of Panama Founder of Santa Marta, Colombia |
| Children | Rodrigo de Bastidas y Rodriguez de Romera (son) Isabel de Bastidas y Rodríguez de Romera (daughter) |
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Rodrigo de Bastidas was a Spanish explorer and conquistador. He was born around 1465 in Triana, Seville, Andalusia. He is famous for mapping the northern coast of South America. He also discovered Panama and founded the city of Santa Marta in what is now Colombia. He died on July 28, 1527, in Santiago de Cuba.
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Early Life and Family
Rodrigo de Bastidas was a successful merchant and sailor. He came from the town of Triana, Seville, which is near Seville. He was born in about 1465. Before the year 1500, he married Isabel Rodríguez de Romera.
Journeys of Exploration
Rodrigo de Bastidas sailed with Christopher Columbus on his second trip to the New World in 1493. After this, Bastidas asked the Spanish King and Queen for permission to explore on his own. He offered to pay for the trip himself. In return, the Crown asked for one-fourth of any profits he made.
The King and Queen agreed and gave him a special document. This document is still kept in the National Archives in Spain. In October 1500, Bastidas set sail from Cádiz, Spain. He had two ships, the San Antón and the Santa Maria de Gracia. Two other famous explorers, Juan de la Cosa and Vasco Núñez de Balboa, joined him on this journey.
Exploring the Coast
Bastidas sailed west along the South American coast. He explored the coastline of the Caribbean basin. During this trip, he discovered the mouth of a large river. He named it the Magdalena River. He also found the Gulf of Urabá on the Colombian coast.
He continued sailing until he reached La Punta de Manzanillo in Panama. This made him the first European to claim this part of the land. Because of this, he is known for discovering Panama. This includes the San Blas region, which is home to the Kuna indigenous group.
However, his ships started to have problems. Tiny worms called shipworms were eating the wooden hulls. This forced him to turn back. He headed to Santo Domingo to fix his ships. Even after repairs, the ships eventually sank in the port of Jacaragua. Bastidas had to travel by land to Santo Domingo. He traded small items with the Taino natives for food and supplies.
When he arrived in Santo Domingo, the governor, Francisco de Bobadilla, arrested him. Bastidas was sent back to Spain. He was accused of trading with the native people without permission. But the Spanish Crown found him innocent. They even gave him a pension as a reward. He then returned to Santo Domingo with his family. He became very wealthy, owning many cattle.
Founding Santa Marta
In 1520, Bastidas was offered the chance to govern Trinidad. But Diego Columbus, Christopher Columbus's son, disagreed. So, Bastidas gave up that offer. Instead, he received permission to explore a region from Cabo de la Vela to the Magdalena River. This trip was delayed for several years.
In 1524, he returned to the New World. With the help of Juan de Céspedes, he founded the city of Santa Marta. This city is on the Caribbean coast of Colombia. He named it Santa Marta because it was founded on Saint Martha's feast day, July 29.
Bastidas tried to have good relationships with the native people. He aimed for peaceful interactions with groups like the Taganga, Dorsino, and Gaira. He was known for trying to treat them with respect.
On one trip inland, he traded for a lot of gold. Bastidas had a rule that his soldiers should not harm the native people or steal their goods. His soldiers, who hoped to find gold, asked Bastidas to share it. He refused, saying he needed the gold to help pay for the new colony.
Death
Bastidas' decision not to share the gold made some of his men very angry. His lieutenant, Villafuerte, led a group of about fifty men in a plot against him. One night, while Bastidas was sleeping, they attacked him. He was stabbed five times. He cried out, and his men rushed to help him. Even though he was badly hurt, he did not die right away.
There were no good doctors in Santa Marta. So, Bastidas tried to sail to Santo Domingo for medical help. But bad weather forced his ship to land in Cuba. He died there from his injuries.
Later, his only son, Archbishop Rodrigo de Bastidas y Rodriguez de Romera, moved his father's remains. They were taken to Santo Domingo. He is buried there with his wife and son. Their burial place is in The Cathedral of Santa María la Menor. This is the oldest cathedral in the Americas, located in the Colonial Zone of Santo Domingo.
See also
- List of conquistadors in Colombia
- Spanish conquest of the Muisca
- Taganga
- Spanish conquest of the Chibchan Nations, Juan de Céspedes
