Sebastián Ramírez de Fuenleal facts for kids

Sebastián Ramírez de Fuenleal (born around 1490 in Villaescusa de Haro, Cuenca, Spain – died January 22, 1547, in Valladolid, Spain) was an important Spanish official. He served as a bishop and a judge in the Americas. He was the president of the Real Audiencia of Santo Domingo from 1528 to 1531. Later, he became the president of the second Real Audiencia of Mexico from 1531 to 1535. He also became a member of the Council of the Indies, a powerful group that advised the king on matters related to the Spanish colonies.

Early Life and Education

Sebastián Ramírez de Fuenleal was born into a noble family in Cuenca, Spain. At 16, he began studying at the University of Valladolid. There, he earned a degree in canon law, which is the law of the Catholic Church.

In 1520, he became an inquisitor in Seville. An inquisitor was a church official who investigated religious crimes. He later worked for the Royal Chancery of Granada, which was a high court.

Serving as Bishop in Santo Domingo

In 1528, Ramírez de Fuenleal was appointed bishop of Santo Domingo. He also became the president of its audiencia, which was a high court and governing body. He held these important positions until 1531.

While in Hispaniola (the island where Santo Domingo is located), he worked to protect the local Indigenous people. He punished those who treated them badly. He also improved the government's finances and faced a rebellion led by Enriquillo.

Ramírez de Fuenleal helped build schools and public works. He paid special attention to mining and ensuring the rights of the Indigenous people. At this time, the trade of enslaved Africans to Hispaniola and Cuba was starting. This was to provide workers for mines and sugar farms. While he did not stop this trade, he did oppose monopolies that made enslaved people too expensive.

Leading the Audiencia of Mexico

The Real Audiencia of Mexico was the highest court and governing power in New Spain (what is now Mexico). This was before a viceroy was appointed in 1535. The first Audiencia had been very problematic. So, a second Audiencia was created by royal order on January 12, 1530.

Sebastián Ramírez de Fuenleal was named its president. Other members, called oidores (judges), included Juan de Salmerón, Alonso de Maldonado, Francisco Ceinos, and Vasco de Quiroga. Unlike the first Audiencia, these men were known for being honest and capable. They all had a law degree called licenciado.

The king ordered that the first judge to arrive in New Spain should start governing right away. Ramírez de Fuenleal was in Santo Domingo at the time. The famous Spanish conqueror Hernán Cortés was also returning to New Spain. He stopped in Santo Domingo to meet Ramírez. Cortés then continued to Mexico, arriving in July 1530.

Ramírez and Quiroga reached Mexico City in early October 1530. They officially began their government duties on January 10, 1531. Ramírez brought instructions to investigate the members of the first Audiencia and others.

Key Achievements in New Spain

The Second Audiencia made many improvements in New Spain:

• They improved the road from Veracruz to Mexico City.
• They founded the city of Puebla de los Angeles in 1531 as a resting place for travelers.
• They brought horses and cattle from Spain.
• They worked to bring a printing press to the colony.
• They founded the Colegio de Santa Cruz de Tlatelolco. This was a school for young Indigenous men to receive higher education and prepare for the priesthood.
• They continued exploring new lands.
• They oversaw the ongoing construction of the Mexico City cathedral.

Ramírez de Fuenleal believed in the intelligence of the Indigenous people. As Bishop of Santo Domingo, he encouraged Franciscans to teach them to read and write. He was excited by their progress, saying they were "better at it than the Spaniards." He believed that many Indigenous people would learn grammar quickly.

He also encouraged Franciscan missionaries to study and record the ancient cultures of the Aztec Empire. He was a strong supporter of the human rights of the Indigenous population. He suggested changing how Indigenous people paid tributes, moving away from forced labor systems. He ordered the building of an aqueduct to supply water to Mexico City.

His work helped bring peace to the country and organize its laws. This prepared New Spain for the arrival of its first viceroy, Don Antonio de Mendoza, in 1535.

Changes and Challenges

In 1532, the Spanish crown made an important rule: the enslavement of Indigenous people was forbidden. Also, the investigations into the first Audiencia members were completed. Cortés was found innocent, but two members of the first Audiencia were found guilty.

During this time, Bishop Juan de Zumárraga of Mexico City faced false accusations. He had to return to Spain in May 1532 to defend himself. He successfully cleared his name and was officially consecrated as bishop in 1533. He returned to New Spain in October 1534, while Ramírez was still president of the Audiencia.

Later Career and Death

On August 25, 1535, news arrived in Mexico City that Don Antonio de Mendoza, the first viceroy of New Spain, was expected. Mendoza officially took over the government from the Audiencia on November 14, 1535.

Ramírez de Fuenleal, who was ill, returned to Spain in 1537 to recover. He then served as bishop in several Spanish cities: Tuy (1538), León (1539), and Cuenca (1542). From 1540, he was also the president of the Chancery of Valladolid, another high court. He became a member of the Council of the Indies, which managed all of Spain's overseas colonies. He helped edit the New Laws of 1542, which aimed to limit the encomienda system (a system of forced labor for Indigenous people).

Sebastián Ramírez de Fuenleal died on January 22, 1547, in Valladolid, Spain. At the time of his death, he was the president of the Chancery of Valladolid and the bishop of Cuenca. He was buried in a Dominican convent in Villaescusa de Haro, his hometown.

See also

In Spanish: Sebastián Ramírez de Fuenleal para niños

• List of Viceroys of New Spain