Tiguex War facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Tiguex War
Part of Expedition of Francisco Vázquez de Coronado
Coronado's march - Colorado by Frederic Remington shows the march of Coronado east from Tiguex Province to the Great Plains
Date December 1540 – March 1541 (4 months) Location Tiguex Province, Viceroyalty of New Spain (present-day Bernalillo, NM) 35°18′34″N 106°33′07″W / 35.309444°N 106.551944°W / 35.309444; -106.551944 Result Spanish victory Destruction of the Tiwa villages Southern Tiwan peoples move out of the Middle Rio Grande Valley and into defensive mountain settlements
Belligerents
12 Southern Tiwa Pueblos	Expedition of Francisco Vázquez de Coronado
Commanders and leaders
Xauían  †	Francisco Vázquez de Coronado García López de Cárdenas
Strength
50 or so men per village	350 Spanish men-at-arms 2,000 Mexican Indian allies 350 servants and followers
Casualties and losses
Hundreds killed, executed, or wounded	Small number of Spanish and Mexican fighters killed Over 100 wounded
Tiwan women and children who survived were enslaved by the expedition

The Tiguex War was an important conflict between early European explorers and Native American groups. It was the first named war between Europeans and Native Americans in what is now the United States. This war happened in a region called New Spain (today's Mexico and parts of the U.S.).

The fighting took place during the winter of 1540-1541. It involved an expedition led by Francisco Vázquez de Coronado. They fought against twelve or thirteen Pueblo villages. These villages were part of what became the Tiguex Province in Nuevo México. They were located along the Rio Grande river, near present-day Bernalillo, New Mexico.

Why the War Started

Spanish explorers came to this area looking for riches. They heard stories about the "Seven Cities of Gold." This made their expedition very large.

Coronado's Big Expedition

The expedition led by Coronado was huge. It included about 350 Spanish soldiers. There were also many servants and about 2,000 Mexican Indian allies. These allies were warriors from tribes like the Aztec and Purépecha. The group also brought thousands of animals. These included horses, mules, sheep, and cattle.

First Encounters and Exploration

Coronado's group first set up camp at a Zuni pueblo called Hawikuh. A delegation from Pecos Pueblo visited them there. One leader, called Bigotes (meaning "mustaches" in Spanish), offered to guide them. He said he could show them the way to Pecos and the large buffalo herds.

Coronado sent Hernando de Alvarado to explore with Bigotes. Alvarado and his group traveled east. They went past Acoma and into the Rio Grande valley. There, they found many Tiwa pueblos. They called this area the Tiguex Province.

Alvarado's group explored north along the river. They went as far as Taos. They claimed land for Spain along the way. They finally reached Pecos, Bigotes's community. This pueblo was known for trading with Plains Indians. Alvarado then traveled further east to see the buffalo herds. He returned to Tiguex around the same time another Spanish group arrived. This group was led by García López de Cárdenas.

The Tiguex Province seemed very rich to the explorers. The Rio Grande flowed through a wide, flat desert. There were large fields of corn that were watered by irrigation. Alvarado told Coronado that this would be a good place for the expedition to spend the winter.

The Conflict Begins

To set up their main camp, Cárdenas chose a large Tiguex pueblo called Ghufoor. Coronado used Ghufoor as a military base. From here, they tried to get supplies from the Northern Tiwa-speaking Puebloans.

Growing Tensions

At first, the Spanish traded beads and trinkets for food and clothing. This was for their winter stay in Ghufoor. But the winter was harsh. Food became scarce for the Pueblo people. They started to resist further trades. The Spanish expedition's men and animals also ate many cornstalks. The Puebloans usually used these for cooking and heating during winter.

Pueblo Response

A leader from Ghufoor, named Xauían (also called Juan Alemán by the Spanish), had traded with the Spanish. But he opposed them when they became hostile.

In December 1540, the Tiwans fought back. They killed 40 to 60 of the expedition's horses and mules. The Spanish reacted strongly to any challenge. They believed in immediate retaliation.

Battles at Arenal and Moho

Coronado sent Cárdenas with a large force to attack a Tiwa pueblo called Arenal. All the defenders of Arenal were killed. This included about 30 Tiwa people. After this, the Tiwas left their riverside pueblos. They made their final stand in a stronghold on a mesa top. The Spanish called this place Moho.

Coronado could not capture Moho by force. So, he laid siege to it for about 80 days. This was from January to March 1541. Finally, the defenders of Moho ran out of water. They tried to escape during the night. But the Spanish heard them. Almost all the men and several women were killed. This event ended the Tiguex War.

After the War

After the war, Coronado went on a journey across the Great Plains. He went to central Kansas looking for a place called Quivira, which was said to have riches.

When Coronado returned, the Towa Indians of Jemez Pueblo saw the Spanish as enemies. They became hostile. This led to a battle and siege against Pecos.

The Tiwas had left all their pueblos until the Spanish expedition left for Kansas. Then they moved back into them. But later, they left them again for larger, single pueblos. Coronado went back to Mexico in April 1542. The Spanish did not return to the area for 39 years.

Lasting Impact

By the time the next Spanish expedition arrived in 1598, the Pueblo people in the Tiguex Province had rebuilt their communities. However, the bad feelings from the war remained. These feelings eventually led to the Pueblo Revolt in 1680.

It was not until 1706 that La Villa de Alburquerque was founded. This was a trade outpost for the Pueblos. Over time, Native American rights to their land began to be recognized. By the mid-1700s, the government of Santa Fe de Nuevo México officially recognized these rights. This was under Governor Tomás Vélez Cachupín.

The cities of Cibola from that time are now modern pueblos. These include the Southern Tiwa Sandia Pueblo and Isleta Pueblo. Also, the Keres Santa Ana Pueblo.

Popular Culture

The Tiguex War is featured in the historical novel Winter of the Metal People (2013).

See also

In Spanish: Guerra de Tiguex para niños