The Coronado Expedition, 1540-1542.: Excerpted from the Fourteenth Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, 1892-1893, Part 1.Winship, George Parker
History
The Coronado Expedition, 1540-1542.: Excerpted from the Fourteenth Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, 1892-1893, Part 1.
Winship, George Parker
Coronado, Francisco Vásquez de, 1510-1554; Southwest, New -- Description and travel
that the number of Indians held to service on these estates was very
excessive. Mendoza had to answer the same charge at his visita in
1547.
Mendoza sent Coronado, in 1537, to the mines at Amatepeque, where the
negroes had revolted and “elected a king,” and where they threatened
to cause considerable trouble. The revolt was quelled, after some
fighting, with the help of the Indians of the district. A couple of
dozen of the rebels were hung and quartered at the mines or in the
City of Mexico.[57]
In the following August, Coronado was legally recognized as a citizen
of the City of Mexico, where he was one of three witnesses chosen
to testify to the formal recognition by Cortes of the royal order
which permitted De Soto to explore and conquer Florida.[58] A month
later, September 7, 1538, the representative of De Soto, Alvaro
de Sanjurjo, summoned Coronado himself to recognize and promise
obedience to the same royal order, “as governor, as the said Sanjurjo
declared him to be, of New Galicia.” Coronado readily promised his
loyal and respectful obedience to all of His Majesty’s commands,
but observed that this matter did not concern him at all, “since he
was not governor, nor did he know that His Majesty desired to have
him serve in such a position; and if His Majesty should desire his
services in that position, he would obey and submit to the royal
provision for him whenever he was called on, and would do what was
most serviceable to the royal interests.” He adds that he knows
nothing about the government of Ayllon or that of Narvaez, which were
mentioned in the license to De Soto. This part of his statement can
hardly have been strictly true. The answer was not satisfactory to
Sanjurjo, who replied that he had received information that Coronado
was to be appointed governor of New Galicia. The latter stated that
he had already given his answer, and thereupon Sanjurjo formally
protested that the blame for any expenditures, damages, or scandals
which might result from a failure to observe the royal order must be
laid at the door of the one to whom they rightfully belonged, and
that they would not result from any fault or omission on the part
of De Soto. Sanjurjo may have received some hint or suggestion of
the intention to appoint Coronado, but it is quite certain that no
definite steps had yet been taken to supplant the licentiate, De la
[p381] Torre, as governor of New Galicia. Coronado’s answer shows
plainly that he intentionally refused to commit himself when so many
things were uncertain, and when nothing was definitely known about
the country of which Cabeza de Vaca had heard. Mendoza may have
suggested his appointment at an earlier date, but the King apparently
waited until he learned of De la Torre’s untimely death before
approving the selection. The confirmation was signed April 18, 1539,
and at the same time Coronado was appointed to take the residencia of
his predecessor. The King agreed to allow the new governor a salary
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