Sam
Lao
Sophomore
Blog
2
20
September 2013
Due
date: 21st September 2013
Juan de Onate -
Hero, villain, both or neither
Introduction:
Juan de Onate was born in Zacatecas Mexico during
the 1550s, who is request to conquer and in order to govern New Mexico. "Over
1598, he crossed the Rio Grande at El Paso"(© 2013 A+E Network, Juan de Oñate biography). From this time, he sent many groups of
people to search for treasures and gold. Moreover, he led his group of people
to Colorado River and the Gulf of California but
no gold were there. After that, he resigns during the period of 1607. (Juan
de Oñate)
Hero:
From the book My Penitente land: Reflections on
Spanish New Mexico, Fray Angelico Chavez say a name of a man Don Juan de Onate.
And he worded: "Don Juan de Onate,
adelantado for King Philip II of Spain, or advance leader of the first
permanent colony sent to these parts- which his followers were vocally regarding
as a Promised Land- took solemn possession for God and King of a brand-new
infant Spain at the outermost edges of the then-known world" ( My
Penitente land: Reflections on Spanish New Mexico). Chavez mentions Don Juan de
Onate in his book because he was a heritage of the Spain in Mexico.
Juan de Onate was send by the Spanish king to settle
Acoma and which is the first governor in the New Mexico. On 1598, after the 3
month of expedition of treasures and gold, and Juan de Onate saying that New Mexico
can benefit Spanish. He had called all the Natives American Indians for a meeting
to make them swear a Spanish authority.
Even though Juan de Onate have take a important row
in founding the New Mexico, but Chavez had just mention him in a book for several
times. Although it was just a several times
it could due to Chavez of saying Juan de Onate's action are glory in the
historical figure. Juan de Onate was important but he given hardships to the
Native Indians. And from the mess Juan de Onate have leave to the Americans,
Chavez force the Hispanic of the New Mexico to remember Juan de Onate as a hero
and a creator, and not a villain, also saying that if there is no Juan de Onate
there won't be today's New Mexico.
Villain:
After the disappointment of Coronado expedition, the
Spain had found a new conquistador to go to the New Mexico, and the man that had
chosen is Juan de Onate. King Philip thought that he found an excellent
conquistador, but the true did not turn out like that. Juan de Onate's problem
were started even he left Spain. When the time for Onate to go to expedition it
had delay by him a several times. Because of these delays many settler had lost
their interest and left. The settler said, "instead of trying to establish
his colony upon a firm economic basis, with his captains, devoted their time
and exhausted their resources in explorations and the search for mines"(Juan de Onate the last
conquistador) It had began to show that he was a man more of a villain than a
hero
By the time, goes Juan de Onate have bigger problems.
When Juan de Onate and his Spaniards went to the Acoma, they tell them to act
obedience and homage. But the Acoma have fight back and killed 13 Spaniards and
one of them is Onate's nephew. To show his anger he began to show his villain,
by capturing 500 Acoma Indians, people that are 12 years old or above are send
to be slaves and male that are 25 years old or above had one of their feet cut
off.
The situation of Juan de Onate being a governor have
become extremely bad, from the early 1601 the life in New Mexico was people are
starving and cold. On this moment, the New Spain received huge amount of
complaints against Juan de Onate. By the time 1607 Onate finally give up his
expedition and resigned his job. (Juan de Onate the last conquistador)
Conclusion:
From the differing perspective on Juan de Onate that
people think he was a hero or some thought he was a villain. What do I think he
was more of a villain and people that think he was a hero are force to or they
had been brain washed. What Juan de Onate had do wrong had much more then his
contribution. He did not bring any good to the Spain or to New Mexico, what he does
is find treasures and gold that does not exist. At one time, the Spain thought
Juan de Onate will bring his country both glory or wealth, but the he turn out
the opposite. He did not bring any shame to the name of Spain instead he gain
lot of bad reputation to Spain nowadays. In other words, Juan de Onate was none
of a hero he could only be a villain in the rest of the history.
Bibliography:
l © 2013
A+E Network, Juan de Oñate biography, 20 Oct 2013
(http://www.biography.com/people/juan-de-o%C3%B1ate-36974)
l My Penitente Land: Reflections on Spanish New Mexico, Angelico
Chavez, 1974
l Juan
de Onate, 20 Oct 2013(http://angelicochavez.wordpress.com)
l The American South West,
Thanksgiving, and Don Juan de Oñate, Nov
21, 2012 By D. C. Basset
(http://voxxi.com/2012/11/21/outh-west-thanksgiving-don-juan-de-onate/)
l Copyright
© 1999 - 2013 CollegeTermPapers.com. All Rights Reserved. DMCA
(http://www.collegetermpapers.com/TermPapers/History_Other/Juan_de_Onate_the_last_conquistador.html)
