It's the year 1508. Once the political and economic situation normalized in the Hispaniola island Nicolás de Ovando ordered to extend the borders of the new Castilian lands sending expeditions to Cuba and Borinquén (now Puerto Rico). For the first expedition, he sent the Galician navigator Sebastian de Ocampo. On this
Tag: XVI century
Juan Rodríguez de Fonseca, the head of the New World in Castile
Born: 1451 in Toro - Zamora (Spain) Death: 1524 in Burgos (Spain) Burial: Santa María la Mayor Church in Coca - Segovia (Spain) Charges: - Politics: Diplomat and advisor of the Catholic Monarchs, from 1493 onwards, he will manage the entire colonization process of the New World. - Religion: royal chaplain, archdeacon, canon and dean
Nicolás de Ovando, new governor and supreme judge of the Indies
On September 3th,1501, taking only one year in power Don Francisco de Bobadilla, the Catholic Monarchs decided to dispense with their services and name the commendator of Lares Frey Nicolás de Ovando governor of Indias and Tierra Firme, except for the two governorates granted to Alonso de Ojeda (Coquibacoa) and Vicente Yáñez
Rodrigo de Bastidas biography
Nacimiento: Sevilla (Spain) in 1445. Death: July 28,1527 in Santiago de Cuba. He died from the wounds sustained in an attack on him by his lieutenant general, Pedro de Villafuerte, in Santa Marta. Returning to Santo Domingo to heal the winds, they took him to Santiago de Cuba where he died. Burial:
Vasco Núñez de Balboa seizes power in Darien
Vasco Núñez de Balboa, from Jérez de los Caballeros (Badajoz - Spain), had crossed the Caribbean coasts in 1501 with Rodrigo de Bastidas. With the benefits he obtained in this expedition he bought several properties in Hispaniola Island where he worked as a farmer without great adventurous pretensions but things did
Biography of Vasco Núñez de Balboa
Born: Vasco Núñez de Balboa was born in Jerez de los Caballeros (Badajoz-Spain) in 1475 Death: Vasco Núñez de Balboa died on 15 January 1519 in Acla (Panama) beheaded accused of rebellion against the king. Charges: - Mayor of Santa María la Antigua del Darién in 1510. - Governor of Darien
Alonso de Ojeda, unmatched courage and audacity
Nacimiento: 1468 in Cuenca, Spain. Death: 1515 in Santo Domingo, Hispaniola Island (present Dominican Republic). Burial: San Francisco Monastery in Santo Domingo (present Dominican Republic). Although his remains disappeared during a civil war that took place in this city in 1965. They are currently unaccounted for. Charges: - Captain in the war of Granada. -
Santo Domingo devastated by a hurricane
On July 2th,1502, the storm that Christopher Columbus had predicted and warned to Nicolas de Ovando its arrival at Hispaniola Island during his Fourth trip to the New World get Santo Domingo. He had taken refuge in the Azua port, about 100 km further west of Santo Domingo, almost in Jaragua. Being able to
Frey Nicolás de Ovando
Nacimiento: Brozas (Cáceres - Spain) 1460. Death: 29 May 1511 in Seville. Burial: St. Benedict of Alcantara Church (Cáceres - Spain) Charges: - Prince John's preceptor until his death in 1497. - Major Commander of the Orden of Alcantara in 1494. - Governor of the Hispaniola Government from 1502 to 1509. Most relevant facts: - He founded
Isabel of Castile Biography
Birth: April 22,1451 in Madrigal de las Altas Torres (Ávila, Spain). Death: November 26,1504 in Medina del Campo (Valladolid, Spain). Charges: - Queen of Castile from 1474 to 1504. - Queen consort of Sicily since 1469. - Queen consort of Aragon since 1479. Most Relevant Facts: - 18 September 1468 is proclaimed Princess
Diego Columbus, son of the Admiral
Born: Diego Columbus born in Porto Santo (Portugal) in 1479 or 1480. Death: Diego Columbus died in 1526 in La Puebla de Montalbán (Toledo-Spain). Charges: - Admiral and Governor of Indies in 1509 and Viceroy in 1511 by order of the Royal Council. - Son of the discoverer Christopher Columbus from whom he inherited
The peaceful conquest
In 1573, the King of Spain Philip II approved a package of laws known as the Ordinances of discoveries, new population and pacification of the Indies that changed the way in which the new lands of Las Indias had to be conquered and populated. Before violent conquest was allowed, now
Juan de Oñate and the Conquest of New Mexico
In the sixties of the sixteenth century were found large silver mines in Chihuahua, which marked the northernmost area colonized by Spanish explorers. The possibility of more mines and other riches beyond this area aroused the curiosity and ambition of new explorers. But a new problem had arisen for these
Menéndez de Avilés and the foundation of San Agustín de la Florida
It is 1559, when France and Spain signed the Peace of Cateau-Cambrésis becomed allies. The danger of France colonizing territories in the New World had passed. But in reality, French pirates and privateers continued to harass the maritime routes of Spanish ships and to look for points where they could
Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo and the discovery of California
Most of the Spanish expeditions of colonization and conquest of North America focused on the southern zone, with the Gulf of Mexico and Florida, and the coast this. Many men and resources were allocated to the colonization of these points mainly because of their strategic military value, from there the