The Pueblo Revolt

The Pueblo Native Americans had an intricate society in the Southwestern region of the United States which is now known as New Mexico and Arizona. Even before Spanish conquistadors rode into their villages, looking for gold and prosperity Pueblo people lived in adobe built pueblos, which were the center of both agriculture and trade.

The most highly developed Indian communities lived in the large pueblo villages on the rocky plateaus in the region. They lived with a deep respect for ancestors and the relationship between man and nature. Religion was mostly based on mythological deities, that is until the Spanish came and forced to conform to Catholicism.

Cabeza de Vaca's reports of rich cities scattered throughout the American Southwest, sent the Spanish searching for gold and with every conquistador came a Franciscan priest, who would erect a missionary in order to save the souls of the barbaric Native American tribes. In 1540, ten years after de Vaca's accounts of city's of gold, Francisco Vasquez de Coronado and his royal troops trekked though New Mexico, making the first contact with pueblo tribes. By 1598, colonization and settlement occurred at the San Juan Pueblo that is about 25 miles north of Santa Fe. The pueblo people, though suspicious of their new neighbors, began to exchange food, medicine, and other goods, according to Joseph Sando.

However, the civility between the Native Americans and Spaniards, soon dwindled as the Spanish began imposing the encomienda system on the Pueblo families. Tribes were self-sufficient and had just enough crops every year to feed their families, but this did not keep the Spanish missions and military forces to ask for a share of their crops as well as impending a required amount of labor each year on Spanish plantations. The encomienda system led to an enormous amount of hostility between Pueblos and Spaniards.

Though the Pueblos, who outnumbered the Spanish, could've easily and quickly severed all ties with the Spanish, many Pueblo people had submitted themselves to Christianity, in order to receive a royal tribute, which included land and education for children. Because the Native Americans were entrenched in their own culture, religion, and customs, some found conversion despicable. Despite this, the Spaniards intimidation factor frequently changed the minds of stubborn Pueblos.

It was very evident to Native American tribes the capabilities of brutality by their foreign neighbors. A 1599 uprising in Acoma, revealed the elevated tension. The resistance was met by extreme punishment by Spaniards, who amputated the right foot of every male over twenty-five years old. This was the first major Pueblo rebellion and failed mostly because of the lack of unification between the many Pueblo towns.

The Pueblo people needed a leader to unify the tribes and ensure safety against Spanish retaliation, but few leaders would step forward during a time where strong male leaders were persecuted. In 1675, Governor Juan Francisco Treviño, ordered the arrest of 47 Pueblo medicine men, who continued to practice their traditional religions and preached about independence from Spanish rule. Medicine men were highly revered in Pueblo society, but after the Governor's accusation of practicing witchcraft, they were humiliated with a public whipping and a hefty sentence that would be served in the prison in Santa Fe.

While Spanish troops were out fighting the Apache Governor Trevino was forced to release many prisoners in Santa Fe, one of them was Popé. Popé moved to the Taos Pueblo where he organized the revolt against Spanish oppressors. According to Pedro Ponce, many people agreed to contribute in the act in order to ease Popé's wrath, who is rumored to have killed his brother in order to keep plans of the uprising secret. It took five years to organize and unite troops for the revolt.

August 8, 1680, two messengers were sent out with knotted ropes, showing the number of days before the revolt would begin. The pueblo war captains realized that the revolt would be more powerful if every tribe struck on the same day, so each pueblo was supposed to untie a knot on the rope every day until there were none left and then they would strike. However, the messengers were caught on their journey to pass out the ropes and arrested for conspiracy. The people of Tesuque learned about the arrests and rioted, killing a Spaniard.

Juan Pio, a priest from Tesuque sought refuge over night in Santa Fe, only to return the next day to Tesuque to perform Mass. There he found an assembly of Native Americans. Pio walked towards the group, wanting to calm them, but unfortunately that was the last time he was seen alive. Pio is said to be the first of the dozen priests killed by Pueblos. The announcement of his death reached the Spanish in Santa Fe and then begun the Pueblo Revolt.

On August 13, Pueblos invaded the capital in Santa Fe. After several days of fighting the Spanish who were possessed more advanced weaponry and better knowledge of military strategy, began to take a toll on Pueblo forces. Fortunately, reinforcements from other Pueblo tribes, including the Taos and Picuris, and surprisingly enough even some Apache tribes joined the battle in Santa Fe, though Apache and Pueblos are sworn enemies.

2,500 Pueblo warriors, killed 400 Spaniards, dozens of Franciscan priests, ransacked the town, burning crosses and churches. The Spaniards, who after several days began feeling the effects of thirst and hunger, finally began to strike the surrounding forces, determined to fight their way out. Spaniard forces broke the siege and left Santa, retreating southward towards El Paso, Texas.

Years after the successful revolt, Pueblo people welcomed Spaniards once again into their adobe villages, hoping they would provide protection from the Apaches. Though the Spaniards regained control of the region, the Pueblos were one of the few Native American groups who defeated the colonial regime. Their act of defiance assured them freedom from the economienda system, and any further persecution of Pueblo religion or culture.