The Last Conquistador: Juan De Onate and the Settling of the Far Southwest

Oklahoma Western Biographies #2

by Marc Simmons

This book chronicles the life and frontier career of Don Juan de Oñate, the first colonizer of the old Spanish Borderlands. Born in Zacatecas, Mexico, in the mid-sixteenth century, Don Juan was the prominent son of an aristocratic silver-mining family. In 1598, in his late forties, Oñate led a formidable expedition of settlers, with wagons and livestock, on an epic march northward to the upper Rio Grade Valley of New Mexico. There he established the first European settlement west of the Mississippi, launching a significant chapter in early American history. In his activities he displayed qualities typical of Spain’s sixteenth-century men of action; in his career we find a summation of the motives, aspirations, intentions, strengths, and weaknesses of the Hispanic pioneers who settled the Borderlands.

Genres: History, Biography

224 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 1991

Reviews

[Chrisl · Rating 4 out of 5]

2/24/19 - quotes from Carrie Gibson, 'El Norte' : followup to Peter's comment about the Acoma Massacre
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acoma_M...
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https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4...
p68 - "Some settlers thought the punishment was too harsh, and the viceroy was notified ... leading to an investigation. Onate, in the meantime, left on another mission to search for the Pacific Ocean.
On his return to the Pueblo region in 1605, he carved his name on a rock outcrop now known as El Morro, not far from the modern New Mexico-Arizona state line, with the inscription: 'The Adelantado Don Juan Onate passed by here from the discovery of the South Sea in 1605.' While this sounds as if he were returning from a successful venture, he was hundreds of miles away from the Pacific, having reached only the lower part of the Colorado River.

"Onate was recalled to Mexico City and gave up his governorship in 1607, having spent an estimated 400,000 pesos of his own money, with little to show for it. He returned to Zacatecas around 1613, but in 1614 he was charged and found guilty by the viceregal court in Mexico City for the violent suppression of the Acoma. ... He was appointed the mining inspector of Spain in 1624" and spent his final years on the peninsula before his death in 1626."
***
Adding note 1/22/17 - Scenes from this book comes to mind surprisingly often, usually when New Mexico is mentioned.

The book's first half, about 100 pages, is set in Mexico and provides a brief and useful history of the personalities and politics of the early years of the exploitation of that country. The mindset and motivations of the Spanish were well explained. The book's second half is devoted to Onate's struggles in New Mexico and the author clearly shows the failures and trials of the attempt to colonize a new land. Two thirds of the Spanish/Euro-Mexicans deserted after the first few years. Recommended for anyone interested in the earliest European settlement in what is now the USA. Thanks to Marc Simmons for introducing me to the Father of New Mexico.

[SDestinie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A rather biased book, imho, given his frequent lauding of the 'accomplishments' of the Spaniards in general in colonizing what he calls, several times, barren wilderness. I suspect that those already living in the area might have disagreed that the Spaniards were discovering anything, and certainly resented the idea that they were to humbly convert to the religion of and pay tribute for the priveledge to their conquerers.

adding notes
p. 21 "Their case exemplifies one of the imponderables in the human condition." Nice point, but I no longer recall to what he was referring...

p. 65 "Hidalgo-mania" reminds me of the Tiempo de Picaros episode of EMdT (http://www.rtve.es/alacarta/videos/pr...)

p. 97 "out of raw wilderness" -but there were people already living quite well there, so not quite so "raw" as to white eyes!!

p. 98 stimulating their immune systems for the love of the Church...

[Sebastian Jaymes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very informative. A worthy read for anyone interested In the Spanish
Settlement in the US Southwest prior to the Pilgrims landing on Plymouth Rock.

[Rose Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book about one of the major pioneers, who established the first city in the continental United States.
He overcame delays and hardships before and during his struggle as the first governor of Santa Fe de Nuevo Mexico, and he won through them to explore the American Frontier in exploits often ignored in US history. His exploration of the vast land which would become New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, Kansas and California was carried out two hundred years before Lewis and Clark, yet few Americans know of him.

[James Rogers · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a short, well researched but fascinating book which tells the story of Juan de Onate and his small group of European Hispanic colonists who settled New Mexico in 1598 well befor Plymouth Rock and Jamestown. It is history not taught in most schools in the United States. If your family has been in New Mexico for generations you are likey descended from someone in this group of settlers.

[John Branney · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am doing research for another historical fiction novel and needed background information on the Spanish in early New Mexico. This book worked out great for me. If you are interested in early New Mexico history, this book should be on your shelf. Two thumbs up.

[David Crow · Rating 5 out of 5]

As an unabashed fan of Marc Simmons, and his highly informative, tightly written, and entertaining accounts of the history of the Spanish in the southwest, The Last Conquistador is a masterpiece. Simmons begins with Coronado and the seven lost cities of gold and ends with the fifteen year Entrada into what is now modern day New Mexico. The book captures how the Spanish converted the Pueblo Indians to Christianity while searching for vast amounts of silver and gold, which they would not find. The terrible punishment of the Acoma Pueblo Indians who tried ridding the Spanish gets well deserved attention. The failure of de Onate's mission to colonize New Mexico into a wealthy province of Spain but his impact even four hundred years later is unmistakable. With balance, judgement, tremendous documentation, this book gives an accurate view of the last conquistador. And it was a fun read. I highly recommend anything written by Marc Simmons, the dean of New Mexico historians.

[Cadence · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book on the recommendation of a park ranger at one of the Salinas Pueblo Missions (Oñate's Quivira in the book) and quite enjoyed it. Having lived in various parts of the Southwest for several years as well as Spain for three made it a relative and engaging topic. The writing was easily read and kept my interest from the first page. I'm feeling inspired to go out and do some more exploring in our final months here in New Mexico!

[Tom · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well researched book, however Simmons refers often to the many critiques of Onate's contemporaries yet he doesn't substantiate them. From this book I learned that the Spanish explorations of the era were a combination of government, aristocratic, and church endeavors, as well as an extension of the Crusades. Onate's efforts were all for naught as the New Mexico exploration did not exceed in monetary gain.

[Mara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Engaging read on the early history of Europeans in New Mexico. Putting the frontier exploration in the context what was happening in Mexico and Spain how strongly it was influenced with all that had been happening with the Moors for decades.

[Alejandra Streeper · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book! Really cool to learn about the “discovery” of New Mexico, all the characters involved and the response from the Native American Pueblos. I can’t even imagine living in an era when an expedition would take years and years of walking and waiting.

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is largely the story of Juan De Onate's struggle to establish a colony in what was then known as Nuevo Mexico told in the context of the times in which he lived. He was a cruel oppressor of the native Americans.

[Sally Atwell Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the late 1500's, after years of being ready to make his entrada into Nuevo Mexico, Don Juan De Onate, was given permission by the Viceroy of Mexico and the King of Spain. Marc Simmons did a great job in researching Onate, because Onate himself kept no diary. With Onate having paid for everything - food, wagons, cattle, sheep, pigs, and all manner of equipment for everyone, he finally left Santa Barbara, his staging area, and began the long arduous journey into New Mexico, believing that he and his men would find gold and silver in abundance. Also with him were Franciscan monks, families willing to settle there, soldiers and officers. The wagon wheels were wood, pulled by oxen.

It was, quite frankly, a disaster for Onate, from the start. I live in New Mexico. I know where El Camino Trail was and it couldn't have been easy for so many people, animals, wagons and their drivers to traverse from where they started to where they ended. Water was at a premium many times, food ran out, rivers had to be crossed.

I don't want to say anymore. It is an interesting biography, and for sure Don Juan de Onate was The Last Conquistador.