List of Spanish governors of New Mexico


Spanish Governors of New Mexico were the political chief executives of the province of Santa Fe de Nuevo México between 1598, when it was discovered during an expedition by Juan de Oñate, and 1822, following Mexico's declaration of independence. New Mexico became a territory of the United States beginning in 1846, and a state in 1912.

History

In 1598, Juan de Oñate pioneered 'The Royal Road of the Interior Land', or El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro, between Mexico City and the Tewa village of 'Ohkay Owingeh', or San Juan Pueblo, founding the Nuevo México Province under the authority of Philip II. He also founded the settlement of San Juan on the Rio Grande near the Native American Pueblo. In 1610, Pedro de Peralta, then governor, established the settlement of Santa Fe in the region of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains on the Rio Grande. Missions were established for conversions and agricultural industry under the authority of the governor. The territory's Puebloan peoples resented the Spaniards denigration and prohibition of their traditional religion, and their encomienda system's forced labor. In 1680, the Pueblo Revolt occurred, and a final resolution included additional protections from Spanish efforts to eradicate their culture and religion, the issuing of substantial communal land grants to each Pueblo, and a public defender of their rights and for their legal cases in Spanish courts.
In January 1822, the last Governor under the Spanish regime, Facundo Melgares, lost the title of governor and was now called géfe político and géfe militar. Subsequently, Melgares became the first Mexican Governor of New Mexico, serving until July 5, 1822 when he was succeeded by Francisco Xavier Chavez, though he would hold office for just five months.

Governors

The following is a list of governors of the Province of New Mexico under the Viceroyalty of New Spain:

1st stage (1598-1680)

The political chiefs or governors were:
NameStartEndNotes
Juan de Oñate15981610Conquistador, explorer and administrator of New Spain.
Son of explorer and conquistador Cristóbal de Oñate.
Initiated NM Indian slaving through encomienda system. Allowed colonists to seize "orphaned" Native children, including from their parents.
Cristóbal de Oñate November 16101610
Pedro de Peralta16101613
Bernardino de Ceballos16131618
Juan Álvarez de Eulate16181625
Felipe de Sotelo Osorio16251630Employed Indians to capture Indians from competing tribes for slave trade in New Mexico.
Francisco Manuel de Silva Nieto16301632
Francisco de la Mora Ceballos16321635
Francisco Martínez de Baeza16351637
Luis de Rosas1637spring 1641Exploited Indian slaves in sweatshop manufacturing of textiles to export to Mexico.
Imprisoned and killed when his government ended
Juan Flores de Sierra y ValdésSpring 1641Autumn 1641Died in office
Francisco Gomes16411642Acting
Alonso de Pacheco de Herédia16431643
Fernando de Argüello16441647
Luis de Guzmán y Figueroa16471649
Hernando de Ugarte y la Concha16491652
Juan de Samaniego y Xaca16521656
Juan Manso de Contreras16561659Issued a "death sentence against the entire Apache nation and others of the same ilk," but allowed Spanish settlers to hold captured Indians as indentured servants.
Bernardo López de Mendizábal16591660Collected Indians as slaves and stole their livestock, clothing, salt, sleeping mats, and other items to gift to authorities in Mexico.
Diego Dionisio de Peñalosa Briceño y Berdugo16611664
Tomé Dominguez de Mendoza16641664
Juan Durán de Miranda16641665
Fernando de Villanueva16651668
Juan de Medrano y Mesía16681671
Juan Durán de Miranda16711675
Juan Francisco Treviño16751679

2nd stage: Governors and Pueblo leaders during the revolted">Pueblo Revolt">revolted

From 1680 until 1692, the Pueblo people revolted against Spanish domination and lived under their own rulers.
The political chiefs or governors and Pueblo leaders were:
Spanish GovernorsStartEndNotes
Antonio de Otermin16791680Titular governor until 1683
Domingo Gironza Petriz Cruzate16831686
Pedro Reneros de Posada16861689
Domingo Gironza Petriz Cruzate16891691
Pueblo LeadersStartEndNotes
Popé16801685
Luis Tupatu16851692

3rd stage (1688-1822)

The political chiefs or governors were:
NameStartEndNotes
Diego de Vargas1688
1691 		1691
1697 		He placated the Pueblo revolt with a peace treaty with them.
Pedro Rodríguez Cubero16971703
Diego de Vargas17031704
Juan Páez Hurtado17041705
Francisco Cuervo y ValdésJune 1705August 1707Provisional
Jose Chacón Medina Salazar y Villaseñor17071712
Juan Ignacio Flores Mogollon17121715
Felix Martínez de Torrelaguna17151716Acting
Antonio Valverde y Cosío17161716Acting
Juan Páez Hurtado17161717Acting
Antonio Valverde y Cosío17181721Interim
Juan Estrada de Austria17211723
Juan Domingo de Bustamante17231731
Gervasio Cruzat y Gongora17311736
Enrique de Olavide y Michelena17361738
Gaspar Domingo de Mendoza17391743
Joaquín Codallos17431749
Tomás Vélez Cachupín17491754
Francisco Antonio Marín del Valle17541760
Mateo Antonio de Mendoza17601760Acting
Manuel de Portillo y UrrisolaMay 10, 17601762
Tomás Vélez Cachupín17621767
Pedro Fermín de Mendinueta17671777
Francisco Trevre17771777Acting
Juan Bautista de Anza17781788
Fernando de la Concha17891794
Fernando Chacón17941804
Joaquín del Real Alencaster18041807
Alberto Maynez18071808
José Manrique18081814
Alberto Maynez18141816
Pedro María de Allande18161818
Facundo Melgares18181822