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Juan de Zaldívar (Spanish soldier)

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Juan de Zaldívar
Bornc. 1570
Northern Mexico
DiedDecember 4, 1598
Parent(s)Vicente de Zaldívar Sr.
Magdalena de Mendoza y Salazar
RelativesCristóbal de Oñate (paternal great-uncle)
Juan de Oñate (uncle & second cousin)
Vicente de Zaldívar (brother)

Juan de Zaldívar (c. 1570–1598) was a Spanish soldier and explorer. He was an early colonizer of New Mexico. He was killed by Native Americans.

Early life

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Juan de Zaldívar was born circa 1570 in Northern Mexico.[1] His father, Vicente de Zaldívar Sr., served in the Mixtón War of 1540-1542 alongside his uncle (thus Juan's great-uncle), Cristóbal de Oñate.[2] His mother was Magdalena de Mendoza y Salazar.[1] He had a brother, Vicente de Zaldívar.[1] Juan de Oñate was their uncle and second cousin.[1][3]

Career

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In 1595, Zaldívar was asked by his uncle, Juan de Oñate, to serve as his Maestre de Campo, or field marshal,[3] in Oñate's colonization of New Mexico for the Spanish Crown.[1] They departed from Santa Bárbara, Chihuahua in January 1598, arriving in Ciudad Juárez by April of the same year.[1] They went up the Rio Grande, arriving in San Juan de los Caballeros (now known as Ohkay Owingeh, New Mexico) on July 11, 1598.[1]

Death

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Zaldívar was killed by Acoma in Acoma Pueblo on December 4, 1598.[1][2] His brother, Vicente de Zaldívar, won the Acoma Massacre, partly to avenge his death.[1] Foot amputation and enslavement of the culprits (Native Americans) has been claimed.[3]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Chipman, Donald E. (June 15, 2010). "ZALDIVAR, JUAN DE". Handbook of Texas Online. Retrieved 29 August 2015.
  2. ^ a b Hickerson, Nancy P. (Winter 1996). "The Servicios of Vicente de Zaldívar: New Light on the Jumano War of 1601". Ethnohistory. 43 (1): 127–144. doi:10.2307/483346. JSTOR 483346.
  3. ^ a b c Anderson, Donald (January 2004). "Stumps". The North American Review. 289 (1): 3. JSTOR 25127077.