Juan de Zaldívar (Spanish soldier)

For the Spanish explorer and city councillor of Guadalajara, see Juan de Zaldívar.

Juan de Zaldívar
Born	c. 1570 Northern Mexico
Died	December 4, 1598 Acoma Pueblo, New Mexico
Parent(s)	Vicente de Zaldívar Sr. Magdalena de Mendoza y Salazar
Relatives	Cristóbal 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

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

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

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

1. Chipman, Donald E. (June 15, 2010). "ZALDIVAR, JUAN DE". Handbook of Texas Online. Retrieved 29 August 2015.
2. 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. Anderson, Donald (January 2004). "Stumps". The North American Review. 289 (1): 3. JSTOR 25127077.