Alonso De León
Encyclopedia
Alonso de León wasexplorer and governor, who led several expeditions into the area that is now northeastern Mexico
and southern Texas
.
(presently Montemorelos) within the province of Nuevo León
in New Spain
. He was the third son of Alonso De León and Josefa González. To distinguish him from his father, who was also a prominent leader in the colony, sometimes the phrase "El Mozo" would later be appended to his name (or its English equivalent, "the younger").
De León trained in Spain for a naval career and joined the Spanish navy in 1657.
By 1660 he had returned to Nuevo León, where he became a frequent leader of exploratory parties as well as an entrepreneur, most notably in salt mining. De León married Agustina Cantú and had six children.
led an ill-fated expedition which was intended to establish a colony at the mouth of the Mississippi River
. Instead, the colonists ended up on the Texas coast, where La Salle established Fort Saint Louis. When Spanish leaders received word that the French had founded a settlement in the northern portion of their territory, De León was chosen to lead the effort to locate and expel the French colonists.
The first two expeditions, in 1686 and 1687, yielded no evidence of the French colony. One Frenchman, Jean Gery
, was captured during the third expedition in 1688. It was during De León's fourth expedition, in 1689, that he finally discovered Fort Saint Louis, which had been abandoned by that time.
.
He was involved in establishing San Francisco de los Tejas
in 1690, the first Spanish mission in East Texas. In doing so, he blazed the trail for much of the Old San Antonio Road
. As a result of his explorations, he was responsible for the names of several Texas rivers, including the Guadalupe River
, the Medina River
, the Nueces River
, and the Trinity River
.
De León died in Coahuila on March 20, 1691.
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
and southern Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
.
Early life
De León was born in 1639 or 1640 in the settlement of CadereytaCadereyta Jiménez
Cadereyta Jiménez is both the name of a city as well as of a municipality in the Mexican state of Nuevo León.The municipality of Cadereyta Jiménez is located in the central part of the state, 360 meters above sea level, at 25' 36" N latitude and 100' 00" W longitude. The municipality has a...
(presently Montemorelos) within the province of Nuevo León
Nuevo León
Nuevo León It is located in Northeastern Mexico. It is bordered by the states of Tamaulipas to the north and east, San Luis Potosí to the south, and Coahuila to the west. To the north, Nuevo León has a 15 kilometer stretch of the U.S.-Mexico border adjacent to the U.S...
in New Spain
New Spain
New Spain, formally called the Viceroyalty of New Spain , was a viceroyalty of the Spanish colonial empire, comprising primarily territories in what was known then as 'América Septentrional' or North America. Its capital was Mexico City, formerly Tenochtitlan, capital of the Aztec Empire...
. He was the third son of Alonso De León and Josefa González. To distinguish him from his father, who was also a prominent leader in the colony, sometimes the phrase "El Mozo" would later be appended to his name (or its English equivalent, "the younger").
De León trained in Spain for a naval career and joined the Spanish navy in 1657.
By 1660 he had returned to Nuevo León, where he became a frequent leader of exploratory parties as well as an entrepreneur, most notably in salt mining. De León married Agustina Cantú and had six children.
Expeditions
In 1684, French explorer La SalleRené-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle
René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, or Robert de LaSalle was a French explorer. He explored the Great Lakes region of the United States and Canada, the Mississippi River, and the Gulf of Mexico...
led an ill-fated expedition which was intended to establish a colony at the mouth of the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
. Instead, the colonists ended up on the Texas coast, where La Salle established Fort Saint Louis. When Spanish leaders received word that the French had founded a settlement in the northern portion of their territory, De León was chosen to lead the effort to locate and expel the French colonists.
The first two expeditions, in 1686 and 1687, yielded no evidence of the French colony. One Frenchman, Jean Gery
Jean Gery
Jean Gery was a French explorer and a deserter from the La Salle expedition of 1685. After leaving the expedition, Gery became chief of a group of Coahuiltecan Indians, claiming that he had been sent by God to rule over them...
, was captured during the third expedition in 1688. It was during De León's fourth expedition, in 1689, that he finally discovered Fort Saint Louis, which had been abandoned by that time.
Political offices and later life
De León served as mayor of Cadereyta from 1667 to 1675. He was governor of Nuevo León from 1682 to 1684. In 1687, he became governor of the region of CoahuilaCoahuila
Coahuila, formally Coahuila de Zaragoza , officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Coahuila de Zaragoza is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico...
.
He was involved in establishing San Francisco de los Tejas
Mission San Francisco de la Espada
Mission San Francisco de la Espada was a Roman Catholic mission established by Spain near San Antonio de Bexar in northern New Spain in 1731 to convert local Native Americans to Christianity and solidify Spanish territorial claims in the New World against encroachment from France...
in 1690, the first Spanish mission in East Texas. In doing so, he blazed the trail for much of the Old San Antonio Road
Old San Antonio Road
The Old San Antonio Road was a historic roadway located in the U.S. states of Texas and Louisiana. Parts of it were based on traditional Native American trails. Its Texas terminus was about southeast of Eagle Pass at the Rio Grande in Maverick County, and its northern terminus was at...
. As a result of his explorations, he was responsible for the names of several Texas rivers, including the Guadalupe River
Guadalupe River (Texas)
The Guadalupe River runs from Kerr County, Texas to San Antonio Bay on the Gulf of Mexico. The river is a popular destination for rafters and canoers. Larger cities along the river include New Braunfels, Kerrville, Seguin, Gonzales, Cuero, and Victoria...
, the Medina River
Medina River
The Medina River is located in south central Texas, USA, in the Medina Valley. Named after Pedro Medina, a Spanish engineer, by Alonso de León, Spanish governor of Coahuila, New Spain in 1689. It was also known as the Rio Mariano, Rio San Jose, or Rio de Bagres...
, the Nueces River
Nueces River
The Nueces River is a river in the U.S. state of Texas, approximately long. It drains a region in central and southern Texas southeastward into the Gulf of Mexico. It is the southernmost major river in Texas northeast of the Rio Grande...
, and the Trinity River
Trinity River (Texas)
The Trinity River is a long river that flows entirely within the U.S. state of Texas. It rises in extreme north Texas, a few miles south of the Red River. The headwaters are separated by the high bluffs on the south side of the Red River....
.
De León died in Coahuila on March 20, 1691.
Further reading
- Clemente Rendón de la Garza, "Vidas Ilustres (English Version): General Alonso de Leon 'El Mozo'".
- Handbook of Texas Online, s.v. "De León, Alonso".
- Mary G. Ramos (ed.), Texas Almanac 2002-2003, Texas A&M University Press, 2001; pp. 30, 65, 66. ISBN 0-914511-32-7.