Domingo Terán de los Ríos
Encyclopedia
Domingo Terán de los Ríos served as the first governor of Spanish Texas
from 1691 to 1692.
for two decades. He came to Mexico
in 1681, and was governor of the province of Sonora y Sinaloa
for approximately five years. There he successfully developed a mining industry and pacified the Native Americans
in that area.
Gaspar de Sandoval Silva y Mendoza, Conde de Gálvez. His role as governor was to set up seven missions
among the Tejas
Indians; to seek and remove any foreigners that may have settled in Spanish territory; and to catalog the land, the natural resources, and the peoples of the area.
Terán and his company departed on their trek on May 16, 1691, from Monclova
, crossed the Rio Grande
on May 28, and had reached the Red River
by December of that year. On his journey northward, Terán met up with Gregorio de Salinas Varona at the site of the evacuated Fort Saint Louis with new orders to explore the Tejas settlements in eastern Tejas.
When Terán was travelling southward, he encountered Juan Enríquez Barroto at Matagorda Bay
on March 5, 1692, who relayed orders from the viceroy
to explore the lower Mississippi River
area. Terán followed orders, but was prevented from completing them by bad weather. He and his company returned to Veracruz
on April 15. Terán's expedition failed to establish any missions among the Tejas.
Spanish Texas
Spanish Texas was one of the interior provinces of New Spain from 1690 until 1821. Although Spain claimed ownership of the territory, which comprised part of modern-day Texas, including the land north of the Medina and Nueces Rivers, the Spanish did not attempt to colonize the area until after...
from 1691 to 1692.
Previous service
Terán served the Spanish crown in PeruPeru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
for two decades. He came to Mexico
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...
in 1681, and was governor of the province of Sonora y Sinaloa
Sonora y Sinaloa
Sonora y Sinaloa was a province in the Provincias Internas and under the jurisdiction of the Real Audiencia of Guadalajara of Viceroyalty of New Spain. After Independence Sonora y Sinaloa became one of the constituent states of the Mexican Republic...
for approximately five years. There he successfully developed a mining industry and pacified the Native Americans
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
in that area.
Tejas
Terán was appointed governor on January 23, 1691, by ViceroyViceroy
A viceroy is a royal official who runs a country, colony, or province in the name of and as representative of the monarch. The term derives from the Latin prefix vice-, meaning "in the place of" and the French word roi, meaning king. A viceroy's province or larger territory is called a viceroyalty...
Gaspar de Sandoval Silva y Mendoza, Conde de Gálvez. His role as governor was to set up seven missions
Mission (Christian)
Christian missionary activities often involve sending individuals and groups , to foreign countries and to places in their own homeland. This has frequently involved not only evangelization , but also humanitarian work, especially among the poor and disadvantaged...
among the Tejas
Caddo
The Caddo Nation is a confederacy of several Southeastern Native American tribes, who traditionally inhabited much of what is now East Texas, northern Louisiana and portions of southern Arkansas and Oklahoma. Today the Caddo Nation of Oklahoma is a cohesive tribe with its capital at Binger, Oklahoma...
Indians; to seek and remove any foreigners that may have settled in Spanish territory; and to catalog the land, the natural resources, and the peoples of the area.
Terán and his company departed on their trek on May 16, 1691, from Monclova
Monclova
On the other hand, temperatures during late spring and summer can have bouts of extreme heat, with evenings above 40°C for many consecutive days. In recent decades the hottest records have climbed as high as 43°C on July 13, 2005 and 45°C on May 4, 1984. However nighttime low temperatures are...
, crossed the Rio Grande
Rio Grande
The Rio Grande is a river that flows from southwestern Colorado in the United States to the Gulf of Mexico. Along the way it forms part of the Mexico – United States border. Its length varies as its course changes...
on May 28, and had reached the Red River
Red River (Mississippi watershed)
The Red River, or sometimes the Red River of the South, is a major tributary of the Mississippi and Atchafalaya Rivers in the southern United States of America. The river gains its name from the red-bed country of its watershed. It is one of several rivers with that name...
by December of that year. On his journey northward, Terán met up with Gregorio de Salinas Varona at the site of the evacuated Fort Saint Louis with new orders to explore the Tejas settlements in eastern Tejas.
When Terán was travelling southward, he encountered Juan Enríquez Barroto at Matagorda Bay
Matagorda Bay
Matagorda Bay is a large estuary bay on the Texas coast, lying in Calhoun and Matagorda counties and located approximately northeast of Corpus Christi, southeast of San Antonio, southwest of Houston, and southeast of Austin. It is separated from the Gulf of Mexico by Matagorda Peninsula and...
on March 5, 1692, who relayed orders from the viceroy
Viceroy
A viceroy is a royal official who runs a country, colony, or province in the name of and as representative of the monarch. The term derives from the Latin prefix vice-, meaning "in the place of" and the French word roi, meaning king. A viceroy's province or larger territory is called a viceroyalty...
to explore the lower 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...
area. Terán followed orders, but was prevented from completing them by bad weather. He and his company returned to Veracruz
Veracruz
Veracruz, formally Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave , is one of the 31 states that, along with the Federal District, comprise the 32 federative entities of Mexico. It is divided in 212 municipalities and its capital city is...
on April 15. Terán's expedition failed to establish any missions among the Tejas.