Gil González Dávila
Encyclopedia
Gil González Dávila was a Spanish
Conquistador
and the first European to arrive in present-day Nicaragua
.
González Dávila first appears in historical records in 1508, when he received a royal commission to examine accounts and tax records of estates. He probably traveled soon afterward to Santo Domingo
for his assignment, and to establish himself. In 1511, from Valladolid
, Spain, he was given the title of Accountant of Hispaniola
, replacing Cristóbal de Cuéllar. His enhanced position enabled him to become a landowner and he soon had an estate with over 200 Indian slaves.
In 1518, González delivered a report to King Carlos
which was highly critical of the colonial management of Hispaniola. He was at Ávila in Spain when he was approached by Andrés Niño. Niño was an expert pilot and resident of the Spanish Main
. He had come to Spain to seek Court support for an exploration of the Pacific Coast. His first attempts had failed, but then he encountered González, a retainer of the bishop of Palencia. The bishop, Juan Rodriguez de Fonseca
, was president of the Council of the Indies
. With his help, González and Niño obtained approval for the venture from King Carlos. An expedition was planned, with González as captain, Niño as pilot, and Andrés de Cereceda as treasurer.
in Panama
, arriving in January 1520. González presented his royal commission to the governor of Panama, authorizing him to examine the tax records of the colony of Panama and prepare the expedition for exploration of the Pacific coast of Central America. The governor, known as Pedrarias
, resented this scrutiny of his taxing authority and encroachment on territory for which he had his own plans. He blocked investigation of the taxes, and inhibited Gonzalez's efforts to obtain seaworthy ships, supplies, and men for the expedition. Unable to acquire ships, González and Niño began construction of four brigantines on Terarequi in the Pearl Islands, in the gulf of Panama.
On January 26, 1522, the expedition left from Terarequi but was forced to land in western Panama after four days because of leaking ships. González disembarked with the main body of the army, and marched northwest along the coast and into southern Nicaragua. Niño, after making repairs, sailed along the coast until he reached a gulf along the Nicaraguan coast, where the army and fleet were reunited. It was agreed that Niño would leave two ships there and continue north along the coast with the other two to search for a strait or channel that would connect the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.. He would eventually discover and take formal possession of the bay of Corinto
, and then the Gulf of Fonseca
, which he named in honor of their patron, bishop Juan Rodriguez de Fonseca.
González proceeded to explore the fertile western valleys and was impressed with the Indian civilization he found there. He discovered the lakes later named Nicaragua
and Managua
. He and his small army gathered gold and baptized Indians along the way. Eventually, they so imposed upon the Indians that they were attacked and threatened with annihilation. Nevertheless, González managed to extricate his force and retreat to the gulf where his ships were anchored. They boarded the ships and headed south.
In June 1523, González returned to Panama with 3 leaky ships, 100 exhausted men, and considerable gold. He told of his "discovery" of "Nicaragua" and its people, cities, and wealth. He named the territory after an Indian king "Nic-atl-nauac", which was rendered in Spanish as "Nicarao".
By early 1524, González sailed again for Nicaragua, but a storm brought him to a bay on the caribbean coast of Honduras
where he had to lighten the ship by throwing a number of horses overboard, hence the name Puerto Caballos
. He then sailed further west, to the Bay of Amatique and the Río Dulce, where he founded the town of San Gil de Buenavista. After leaving settlers behind he reboarded his ships and sailed eastward along the coast of Honduras, to just east of the Cabo de Honduras where he landed and intended to push into Nicaragua. In the meantime, the settlers at San Gil de Buenavista moved closer to the Indian town of Amatique because they found the original location too dangerous. They resettled at Nito, near Amatique.
In the summer of 1524, Davila took a strong force and began a march to the south, towards the western valley of Nicaragua, where he had operated before. En route, he met a Spanish platoon near Toreba and learned that "his" territory had been invaded by an army sent by governor Pedrarias from Panama. The army commander was Francisco Hernández de Córdoba
.
The platoon was forced to return south with a warning to vacate the area. Córdoba sent a small force under command of Hernando de Soto
to deal with González. Soto was caught in a stealthy attack, but managed to defend himself. Then the two called a truce and Soto thought they could come to an agreement, but González tricked him. With reinforcements, he attacked again and captured Soto's force. However, in a gesture of good will, and perhaps fearing the much larger army of Córdoba, he released the prisoners and returned to Puerto Caballos where he learned of the arrival of other Spaniards.
In May of 1524, Cristóbal de Olid
arrived in Honduras east of Puerto Caballos with an army with orders from Hernán Cortés
to establish a colony for him. Olid established the colony near the town today called Triunfo de la Cruz, and then made himself governor in defiance of both Cortés and González. In 1524, Cortés decided it was necessary to send Francisco de las Casas
with another force to rectify the situation. Instead, Olid took control and captured both las Casas at Triunfo and González in Naco. Eventually, his own men betrayed Olid, and freed the prisoners. A summary trial was held, Olid was found guilty of treason, and he was beheaded.
Las Casas and González decided to join forces, and both declared their loyalty to Cortés. Both men decided to return to Mexico, and las Casas left Lopez de Aguirre in charge, with instructions to found a town, Trujillo, at the location of Puerto Caballos
. However, López de Aguirre found the area around Puerto Caballos
unsuitable and moved eastward along the coast, eventually settling near modern Trujillo
. Meanwhile, Cortés himself had decided to journey to Honduras to ensure the establishement and security of the colony.
. Salazar had them arrested and prosecuted for the murder of Olid. He intended to execute them, but was finally forced to send them as prisoners to Spain.
González's fate upon arrival in Spain is unknown. His old patron, bishop de Fonseca, had died in 1524, and his new patron, Hernán Cortés, had his own problems which caused him to return to Spain to recover favor with the King. Gil González Dávila died in 1543.
The only clue to his vindication and return to Mexico was a son and namesake. Gil González de Ávila, Alonso de Ávila, and Martin Cortés became involved in a conspiracy against the viceroy of New Spain. They were arrested and executed in Mexico in 1566.
Spanish people
The Spanish are citizens of the Kingdom of Spain. Within Spain, there are also a number of vigorous nationalisms and regionalisms, reflecting the country's complex history....
Conquistador
Conquistador
Conquistadors were Spanish soldiers, explorers, and adventurers who brought much of the Americas under the control of Spain in the 15th to 16th centuries, following Europe's discovery of the New World by Christopher Columbus in 1492...
and the first European to arrive in present-day Nicaragua
Nicaragua
Nicaragua is the largest country in the Central American American isthmus, bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The country is situated between 11 and 14 degrees north of the Equator in the Northern Hemisphere, which places it entirely within the tropics. The Pacific Ocean...
.
González Dávila first appears in historical records in 1508, when he received a royal commission to examine accounts and tax records of estates. He probably traveled soon afterward to Santo Domingo
Santo Domingo
Santo Domingo, known officially as Santo Domingo de Guzmán, is the capital and largest city in the Dominican Republic. Its metropolitan population was 2,084,852 in 2003, and estimated at 3,294,385 in 2010. The city is located on the Caribbean Sea, at the mouth of the Ozama River...
for his assignment, and to establish himself. In 1511, from Valladolid
Valladolid
Valladolid is a historic city and municipality in north-central Spain, situated at the confluence of the Pisuerga and Esgueva rivers, and located within three wine-making regions: Ribera del Duero, Rueda and Cigales...
, Spain, he was given the title of Accountant of Hispaniola
Hispaniola
Hispaniola is a major island in the Caribbean, containing the two sovereign states of the Dominican Republic and Haiti. The island is located between the islands of Cuba to the west and Puerto Rico to the east, within the hurricane belt...
, replacing Cristóbal de Cuéllar. His enhanced position enabled him to become a landowner and he soon had an estate with over 200 Indian slaves.
In 1518, González delivered a report to King Carlos
Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor
Charles V was ruler of the Holy Roman Empire from 1519 and, as Charles I, of the Spanish Empire from 1516 until his voluntary retirement and abdication in favor of his younger brother Ferdinand I and his son Philip II in 1556.As...
which was highly critical of the colonial management of Hispaniola. He was at Ávila in Spain when he was approached by Andrés Niño. Niño was an expert pilot and resident of the Spanish Main
Spanish Main
In the days of the Spanish New World Empire, the mainland of the American continent enclosing the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico was referred to as the Spanish Main. It included present-day Florida, the east shore of the Gulf of Mexico in Texas, Mexico, Central America and the north coast of...
. He had come to Spain to seek Court support for an exploration of the Pacific Coast. His first attempts had failed, but then he encountered González, a retainer of the bishop of Palencia. The bishop, Juan Rodriguez de Fonseca
Juan Rodríguez de Fonseca
Juan Rodriguez de Fonseca was a Spanish bishop, a courtier and bureaucrat whose position as chaplain to Queen Isabella enabled him to become a powerful counsellor to Ferdinand and Isabella, the Catholic Monarchs...
, was president of the Council of the Indies
Consejo de Indias
The Council of the Indies, officially, the Royal and Supreme Council of the Indies , was the most important administrative organ of the Spanish Empire, both in the Americas and in Asia, combining legislative, executive and judicial functions...
. With his help, González and Niño obtained approval for the venture from King Carlos. An expedition was planned, with González as captain, Niño as pilot, and Andrés de Cereceda as treasurer.
Arrival in and conquest of Nicaragua
In June 1519, King Carlos gave his consent to the expedition. González and Niño immediately departed for the Indies, and then proceeded to AclaAcla
Acla was a Spanish colonial town founded by order of the Governor of Castilla de Oro, Pedrarias Dávila, in 1515. It was located on the central coastline of the modern-day Kuna Yala, to the northeast of Panamá. The town's name means bones of men in the indigenous language...
in Panama
Panama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
, arriving in January 1520. González presented his royal commission to the governor of Panama, authorizing him to examine the tax records of the colony of Panama and prepare the expedition for exploration of the Pacific coast of Central America. The governor, known as Pedrarias
Pedrarias Dávila
Pedrarias Dávila y Ortiz de Cota , was a Spanish colonial administrator...
, resented this scrutiny of his taxing authority and encroachment on territory for which he had his own plans. He blocked investigation of the taxes, and inhibited Gonzalez's efforts to obtain seaworthy ships, supplies, and men for the expedition. Unable to acquire ships, González and Niño began construction of four brigantines on Terarequi in the Pearl Islands, in the gulf of Panama.
On January 26, 1522, the expedition left from Terarequi but was forced to land in western Panama after four days because of leaking ships. González disembarked with the main body of the army, and marched northwest along the coast and into southern Nicaragua. Niño, after making repairs, sailed along the coast until he reached a gulf along the Nicaraguan coast, where the army and fleet were reunited. It was agreed that Niño would leave two ships there and continue north along the coast with the other two to search for a strait or channel that would connect the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.. He would eventually discover and take formal possession of the bay of Corinto
Corinto, Nicaragua
Corinto is a town of 17,000 on the northwest Pacific coast of Nicaragua in the province of Chinandega. The municipality was founded in 1863 and was named in honour of the Greek city of Corinth.- Economy :...
, and then the Gulf of Fonseca
Gulf of Fonseca
The Gulf of Fonseca , part of the Pacific Ocean, is a gulf in Central America, bordering El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua.-History:Fonseca Bay was discovered in 1522 by Gil Gonzalez de Avila, and named by him after his patron, Archbishop Juan Fonseca, the implacable enemy of Columbus.In 1849, E. G...
, which he named in honor of their patron, bishop Juan Rodriguez de Fonseca.
González proceeded to explore the fertile western valleys and was impressed with the Indian civilization he found there. He discovered the lakes later named Nicaragua
Lake Nicaragua
Lake Nicaragua or Cocibolca or Granada or is a vast freshwater lake in Nicaragua of tectonic origin. With an area of , it is the largest lake in Central America, the 19th largest lake in the world and the 9th largest in the Americas. It is slightly smaller than Lake Titicaca. With an elevation...
and Managua
Lake Managua
Lake Managua is a lake in Nicaragua. The Spanish name is Lago de Managua or Lago Xolotlán. At 1,042 km², it is approximately long and wide. Similarly to the name of Lake Nicaragua, its name was coined by the Spanish conquerors from "Mangue" and agua...
. He and his small army gathered gold and baptized Indians along the way. Eventually, they so imposed upon the Indians that they were attacked and threatened with annihilation. Nevertheless, González managed to extricate his force and retreat to the gulf where his ships were anchored. They boarded the ships and headed south.
In June 1523, González returned to Panama with 3 leaky ships, 100 exhausted men, and considerable gold. He told of his "discovery" of "Nicaragua" and its people, cities, and wealth. He named the territory after an Indian king "Nic-atl-nauac", which was rendered in Spanish as "Nicarao".
Conquest of Honduras
Governor Pedrarias saw an opportunity for himself in Nicaragua, and moved to gain control of the situation. He attempted to arrest González and confiscate his treasure. However, González managed to avoid capture and escaped to his base in Santo Domingo. There, he used the fortune he had acquired to outfit another expedition for a return to Nicaragua.By early 1524, González sailed again for Nicaragua, but a storm brought him to a bay on the caribbean coast of Honduras
Honduras
Honduras is a republic in Central America. It was previously known as Spanish Honduras to differentiate it from British Honduras, which became the modern-day state of Belize...
where he had to lighten the ship by throwing a number of horses overboard, hence the name Puerto Caballos
Puerto Cortés
-Geography:It is on the Caribbean Sea coast, north of San Pedro Sula and east of Omoa, at 15.85° N, 87.94° W. It has a natural bay.It is Honduras's main sea port and it is considered the most important seaport in Central America...
. He then sailed further west, to the Bay of Amatique and the Río Dulce, where he founded the town of San Gil de Buenavista. After leaving settlers behind he reboarded his ships and sailed eastward along the coast of Honduras, to just east of the Cabo de Honduras where he landed and intended to push into Nicaragua. In the meantime, the settlers at San Gil de Buenavista moved closer to the Indian town of Amatique because they found the original location too dangerous. They resettled at Nito, near Amatique.
In the summer of 1524, Davila took a strong force and began a march to the south, towards the western valley of Nicaragua, where he had operated before. En route, he met a Spanish platoon near Toreba and learned that "his" territory had been invaded by an army sent by governor Pedrarias from Panama. The army commander was Francisco Hernández de Córdoba
Francisco Hernández de Córdoba (founder of Nicaragua)
Francisco Hernández de Córdoba is usually reputed as the founder of Nicaragua, and in fact he founded two important Nicaraguan cities, Granada and León. The currency of Nicaragua is named the córdoba in his memory....
.
The platoon was forced to return south with a warning to vacate the area. Córdoba sent a small force under command of Hernando de Soto
Hernando de Soto (explorer)
Hernando de Soto was a Spanish explorer and conquistador who, while leading the first European expedition deep into the territory of the modern-day United States, was the first European documented to have crossed the Mississippi River....
to deal with González. Soto was caught in a stealthy attack, but managed to defend himself. Then the two called a truce and Soto thought they could come to an agreement, but González tricked him. With reinforcements, he attacked again and captured Soto's force. However, in a gesture of good will, and perhaps fearing the much larger army of Córdoba, he released the prisoners and returned to Puerto Caballos where he learned of the arrival of other Spaniards.
In May of 1524, Cristóbal de Olid
Cristóbal de Olid
Cristóbal de Olid was a Spanish adventurer, conquistador and rebel who played a part in the conquest of Mexico and Honduras.Born in Zaragoza, Olid grew up in the household of the governor of Cuba, Diego Velázquez de Cuéllar. In 1518 Velázquez sent Olid to relieve Juan de Grijalva, but en route a...
arrived in Honduras east of Puerto Caballos with an army with orders from Hernán Cortés
Hernán Cortés
Hernán Cortés de Monroy y Pizarro, 1st Marquis of the Valley of Oaxaca was a Spanish Conquistador who led an expedition that caused the fall of the Aztec Empire and brought large portions of mainland Mexico under the rule of the King of Castile in the early 16th century...
to establish a colony for him. Olid established the colony near the town today called Triunfo de la Cruz, and then made himself governor in defiance of both Cortés and González. In 1524, Cortés decided it was necessary to send Francisco de las Casas
Francisco de las Casas
Francisco de las Casas y Saavedra was a Spanish Conquistador in Mexico and Honduras.Francisco de las Casas was born in Trujillo, Spain. By 1513 las Casas was already married to Maria de Aguilar, daughter of Geronimo de Aguilar, and they maintained a house in Trujillo, where she sold a block of...
with another force to rectify the situation. Instead, Olid took control and captured both las Casas at Triunfo and González in Naco. Eventually, his own men betrayed Olid, and freed the prisoners. A summary trial was held, Olid was found guilty of treason, and he was beheaded.
Las Casas and González decided to join forces, and both declared their loyalty to Cortés. Both men decided to return to Mexico, and las Casas left Lopez de Aguirre in charge, with instructions to found a town, Trujillo, at the location of Puerto Caballos
Puerto Cortés
-Geography:It is on the Caribbean Sea coast, north of San Pedro Sula and east of Omoa, at 15.85° N, 87.94° W. It has a natural bay.It is Honduras's main sea port and it is considered the most important seaport in Central America...
. However, López de Aguirre found the area around Puerto Caballos
Puerto Cortés
-Geography:It is on the Caribbean Sea coast, north of San Pedro Sula and east of Omoa, at 15.85° N, 87.94° W. It has a natural bay.It is Honduras's main sea port and it is considered the most important seaport in Central America...
unsuitable and moved eastward along the coast, eventually settling near modern Trujillo
Trujillo, Colón
Trujillo is a city and a municipality on the northern Caribbean coast of the Honduran department of Colón, of which the city is the capital. The municipality has a population of about 30,000 . The city is located on a bluff overlooking the Bay of Trujillo. Behind the city rise two prominent...
. Meanwhile, Cortés himself had decided to journey to Honduras to ensure the establishement and security of the colony.
Epilogue
When Las Casas and González arrived in Mexico, they found Salazar de la Pedrada in charge, having been placed there by Cortés. They refused to acknowledge his authority, stating their loyalty to Cortés, or if he had died, to Pedro de AlvaradoPedro de Alvarado
Pedro de Alvarado y Contreras was a Spanish conquistador and governor of Guatemala. He participated in the conquest of Cuba, in Juan de Grijalva's exploration of the coasts of Yucatan and the Gulf of Mexico, and in the conquest of Mexico led by Hernan Cortes...
. Salazar had them arrested and prosecuted for the murder of Olid. He intended to execute them, but was finally forced to send them as prisoners to Spain.
González's fate upon arrival in Spain is unknown. His old patron, bishop de Fonseca, had died in 1524, and his new patron, Hernán Cortés, had his own problems which caused him to return to Spain to recover favor with the King. Gil González Dávila died in 1543.
The only clue to his vindication and return to Mexico was a son and namesake. Gil González de Ávila, Alonso de Ávila, and Martin Cortés became involved in a conspiracy against the viceroy of New Spain. They were arrested and executed in Mexico in 1566.