Juan de Salmerón was a Spanish colonial official 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...

, and an oidor (judge) of the Second Audiencia, which governed the colony from January 10, 1531 until April 16, 1534. On the latter date, the government was turned over to Antonio de Mendoza

Antonio de Mendoza

Antonio de Mendoza y Pacheco, Marquis of Mondéjar, Count of Tendilla , was the first viceroy of New Spain, serving from April 17, 1535 to November 25, 1550, and the second viceroy of Peru, from September 23, 1551 to July 21, 1552...

, the first viceroy. Along with Fray Toribio de Benavente Motolinia

Toribio de Benavente Motolinia

Fray Toribio de Benavente also known as Motolinia was a Franciscan missionary and among the first 12 clerics to arrive in New Spain in May 1524.-Life and times:...

 he built the first European settlement at Puebla, Puebla

Puebla, Puebla

The city and municipality of Puebla is the capital of the state of Puebla, and one of the five most important colonial cities in Mexico. Being a planned city, it is located to the east of Mexico City and west of Mexico's main port, Veracruz, on the main route between the two.The city was founded...

.

Before arriving in the New World, Salmerón earned a doctor of law degree and was counselor to Emperor Charles V

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...

. Later he was alcalde of Castilla de Oro

Castilla de Oro

Castilla de Oro was the name given by the Spanish settlers at the beginning of the 16th century to the Central American territories from the Gulf of Urabá, near today's Colombian-Panamanian border, to the Belén River. Beyond that river, the region was known as Veragua, and was disputed by the...

, in Central America.^{http://www.sintesisdigital.com.mx/contrapuntos.php?id=364}

After the criminal disaster of the First Audiencia of Mexico City, Emperor Charles V carefully chose five upstanding men to replace them, as the Second Audiencia. The Second Audiencia was named in a royal decree dated January 12, 1530. It was made up of Bishop Sebastián Ramírez de Fuenleal

Sebastián Ramírez de Fuenleal

Sebastián Ramírez de Fuenleal was bishop of Santo Domingo and president of the Audiencia of Santo Domingo 1528 to 1531. He was also president of the second Audiencia of New Spain...

 as president, and Salmerón, Francisco Ceinos

Francisco Ceinos

Francisco Ceinos was one of five oidores of the second Audiencia of New Spain. This group governed the colony from January 10, 1531 to April 16, 1535. Ceinos was also in the Audiencias that served as interim governments of New Spain from 1564 to 1566 and from approximately July 1568 to November...

, Alonso de Maldonado

Alonso de Maldonado

Alonso de Maldonado was a Spanish lawyer and a member of the Second Audiencia of Mexico City, which governed New Spain from January 10, 1531 to April 16, 1535. He was also president of the First Audiencia of Guatemala, and in that capacity interim governor of Guatemala from 1536 to September 15, 1539...

 and Vasco de Quiroga

Vasco de Quiroga

Vasco de Quiroga was the first bishop of Michoacán, Mexico and one of the judges in the second Audiencia that governed New Spain from January 10, 1531 to April 16, 1535....

 as oidores. All of these men were honest, honorable and capable. All were licentiates.

Bishop Sebastián Ramírez de Fuenleal was in 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...

 at the time, but the other members of the Audiencia were in Spain. They sailed from Seville

Seville

Seville is the artistic, historic, cultural, and financial capital of southern Spain. It is the capital of the autonomous community of Andalusia and of the province of Seville. It is situated on the plain of the River Guadalquivir, with an average elevation of above sea level...

 on September 16, 1530 and arrived in the port of Veracruz in the early part of 1531.^{http://www.mexicantextiles.com/library/purepacha/patzcuaro.pdf}

The second Audiencia improved the road from Veracruz to Mexico City, and along the way founded the city of Puebla de los Angeles

Puebla, Puebla

The city and municipality of Puebla is the capital of the state of Puebla, and one of the five most important colonial cities in Mexico. Being a planned city, it is located to the east of Mexico City and west of Mexico's main port, Veracruz, on the main route between the two.The city was founded...

 as a resting-place for travelers (April 16, 1531). It imported horses and cattle from Spain, took steps to import a printing press, founded the Imperial College of Santiago Tlatelolco for higher learning for young Indigenous men, renewed exploration, and continued work on the cathedral of Mexico City. Enslavement of Indians was prohibited in 1532. The Second Audiencia brought suit against the oidores of the First Audiencia Nuño Beltrán de Guzmán

Nuño Beltrán de Guzmán

Nuño Beltrán de Guzmán or sometimes Nuño de Guzmán was a Spanish conquistador and colonial administrator in New Spain. He was Governor of the province of Pánuco from 1525–1533, and of Nueva Galicia from 1529–1534, President of the first Audiencia from 1528-30. He founded several cities in...

, Juan Ortiz de Matienzo

Juan Ortiz de Matienzo

Juan Ortiz de Matienzo was a Spanish colonial judge and a member of the first Real Audiencia in the New World, that of Santo Domingo, in 1511...

 and Diego Delgadillo

Diego Delgadillo

Diego Delgadillo was a judge of the first Audiencia of New Spain, which governed the colony from December 9, 1528 to January 9, 1531.Delgadillo was a native of Granada...

. Beltrán de Guzmán was absent from the capital, but the other two corrupt officials were sent back to Spain as prisoners.^{http://www.members.tripod.com/~hispanidad/hechos12.htm}

When Ramírez de Fuenleal decided to found the city of Puebla as a resting place for travelers between 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...

 and Mexico City, Fray Toribio and Oidor Salmerón were chosen commissioners for the task.^{http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/10601a.htm} Together with a large number of Indian laborers, they built the city. Fray Toribio said the first Catholic Mass there, on 16 April 1531.

Salmerón was also involved in the repartimientos de tierras (divisions of lands) in the Valley of Atlixco

Atlixco

Atlixco is a city and a municipality in the Mexican state of Puebla. It is located only 24 km south of the city of Puebla, yet it is 300 meters lower in altitude, at 1840 m. This drop in altitude causes a noticeable change in the weather of the city compared to the surrounding regions of the...

 surrounding Puebla. The first repartimiento occurred on December 5, 1532, to 34 Spanish settlers. Salmerón made the division, in the presence of and with the consent of Indigenous chiefs (Don Pedro, Señor of Huejotzingo, Don Juan, governor of the same place, Don Pedro, Señor of Calpan and Atlixco, and "many other señors and principals of the named pueblos"). Witnesses included Fray Jacobo de Testera

Jacobo de Testera

Fray Jacobo de Testera or Jacobo de Tastera was a Franciscan Friar of the 16th century who worked as a missionary to the indigenous peoples of New Spain. Born into a noble family in Bayonne, France he entered the Franciscan order around 1500 and went to Seville where he eventually became palace...

, of the convent of Huejotzingo, Notary Public Francisco de Orduña and Fray Diego de la Cruz of Cholula

Cholula

Cholula is a city and district located in the center west of the state of Puebla, next to the city of Puebla de Zaragoza, in central Mexico. Cholula is best known for its Great Pyramid, with the Nuestra Señora de los Remedios sanctuary on top and its numerous churches...

.^{http://www.atlixco.gob.mx/turismo/segundo_simposium.pdf}

In August 1531, Lic. Salmerón solicited special privileges for the new settlement of Puebla. The Spanish Crown granted it the name "Puebla de Los Angeles", and also granted the settlers an exemption from personal and business taxes for 30 years. These privileges were granted in a royal decree dated March 20, 1532.^{http://www.atlasdeladiversidad.net/areaGruposClase/generador_web.jsp?idr=4558}