Villasur expedition
Encyclopedia
The Villasur expedition of 1720 was a Spanish military expedition
intended to check the growing French
presence on the Great Plains
of central North America
. Led by Lieutenant-General Pedro de Villasur, the expedition was overwhelmed in an attack by far more numerous Pawnee and Otoe
.
In the first part of the 18th century, French explorers
and fur traders began to enter the plains west of the Missouri River
. In 1714, Étienne de Veniard, Sieur de Bourgmont
became the first European to reach the Platte River
. Spain, which had claimed "ownership" of the Great Plains since the Coronado expedition
of the 16th century, worried about the expansion of French influence in the region. In 1718, the War of the Quadruple Alliance
broke out between France and Spain.
The governor of the Spanish colony of Nuevo México
, based in Santa Fe, directed Villasur to capture French traders on the plains. Spanish authorities hoped to gather intelligence about French ambitions in the region. Villasur left Santa Fe
on June 16, 1720, leading an expedition that included about 40 soldiers, 60-70 Pueblo
scouts, a priest, and a Spanish trader, and approximately 12 Apache
guides. Jose Naranjo
, the leading scout and explorer, was of African-Hopi
parentage. A war captain for the Spanish Indian auxiliaries, by 1714 Naranjo had already explored the Platte River
region three times.
The expedition made its way northeast through present-day Colorado
, Kansas
and Nebraska
. In August, they made contact with the Pawnee and Otoe
along the Platte and Loup
rivers. Using Francisco Sistaca, a Pawnee held as a slave (and renamed) by the Spanish, Villasur made several attempts to negotiate with Indians in the area. On August 13, Sistaca disappeared from camp. Nervous about the possibility of attack and the increasing number and belligerence of the Pawnee and Otoe, Villasur camped that night just south of the Loup/Platte confluence, near what is now Columbus, Nebraska
.
The following morning (August 14), a large Pawnee and Oto force (possibly aided by French traders) attacked the Spanish camp. They quickly killed Villasur, 34 of his soldiers, Naranjo and 10 other Pueblo scouts after a brief battle. The survivors returned to Santa Fe on September 6. The expedition, which had journeyed farther to the north and east than any other Spanish military expedition, marked the end of Spanish influence on the central Great Plains.
Spanish colonization of the Americas
Colonial expansion under the Spanish Empire was initiated by the Spanish conquistadores and developed by the Monarchy of Spain through its administrators and missionaries. The motivations for colonial expansion were trade and the spread of the Christian faith through indigenous conversions...
intended to check the growing French
New France
New France was the area colonized by France in North America during a period beginning with the exploration of the Saint Lawrence River by Jacques Cartier in 1534 and ending with the cession of New France to Spain and Great Britain in 1763...
presence on the Great Plains
Great Plains
The Great Plains are a broad expanse of flat land, much of it covered in prairie, steppe and grassland, which lies west of the Mississippi River and east of the Rocky Mountains in the United States and Canada. This area covers parts of the U.S...
of central North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
. Led by Lieutenant-General Pedro de Villasur, the expedition was overwhelmed in an attack by far more numerous Pawnee and Otoe
Otoe tribe
The Otoe or Oto are a Native American people. The Otoe language, Chiwere, is part of the Siouan family and closely related to that of the related Iowa and Missouri tribes.-History:...
.
In the first part of the 18th century, French explorers
Exploration
Exploration is the act of searching or traveling around a terrain for the purpose of discovery of resources or information. Exploration occurs in all non-sessile animal species, including humans...
and fur traders began to enter the plains west of the Missouri River
Missouri River
The Missouri River flows through the central United States, and is a tributary of the Mississippi River. It is the longest river in North America and drains the third largest area, though only the thirteenth largest by discharge. The Missouri's watershed encompasses most of the American Great...
. In 1714, Étienne de Veniard, Sieur de Bourgmont
Étienne de Veniard, Sieur de Bourgmont
Étienne de Veniard, Sieur de Bourgmont was a French explorer who documented his travels on the Missouri and Platte rivers in North America and made the first European maps of these areas. He wrote two accounts of his travels, which included descriptions of the Native American tribes he encountered...
became the first European to reach the Platte River
Platte River
The Platte River is a major river in the state of Nebraska and is about long. Measured to its farthest source via its tributary the North Platte River, it flows for over . The Platte River is a tributary of the Missouri River, which in turn is a tributary of the Mississippi River which flows to...
. Spain, which had claimed "ownership" of the Great Plains since the Coronado expedition
Francisco Vásquez de Coronado
Francisco Vásquez de Coronado y Luján was a Spanish conquistador, who visited New Mexico and other parts of what are now the southwestern United States between 1540 and 1542...
of the 16th century, worried about the expansion of French influence in the region. In 1718, the War of the Quadruple Alliance
War of the Quadruple Alliance
The War of the Quadruple Alliance was a result of the ambitions of King Philip V of Spain, his wife, Elisabeth Farnese, and his chief minister Giulio Alberoni to retake territories in Italy and to claim the French throne. It saw the defeat of Spain by an alliance of Britain, France, Austria , and...
broke out between France and Spain.
The governor of the Spanish colony of Nuevo México
Santa Fe de Nuevo México
Santa Fe de Nuevo México was a province of New Spain and later Mexico that existed from the late 16th century up through the mid-19th century. It was centered on the upper valley of the Rio Grande , in an area that included most of the present-day U.S. state of New Mexico...
, based in Santa Fe, directed Villasur to capture French traders on the plains. Spanish authorities hoped to gather intelligence about French ambitions in the region. Villasur left Santa Fe
Santa Fe, New Mexico
Santa Fe is the capital of the U.S. state of New Mexico. It is the fourth-largest city in the state and is the seat of . Santa Fe had a population of 67,947 in the 2010 census...
on June 16, 1720, leading an expedition that included about 40 soldiers, 60-70 Pueblo
Pueblo people
The Pueblo people are a Native American people in the Southwestern United States. Their traditional economy is based on agriculture and trade. When first encountered by the Spanish in the 16th century, they were living in villages that the Spanish called pueblos, meaning "towns". Of the 21...
scouts, a priest, and a Spanish trader, and approximately 12 Apache
Apache
Apache is the collective term for several culturally related groups of Native Americans in the United States originally from the Southwest United States. These indigenous peoples of North America speak a Southern Athabaskan language, which is related linguistically to the languages of Athabaskan...
guides. Jose Naranjo
José Naranjo
José Alberto Naranjo Rivera is a Mexican football forward who played for Mexico in the 1950 and 1954 FIFA World Cups. He also played for CD Oro.-External links:*...
, the leading scout and explorer, was of African-Hopi
Hopi
The Hopi are a federally recognized tribe of indigenous Native American people, who primarily live on the Hopi Reservation in northeastern Arizona. The Hopi area according to the 2000 census has a population of 6,946 people. Their Hopi language is one of the 30 of the Uto-Aztecan language...
parentage. A war captain for the Spanish Indian auxiliaries, by 1714 Naranjo had already explored the Platte River
Platte River
The Platte River is a major river in the state of Nebraska and is about long. Measured to its farthest source via its tributary the North Platte River, it flows for over . The Platte River is a tributary of the Missouri River, which in turn is a tributary of the Mississippi River which flows to...
region three times.
The expedition made its way northeast through present-day Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
, Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
and Nebraska
Nebraska
Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
. In August, they made contact with the Pawnee and Otoe
Otoe tribe
The Otoe or Oto are a Native American people. The Otoe language, Chiwere, is part of the Siouan family and closely related to that of the related Iowa and Missouri tribes.-History:...
along the Platte and Loup
Loup River
The Loup River is a tributary of the Platte River, approximately long, in central Nebraska in the United States. The river drains a sparsely populated rural agricultural area on the eastern edge of the Great Plains southeast of the Sandhills...
rivers. Using Francisco Sistaca, a Pawnee held as a slave (and renamed) by the Spanish, Villasur made several attempts to negotiate with Indians in the area. On August 13, Sistaca disappeared from camp. Nervous about the possibility of attack and the increasing number and belligerence of the Pawnee and Otoe, Villasur camped that night just south of the Loup/Platte confluence, near what is now Columbus, Nebraska
Columbus, Nebraska
Columbus is a city in east central Nebraska, United States. Its population was 22,111 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Platte County.-Pre-settlement history:...
.
The following morning (August 14), a large Pawnee and Oto force (possibly aided by French traders) attacked the Spanish camp. They quickly killed Villasur, 34 of his soldiers, Naranjo and 10 other Pueblo scouts after a brief battle. The survivors returned to Santa Fe on September 6. The expedition, which had journeyed farther to the north and east than any other Spanish military expedition, marked the end of Spanish influence on the central Great Plains.
External links
- "Villasur Sent to Nebraska", Nebraska Studies