THE WOMAN CLOTHED with THE SUN
MOVIE
1546 -Cristóbal de Oñate forms a company with three other Basques he had served with under Guzmán. They are Juan de Tolosa and Miguel and Diego de Ibarra, all from Gipuzkoa and all three relatives of Bishop Zumárraga. -
silver is the basis of the extreme wealth of the Oñates, Tolosas and Ibarras. The three families are excellent examples of a privileged group called hacendados. At the top of society in this new frontier, they engage in conquest, governing, mining, agriculture and livestock raising for several generations. -
1546 - Martín Aranguren, a wealthy businessman and close, trusted friend of Bishop Zumárraga, becomes administrator for Zumárraga’s Hospital de Bubas. It is the first hospital in the New World. Aranguren is also the sole heir to Zumárraga’s estate. -
1536 — Bishop Zumárraga’s closest inner-circle of advisors are Basque. They are Martín Ynoso, Juanes Ochoa Egurbide and Antso Larrazabal. Egurbide and Larrazabal are his nephews. -
1531— Oñate helps found San Miguel de Culiacán. The Viceroy of New Spain, Antonio de Mendoza, begins hearing of Guzmán’s atrocities involving the Indians and, urged on by Franciscan Father Bartolomé de las Casas and Bishop Zumárraga, he has Guzmán arrested in 1535. Guzmán returns him to Spain in 1536 where he dies in obscurity in 1544. (Guzmán’s arrest comes after he had threatened Zumárraga with imprisonment and the gallows. Guzman’s agents also confiscate Zumárraga’s letters to the king reporting his murderous activities. Zumárraga finally manages to get a letter out of Mexico to Spain and the king, smuggled in a block of wax via a Basque sailor, and Guzmán’s crimes are exposed.
1542 — Frey Luís de Urbeda, an early colleague of Bishop Zumárraga, is also on Coronado’s trek into the unknown north. -
New Galicia reverts to the control of the Colonial Government of New Spain. In 1542, Guadalajara is moved one last time and re-founded under the direction of Oñate and Miguel de Ibarra, as well as Miguel’s nephew, Diego de Ibarra. It becomes the capital of Jalisco and the second largest city in Mexico. Oñate also is one of the founders of Culicán. -
1530 to 1542 — The Oñate brothers are captains in the company of soldiers under the direction of one of the most bloodthirsty and evil conquistadors in New World history, Nuño Beltrán de Guzmán, known as “Bloody Guzmán.” Among the other Basques in the Guzmán expedition are: Juan de Tolosa, Juan de Villalba, Domingo de Arteaga, Jerónimo Pérez de Arciniega, Martín de Rentería, Miguel de Ibarra, Jerónimo de Orozco, Juan de Zubia, Juan de Urbina, Rodrigo Guipuzcoano and Vincente and Juan de Zaldívar. -
Historian Mallea-Olaetxe also reports that Zumárraga might also have been the first Basque sheepman in North America. Most importantly, however, Zumárraga believes that the Indians are actual human beings. This is an opinion not shared by everyone, including some of his closest religious friends. Zumárraga lays the foundations for the Christian Church in Mexico and is a major force in the implantation of Western culture in Mexico. -
In 1537, Zumárraga sends a long letter to a distant relative in Durango, smuggled via a Basque ship captain named Urrutia. Written primarily in Castilian, about 400 words are in Euskara, which he uses to explain secretly that, on his and his Basque collaborators’ behalf, some Basque shipmasters will be smuggling money into Durango. (According to professor Joxe Mallea-Olaetxe, these collaborators are Matxin Ibañez Hernani and Antso Gartzi Larrazabal.) Zumárraga does not want any Castilian official to know of these matters in case the letter falls into their hands.
I1527— Juan de Zumárraga is named first bishop of Nueva España, New Spain. (According to Basque historian Pastor, Basques were involved in every ecclesiastical sector or activity in the New World.) In Mexico Zumárraga surrounds himself with Basque relatives and compatriots and he recruits colonists from his native Durango, Bizkaia, to come to Mexico. Among these are: Antso Gartzi Larrazabal, Juan Lopez Zumárraga, Andres Mucharaz, Martin Mucharaz, Martín Zabala, Juan Mendiola and his entire family, Patxi Urquiaga, Andres Zuricaray, Juana Zumarraga, Juan de Tolosa, Diego de Ibarra, Miguel Ibarra, and Juan Urrutia (both of whom are slave traders) Antso Lopez Agurto and Miguel Lopez Legazpi y Gorrocatagui, the man who later bloodlessly conquers the Philippines. -
1525 to 1527 — By this early date several Basque merchants have prominently established themselves in Nueva España. Among these are Miguel Ibarra and Antso Agurto (mentioned previously) Gabriel de Valmaseda, Martín Aburruza, Martín Ipinza and Sebastian Aquearza. -
1524 — Bizkaian Juan de Orduña is secretary of the council of Mexico City -
1519-1520 — A significant number of Basques are among the troops led by Cortéz and Pánfilo de Narváez in their conquest of Mexico. Indeed, according to historian Jose Pastor, with the exceptions of the Extremadurans and Andalusians, no other group of colonists with Cortéz is as numerous as the Basques. Among the Basques who took part in the conquest of Mexico with Cortéz and Narváez are the following: Juan Arguena, Martín López, Pedro de Anaya, Antón de Arizabala, Juan de Arriaga, Juan Pérez de Arteaga, Pedro de Berrio, Sebastián de Zubieta, Pedro de Carranza, Andrés de Eibar, Juan de Fuenterrabía, Cristóbal Martín de Gamboa, Diego de Arisnea, Heredia el Viejo, Martín de Ircio, Pedro de Ircio, Hernando de Lezama, Martín Ruíz de Monjaraz, Gregorio de Monjaraz, Juan de Montano, Juan de Lizana, Rodrigo Guipúzcoano, Martín Ramos, Juan Espinosa, Pedro de Orduña, Alonso de Motrico, Diego de Olarte Gonzalo de Ochoa, Diego de Sopuerta, Andrés del Arnés de Sopuerta, Juan de San Sebastián, Pedro de Urbieta, Juan Ruiz de Viana, Alonso de Zuazo, Juan de Guetaria, Romos Martín, Juan de Aguirre, Hernando de Argueta, Miguel Arriaga, Domingo de Arteaga, Juan de Azpeitia, Juan Díaz de Azpeitia, Francisco de Berrio, Hernando de Elgueta, Gaspar de Guernica, Diego de Guinea, Juan de Guevara, Juan Bono de Guecho, Juan de Vizcaíno, Guillén de Laloa, Hernando de Lezama, Juan de Lezcano, Diego de Mortrico, Francisco Martín, Juan de Ochoa de Lexalde, Diego de Ordaz, Diego de Orduña, Francisco de Orduña, Francisco de Orozco, Ochoa de Verazu, Alonso de Orduña, Juan de Orozco Melgar, Diego de Olarte, Ochoa de Asúa, Juan de Ochoa, Martín de San Juan, Juan de Susmiaga, Antonio de Sánchez, Santiago Vizcaíno, Anton de Torraeta, Gonzalo de Urriola, Juan de Ugarte de la Cruz, Pedro Vizcaíno, Alonso de Vergara, Juan de Vergara, Pedro de Vergara, Martín de Vergara, Miguel de Veraza, Juan de Zamudio (with Cortéz), Juan de Zamudio (with Narváez) and Juan de Zubia. The previous list does not include the sailors under the command of Cortéz. These include: Martín López, Juan de Bilbao, Juan Martínez de Aroa, Juanes de Zuaxo, Juanes de Marquina, Miguel de Urbieta, Juan de Balzolo, Pedro de Ochoa, Juan de Escarza, Juanes de Arrieta, Martín de Aspiruntza, Domingo de Elejalde, Martín Pérez de Lezcano and Ortuño Jimenez. 1520 — After the conquest of Mexico, Pánfilo de Narváez is sent by the governor of Cuba, Diego de Velázquez, in an effort to overthrow Velázquez’s rival, Hernán Cortéz. Narváez is defeated. He loses and eye in battle and is imprisoned for two years before he returns to Spain. (During that takeover attempt, a member of Narváez’s army introduces smallpox into Mexico. It is the first of a number of devastating epidemics to strike the natives of the New World. -
August 2, 1492 — Columbus’ First Voyage (Three ships). Columbus’ flagship, the Santa Maria (nicknamed “La Gallega”) is built in Basque shipyards and is the property of Bizkaian, Juan de la Cosa who is also its shipmaster. (De La Cosa is also referred to as Lakotsa, Lakotza, LaCosa, Lacoza, Lakoza and Juan Vizcaíno.) Among the other Basques on the Santa Maria are: Juan de Lequeitio, boatswain from Bizkaia; Martín de Urtubia, cabin boy from Natxitua, Bizkaia; Lope Aresti, caulker from Erandio, Bizkaia; Pérez Vizcaíno, cooper from Lekeitio, Bizkaia; Domingo de Anchiá, cooper from Ispazter, Bizkaia; Diego de Arana, mentioned earlier, who is expedition bailiff and of Basque origin from Córdoba; Domingo Vizcaino; Juan de Urniga and Pedro de Bilbao. Among the Basques on the Niña are: Juan Ruiz de la Peña, from Bizkaia; Juan Martínez de Açogue, from Deba (Deva), Gipuzkoa; Pedro Arraes, from Deba, Juan Arraes (son of Pedro), also from Deba; Miguel de Soria and Pedro de Soria. Among the Basques on the Pinta are: Juan Quintero, from Algorta, Bizkaia; and Ojer de Berástegui, from Gipuzkoa. (Professor Joxe Mallea-Olaetxe and Basque historian Donald Garate report that most Basque names are toponyms—taken from geographical locations. In addition, Garate contends that the additions of “de” and accent marks in Basque names are Castilian or Spanish additions. However, some New World Basques made the personal decision to add “de” to their names for the reason of prestige and/or to show nobility.
“[In the New World] the Basques participated willingly in all of the enterprises in which their presence was sought by the Spanish monarchy. They often acted collectively, as they represented an ethic group and were seen as such by the Crown’s other settlers. They frequently used Euskara, their native language, to provide greater group strength and unity. Nevertheless, the observable clanlike spirit demonstrated by the Basques could camouflage the fact that they were often highly individualistic and competitive among themselves. Not infrequently, they resolutely defied the established powers through their leading roles in desertions, rebellions, mutinies, and various conspiracies…” After making landfall October 11 in the Bahamas, Columbus’ crews replenish their supplies and continue sailing the Caribbean area. December 25, 1492 — The Santa Maria becomes shipwrecked off the coast of present day Haiti. The first Spanish-American establishment in the New World, La Navidad, is built with the remains of this Basque ship. (Columbus did not set out to “discover America.” In fact, Columbus never set foot on nor saw what is now America, or even North America. He set out to reach the Spice Islands by sailing directly west from Spain. Some historians call his discovery of the New World “history’s most magnificent accident.”) As Columbus and Juan de la Cosa return to Spain for provisions and additional men, thirty-nine of the crew (Including the remaining Bizkaians) stay behind at La Navidad under the command of Diego de Arana. (Apparently, Columbus intentionally ran the Santa Maria onto a sandbar. In order to claim new lands, the Spanish government required a settlement to be built on the new territory. In addition, he could not ask for volunteers to stay ashore while he returned to Spain. The “shipwreck” solved both problems.) At the time of Columbus’ first voyage the native population of Mexico has been estimated to be 17 million, 2-1/2 times larger than the population of Spain. There are another 3 million natives in the Caribbean Islands and more than 5 million in Central America. South America may hold an additional 24 million. -