Indians (Reduccion)

Letter by Chacon concerning verification of establishment of 15 missions along Seno Mexicano by apostolic college of Zacatecas; gives some detail about a few of these; F.302 mentions epidemics among Indians at missions, no specifics. Second letter by Valcarcel concerns affiliation of presidios with missions, pay of chaplains. (A. Dean, may 1990)

Letters between Escandon, several missionaries to determine how to divide funds among missions; papers to formalize decision. Further discussion of details of ornamentation, building of missions. Discusses how many Villas should be considered spiritual domain of one missionary. (A. Dean, may 1990)

Concerning establishment of missions along Seno Mexicano. Ff.227-230 concern 6000 pesos to be given to apostolic college of Zacatecas toward construction, ornamentation of three missions at Nuezes, Salinas, Llano. Mentions importing grain, seed, copper, iron for missions. F.236 lists distances between new missions, other places. F.237 mentions 14 projected missions in addition to new three. F.240 speaks of preparations for reduccion of Indians. F.251 general history of spread of missionization across Nueva Espana; describes how new missions will augment effort. F.256 involves to some extent rivalry between apostolic colleges of Zacatecas, Querataro vying to open more missions first, get more funding. Lists which college runs which missions. (A. Dean, may 1990)

Concerns autos, plans and conditions for establishment of Reynosa by Escandon. Area first populated to pacify Indians, become familiar with the land and to test feasibility of irrigation in area. Escandon provides instructions for agricultural methods until construction of well completed. Escandon conducts, with assistance of others, review of population, property, land, Esquadra and Indians. Asks for reports regarding probability of permanence of Indians in area and need for new mission. Contains list of families including marital status, name, age and property. Contains list of Esquadra with same information. States conditions for population and Esquadra and their obligations to the town. Provides information on all Indian nations, whether armed or not, name of capitan, where raised, if baptised and likelihood of remaining peacefully in area. Mentions food supplies and basic sustenance. Contains list of property in town including horses, cattle and mules. Includes detailed description of land and digging of well. Mentions which lands need irrigation, which are fertile. Indians working for Spanish are given clothing and dry-goods. Includes city plan with provisions for church and convent and drawing of rivers around location. (M. Dannemiller, March 1989)

These acts and reports describe the situation of the recently founded villages and missions of the seno Mexicano. They list the natural resources available near each village, emphasizing the convenience of their future exploitation (E.g., fishing, salt, wood, metals). Each mission presents an account that includes a brief report on the primary needs for consolidating the evangelization in the region, an estimation of the number of Indians living in the reducciones, specifying their age and ethnic filiation, and a description of the kind and quantity of crops, animals and facilities. For several villages it is also included a complete list of the vecinos with information about family composition, caste and individual possessions. (A. Nielsen November 1989)

In a Series of letters Escandon requests several items that will salaries for new officials, funds to support the settlers until they reap their first crop, a variety of goods for establishing settlements (agricultural equipment, clothes for the Indians to be reduced, oxen, tobacco, hardware, gunpowder, etc.). He also requests the promotion of low rank military officials that participated in his first expedition, an explicit order directed to local authorities of the frontier for them not to interfere with his undertaking, and the establishment of severe punishment for Indians who flee from the reducciones. Several changes to found two more villages, more funds are necessary, etc. The authorities continue to support the enterprise enthusiastically. (A. Nielsen, November 1989)

The colegio de Propaganda fide is asked to designate priests to preach to the Indians of the new territories explored in the Seno Mexicano. The junta de guerra y hacienda meets in Mexico to analyze the possibility of executing the plan of colonization proposed by Escandon. All the antecedents of his expedition, including previous flawed attempts are reviewed in detail. Several steps are also taken toward the concretion of the is given broad faculties, precise orders are given concerning the reduction and general treatment of the Indians, etc. (A. Nielsen, November 1989)

Rodriguez, Caudillo of Nuestra Senora de la Soledad de las Canoas, asks for a priest to be sent to preach to the Chichimecas. He also wants to resign his post because he is afraid of being murdered by the Indians. Authorities order him to stay, telling him they will send soldiers to reinforce his position. These documents are included as a proof related to the report that follows, which analyzes in detail Escandon's settlement proposal for the seno Mexicano, including his plan of reoccupying las Canoas (also called San Jose Tanguanchin). Special attention is given to the possibility of exploiting several resources in the area, as salt (describing a method for its extraction), wood (for boat-making), minerals, etc. The strategic advantages of the enterprise, its impact upon the communications network, and its financial cost for the real hacienda, are all carefully analyzed. In the final part, the concrete steps that are necessary to take for the execution of the project are considered. (A. Nielsen, November 1989)

Virrey requires Escandon to notify him of certain money and religious ornaments that Escandon received; Osorio and Palacio require payment for their services from the virrey; virrey orders Rubio to send a religious to Tamaulipa; letter from virrey with 30 instructions about how to behave and what to do in Nuevo Santander as gobernador, from folio 356-365; letter from virrey with 17 instructions for establishment of Tetillas, from folio 366-369; virrey gives position to Gonzalez de Santianez as gobernador of Nuevo Santander in substitution of Rubio in August 19, 1769; notification letter that Gonzalez de Santianez will establish Tetillas Pueblo. (D. Bautista, November 1989)

Signed. Concerns defense of Escandon; begins with minimization of charges and a briefly history of Escandons' ascendant career, merits from king; Escandon was in arms and participating in the ejection of British in Laguna in 1720; 1728, was named by virrey as sargento mayor later virrey gave him the title of Coronel; November 15, 1741, Escandon was named as teniente general de la Sierra gorda he gave missions to Franciscanos religious from San Diego de pachuca and San Fernando; he founded and establish four villages with no cost to the royal hacienda; September 3, 1746 in a royal decree full of eulogys virrey gives to Escandon all responsibilities in the mission of pacification de los barbaros de la Sierra gorda and he is named lugar teniente de la Costa del Seno Mexicano; December 1748, founded the first village in area which by 1759 had 20 villages; on folio 182 details of population; in 1757 virrey sent comission to investigate colony; in 1765 virrey orders Escandon to found five new villages in strategic places to stop the continual Indians attacks; strongest defense allegation is envy of Resendi family against Escandon and their plan to get him out of the colony and appeal to the virrey for the titles for their family; in folio 229 is a Spaniards description of Indians; defense by Escandon who defends himself charge by charge; since Escandon was commissioned by the virrey y la junta real de hacienda, they knew that it was a project that was subject to failure, in other words he was not obligated to succeed in his attempt; in selecting captains Escandon never chose the most specialized but selected the ones that were dedicated to the well being of the village; all that the fiscal imputed to Escandon was never supported with real evidence only anonimous statements from someone who heard rumors but had no hard evidence; not even fray Garcia was found in his mission to testify against Escandon to the auditors Osorio and Palacio; in regard to the murder of Indians by Escandon's captains, the fiscal never found witnesses; some of the crimes were investigated by Escandon and he found that the actions benefited the pacification and well being of the village. Escandon repremanded the captain and notified the capitania general. The women and children were placed in missions when the men were murdered or sent to a presidio but never were they sold and sent to Querataro in a collera as the accusations assert; in treatment of criminals, Escandon always followed the royal laws which permitted pardons of criminals if they serve the king. These people were serving the king by risking their lifes in the establishment of the colony; in regard to his rejection of Apaches, he argues it is well known that Apaches don't want anything except trading, and that Spain suffers terribles consequences when it assumes Apaches will remain peaceful in missions. He argued that too often they will suddenly murder, rape and destroy a village. For this reason Escandon avoided Apaches. On March 29, 1763, the royal cedula expired which authorized captain trenda y el ingeniero de la Camara alta to make the first audit of Escandon and nothing wrong was found except for the plot of the Resendi family, 17800 question the official informe by saying that it was corrupted by la voz de oro y Plata de Escandon pudo mas; but in the second audit nobody knew about it, not even the fiscal o el auditor and the results were no different. Escandon is exonerated from all charges. Descendants of Escandon have the right to claim what Escandon left them. (D. Bautista, November 1989)