Montejo expedition
Spanish maritime expedition, 1527–1528
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The Montejo expedition was a Spanish military and martime expedition to the Maya Lowlands in 1527–1528, during the conquest of Yucatan, led by Francisco de Montejo, who was named adelantado and thereby authorised to conquer the Postclassic Maya polities there for New Spain. The campaign had mixed results: Montejo was well-received and aided in Ekab, but was ill-received and resisted by Chikinchel and Chetumal, the former via battle and the latter via deception. The Spanish won their engagements against the former polity but failed to subdue the latter.
Modern mural depicting La Conquista | |
| Sponsor | Francisco de Montejo |
|---|---|
| Country | New Spain |
| Leader | Francisco de Montejo |
| Start | Seville late June 1527 |
| End | Veracruz by September 1528 |
| Goal | to conquer and settle the Maya Lowland polities in Yucatan and Cozumel |
| Ships | San Jerónimo, Nicolasa, La Gavarra, unnamed fourth ship |
| Crew | over 250 men |
| Fatalities | Unknown |
| Achievements | Won two battles against Chikinchel |
Background
The Maya are thought to have first come to the attention of the Spanish in 1517, after the disastrous Cordoba expedition from Cuba to Ekab and neighbouring polities.[7] Cordoba's surviving crew brought back exciting news of rich discoveries,[8] prompting the Santiago sailors to renewed exploratory zeal,[13] and shortly leading to a smallpox epidemic in the Lowlands.[10] On 8 December 1526, the Salamancan conquistador Francisco de Montejo, a principal subordinate to Juan de Grijalva and Hernán Cortés in prior campaigns,[10] was named adelantado of Yucatan and Cozumel by Charles I, authorising his conquest and settlement of the same.[15] Montejo first named his second-in-command, Alonso Dávila (a close colleague and participant in the Grijalva and Cortes expeditions),[16] with whom he then engaged four ships (including San Jerónimo, Nicolasa, La Gavarra) and over 250 men (including Crown representatives and frays) in Seville.[18]
Expedition
Montejo set sail from Seville in late June 1527, were thoroughly refitted in Santo Domingo, and landed in Cozumel in late September 1527.[19] The flotilla were reportedly afforded a warm reception by the islanders and Naum Pat (the local batab or mayor), allowing them to water for a few days before proceeding to the mainland.[22] They explored their immediate landing site (in Ekab), and came upon the towns of Xelha and Zama, where they were similarly well-received, prompting Montejo to found a settlement in the area, christened Salamanca, in October 1527.[23] Their substantial demands for foodstuffs soon grew irksome to locals, upon which Salamanca saw their supplies dwindle.[24] In late 1527 or early 1528, after a trying period of near-famine and disease, the Spanish moved northwards.[25] With Pat's intercession, they were purportedly kindly welcomed throughout the province.[28] In the spring of 1528, the Montejo party entered Chauaka, capital of Chikinchel.[29] Here, the Spanish were decidedly unwelcome, sparking a skirmish which Montejo won.[30] They next headed to Ake (likewise in Chikinchel), where they were likewise engaged (in an encounter now known as the Battle of Ake) and where the Spanish were similarly victorious.[31] This northern foray having proved a success, Montejo headed back south to Salamanca, arriving in mid or late summer of 1528.[33] Here, the men (now whittled down to a party of 70 to 75) were provisioned from Santo Domingo by La Gavarra, whereupon they embarked on a two-pronged foray (by land and sea) southwards.[34]
Southern leg
For their sourthern entrada in the late summer of 1528, Montejo was to hug the eastern Yucatan coast with eight to ten men aboard the brigantine or caravel La Gavarra, whilst Davila took a parallel route by land with the majority of their men (some 40 to 55).[36] They set the eponymous port and capital of Chetumal as their rendezvous point, which Montejo reached first, having somehow managed to navigate through the barrier reef.[39] Unsure of the reception awaiting them, Montejo and his men kidnapped three or four residents under cover of darkness, and set about interrogating them to gather intelligence.[40] The hostages revealled the presence of Gonzalo Guerrero, a shipwrecked Spanish sailor who had entered (or been forced into) service for the local halach winik or governor (Nachan Kan), and who was now nakom or commanding officer of the province's military or militia.[40] Montejo despatched one of his captives to Guerrero, inviting the nakom to break rank and join the Spanish conquest (but was rebuffed).[40]
As Chetumal prepared for possible battle, Kan and Guerrero apparently sought to preclude it by keeping Davila (of whose approach they had seemingly had advance warning), presently thirty leagues north, from reaching the port.[38] Prior to (or at about the date of) Montejo's arrival, runners had been (or were) sent northwards to Davila, with instructions to present themselves as friendly guides and lead the party westwards, whereupon they were to inform the lieutenant that Montejo had been lost at sea.[41] The greater threat thus dealt with, Kan and Guerrero now set out to buy time by placating Montejo, treating with him kindly and ministering to his crew's needs. Both feints apparently worked, as upon being informed that the Davila party had all perished, Montejo promptly took his leave and carried on southwards to Ulua River, where he exited the barrier reef's inner waters and sailed back north to Salamanca.[42] Davila similarly took his guides' word at face value, and likewise marched back north on learning of Montejo's supposed demise.[43]
Aftermath
Montejo reached Salamanca (which had been moved north to Xamanha) after Davila, whereupon they discovered the Chetumal ruse.[43] As Montejo had found its harbour exceedingly good, he determined that they would gather reinforcements in Veracruz for a renewed offensive on Chetumal.[43] It was likely still late summer of 1528 when they set sail.[44] By December of that year, Montejo and his alférez mayor, Gonzalo Nieto, had engaged sufficient men, provisions, and two large vessels in Veracruz and Mexico City for a renewed campaign.[45] These plans were abruptly upset, however, when the adelantado received the Real Audiencia of Mexico's authorisation to pacify Maya polities in the north and west Lowlands for New Spain.[46] It was not until these polities (Chakan, Can Pech, Ah Canul) had been pacified that the adelantado would once again set his sights on Chetumal (in early 1531).[47]
See also
- Cordoba expedition – similar campaign in 1517
- Davila entrada – similar campaign in 1531