Pueblo Revolt of 1680
“ Every Pueblo from Acoma to Pecos, from Taos to Isleta rose to destroy the Spanish presence north of El Paso. Of the 2,500 colonists approximately 380 were killed, including 21 of the 33 resident friars. ” Stated by Henry Warner Bowden, in his article entitled Spanish Missions, Cultural Conflict and the Pueblo Revolt of 1680, a reader is able to grasp an in depth understanding of the various factors that led to the Pueblo Revolt of 1680. Apart from Bowden’s research, I have obtained other information from different authors and have been able to come up with a general assumption as to why this event occurred in the history of our country. Based upon the knowledge of various authors, I have come up with the following statement. The Pueblo Revolt of 1680 was brought about by the religious oppression of Pueblo Indians by Franciscan friars.
Having briefly introduced the reasoning behind the Pueblo Revolt of 1680, I believe it is first important to provide a background on the lifestyle of the Pueblo people before Spanish conquest occurred. In order to gain a more concise perspective of this historical event, one must first understand who the Pueblo people were and what their society consisted of. During the year 1540 A.D., the Pueblo Indians were densely populated in large plaza-orientated villages throughout the state of New Mexico. The majority of these villages often surrounded valley bottoms because these areas proved to be more fertile for sustaining life. During this point in time, the Pueblo people often gathered in underground areas known as kivas, and the total Pueblo population consisted of 30 to 40 thousand people. In these underground areas, the Pueblo Indians performed various ceremonial activities, most of which, were focused on their religious practices. The Pueblo Indians valued their religious beliefs very highly and because of this, they spent a lot of time performing various ceremonial rituals.
In regards to the time before Spanish conquest, (the
Having briefly introduced the reasoning behind the Pueblo Revolt of 1680, I believe it is first important to provide a background on the lifestyle of the Pueblo people before Spanish conquest occurred. In order to gain a more concise perspective of this historical event, one must first understand who the Pueblo people were and what their society consisted of. During the year 1540 A.D., the Pueblo Indians were densely populated in large plaza-orientated villages throughout the state of New Mexico. The majority of these villages often surrounded valley bottoms because these areas proved to be more fertile for sustaining life. During this point in time, the Pueblo people often gathered in underground areas known as kivas, and the total Pueblo population consisted of 30 to 40 thousand people. In these underground areas, the Pueblo Indians performed various ceremonial activities, most of which, were focused on their religious practices. The Pueblo Indians valued their religious beliefs very highly and because of this, they spent a lot of time performing various ceremonial rituals.
In regards to the time before Spanish conquest, (the