The Indians would have to return down to the valley after starvation set in. Eventually, the Indians had to surrender to the Spaniards led by de Vargas. The Spaniards never could successfully ascend Black Mesa. When the Spaniards attempted to scale the mesa with ladders and along pathways they were met with rocks falling upon them. This was not the first time that the San Ildefenso Puebloans had fled to Black Mesa as a defense against threats. Scaling the walls as you can see in the photos is not an easy task. When the Spaniards headed north to the Rio Grande, the Indians in turn climbed to the top of Black Mesa which served as a natural defensive position. The San Ildefenso Pueblo was considered among the very last to recognize the Spanish reconquest. It was at this very mesa shown on the photos in this article that the Indians of San Ildefenso along with other pueblo people resisted the Spaniards during their reconquest of Nuevo Mexico in 1694. This was the action that resulted in theīlack Mesa is on the San Ildefenso Pueblo Vargas made plans to bring the remaining ones in line, most residing around Inġ694, there were only four pueblos that had sided with the Spaniards. By 1694, the new Spanish settlers had re-occupiedįe although this village was Spain's lone outpost in New Mexico.
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He was given the appointment in 1688 and was able to assume the De Vargas was theĪppointed n to be the appointed governor and captain-general of New The reconquest turned out to be successful for the Spaniards under Diegoĭe Vargas although there remained some resistance. The Reconquest and the Refuge of Black Mesa A reconquest of the NM pueblos however was in the future.
![black mesa nm black mesa nm](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/30Fm4uwY-fc/hqdefault.jpg)
It was a violent and bloody revolt that cost the lives of most of the Franciscan friars among many others and resulted in the Spaniards retreating from the area for twelve years. The rebellion resulted in a Spanish retreat from the entire region.
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This type of subjugation finally led to the 1680 Revolt. As an example of the Spanish rule and their goal of Christianizing the pueblo Indians, in 1676, several Indians were accused of sorcery and jailed in Santa Fe. This was a rebellion by the Pueblo Indians who after decades of servitude finally were unified for one purpose. Black Mesa looms above the Rio Grande and was at one time the scene of a great standoff between the Native Americans and the Spanish Conquistadors.ĭuring the Spanish rule of Nuevo Mexico, the most significant event was the Pueblo Revolt of 1680. One of the most historic sites in New Mexico which dates back to the days of Spanish rule in the province is just a short 23 mile drive north of Santa Fe.