The Beginnings of Spanish Settlement in the El Paso District . By Anne E. Hughes (University of California Publications in History, Volume I, No. 3. Pp. 295-392. Berkeley, 1914.)

The author of this monograph begins her study by summarizing, principally from secondary sources, the northward expansion of the Spaniards into New Mexico and Nueva Vizcaya. This summary is the clearest and best statement of the movement which has been made. The body of the work consists of seven chapters. In Chapter II is told the story of the founding, before 1680, of the early missions and the civil settlement at El Paso. Chapter III treats of the impetus given these settlements by the coming of the refugees from New Mexico after the Pueblo revolt of 1680, and of the distribution of these refugees along the Rio Grande. Chapter IV tells of the permanency given the new settlements at El Paso, after the first attempt at reconquest, by the establishment of the presidio there, and of the reorganization of the settlements in 1683. Chapter V relates the story of the extensive revolt of the Mansos Indians and their neighbors, whose unrest dated from 1680 and whose revolt was not quelled until 1685. Chapter VI treats of the removal of the presidio and settlements, and of their consolidation in the vicinity of El Paso in 1684; Chapter VII, of the dissatisfaction among the settlers caused by the change, of the efforts made to abandon El Paso, and of aid from the superior government which insured the permanency of the settlement; Chapter VIII, of the quarrel between New Mexico and Nueva Vizcaya over the jurisdiction of the El Paso district, and of the final decision in favor of New Mexico. Chapter IX gives a short but comprehensive summary of the entire paper.

As a background for later seventeenth and for eighteenth century history of New Mexico and Texas in particular, and in general for the history of the whole southwest during that period, this monograph is a notable contribution. Different readers will receive from the story widely divergent impressions. The layman will doubtless be surprised at the apparent minuteness of detail and the large amount of new material brought together within its pages. On the other hand, the scholar, familiar in a general sense with the history of the period covered by Miss Hughes, will be impressed by the excellent way in which she has summarized and generalized from so large a mass of original sources. All will be impressed with the clearness of style and breadth of view displayed in the work.

From the standpoint of the specialist Miss Hughes's monograph, covering as it does a period of some twenty-five years, must be considered as a general and not as a specialized contribution. This does not detract from its worth, but, on the contrary, adds to its value by establishing its place in a larger field. This will be apparent to all when it is realized that in the preparation of the paper the author critically examined the equivalent of several thousand typewritten pages of original manuscript sources, the larger part of which had never before been used by historians. That the writer should have carried the thread of her narrative through this mass of material, and not been swerved from her main course by any one of a dozen or more important incidents of striking and historically dramatic interest, attests her ability as an historian.

In a study of this kind, covering so broad a field in so few pages and filling such a gap in the history of the period, it is not surprising that there are some errors in detail. In the introductory chapter the author is wrong in stating that “the natives organized a widespread revolt which included the Indians of the entire province.” The Piros Indians were not invited to take part in the revolt, and they and the natives of the Tigua pueblo of Isleta did not participate in the atrocities of August, 1680. The author rightly states (page 316) that by October 9, 1680, a plaza de armas had been established at La Toma, and that by December 20 of that year three camps, including that of San Lorenzo, had been established at a distance of two leagues from each other. It seems quite essential, however, to state that La Toma was about twelve leagues below Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe del Paso and that soon after reaching La Toma, in October, 1680, the name of Guadalupe was at first given to the camp there, which was later renamed San Lorenzo. This oversight doubtless accounts for the writer's falling into error further along on page 320, by stating that Estero Largo was forty leagues above El Paso. Estero Largo is mentioned in the sources as being forty leagues above San Lorenzo, and therefore only about twenty-eight leagues above El Paso. On page 322 Miss Hughes gives an account of a reconnaissance of the Rio Grande valley near El Paso which she says Governor Otermín made in 1682 for the purpose of locating the Spaniards and Indian allies, and that he found no place as suitable for settlement as San Lorenzo, which was located about twelve leagues below El Paso. It is quite clear from the sources cited by Miss Hughes, however, that the reconnaissance made by Governor Otermín mentioned in the above passage was made prior to the establishment of the plaza de armas at La Toma on October 9, 1680, and not in 1682. Logically the account mentioned fits into the text on page 316. Note 22 on page 323 should read “Auto of Cruzate” and not “Auto of Otermín.” The author attributes to Otermín (page 334) the statement that “it was rumored in the conversion of Guadalupe that the Sonora Indians were restless, and that the Mansos and Sumas were not secure from their influence.” This statement, however, was not made by Otermín neither did he write this to the viceroy at this time. It was made by the maestre de campo Francisco Gomez Robledo in expressing his views in the junta de guerra of October 2, 1680. As such it was incorporated in the official report of the proceedings, the whole of which was attested by Governor Otermín.

It will be evident to all competent scholars in this field of history that Miss Hughes has brought together from original sources a vast amount of new information concerning an epoch of vital importance to the history of the southwest. In spite of a few minor errors of detail Miss Hughes's monograph will maintain its place as an original and valuable contribution.

Charles W. Hackett .

How to cite:
Hackett, Charles W., "The Beginnings of Spanish Settlement in the El Paso District", Volume 018, Number 2, Southwestern Historical Quarterly Online, Page 222 - 224. http://www.tsha.utexas.edu/publications/journals/shq/online/v018/n2/review_13.html
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