Francisco de las Casas

Francisco de las Casas (c. 1464 – 1536) was a Spanish Conquistador.

Las Casas was born in Trujillo, Spain. By 1484, he had moved to Seville where, in that year, his son Bartolomé was born. In 1493, Las Casas accompanied Christopher Columbus on his second voyage to the New World. For the next thirty years, the historical records reveal nothing of his life, but he probably established himself as a person of property on the island of Hispaniola and made one or more trips to Spain. On one such trip in 1502, he took his son Bartolomé with him when he returned to Hispaniola. It's likely he participated in expeditions to establish Spanish control of new territories, since he apparently developed combat experience and leadership ability. In 1518, he suggested importing Africans for slave labor, which contributed to the beginning of the Atlantic Slave Trade.

In the service of Hernán Cortés

In 1522, he was again in Spain when King Carlos settled a dispute over the government of New Spain by appointing Hernán Cortés as governor, albeit with four officials who were to "assist" him. The royal proclamation was entrusted to Rodrigo de Paz and Las Casas. They went first to Cuba to notify governor Velázquez, who had opposed the appointment, and then on to Mexico City. The arrival of Las Casas and De Paz in Mexico in 1523 with the news was cause for celebration. Las Casas was made a captain, and received as a reward the encomienda of Anquitlan (Yanhuitlan), implying he had a role in obtaining the appointment.

The colony of Honduras

In the same year (1523), Cortés directed captain Cristóbal de Olid to establish a colony for him in Honduras. Olid sailed with a force, but diverted to Cuba for consultation with governor Velázquez before proceeding to Triumpho de la Cruz, where he established the colony. However, he made himself governor the following year. Late in 1525, Cortés sent a force under the command of Las Casas to deal with this insubordination. The force consisted of two ships and an experienced army of 100 men.

When Las Casas arrived at Olid's headquarters, a large part of Olid's army was inland, dealing with another threat from a party of Spaniards under Gil González Dávila. Nevertheless, Olid decided to launch an attack with two caravels. Las Casa returned fire and sent boarding parties which captured Olid's ships. Under the circumstances, Olid proposed a truce to which Las Casas agreed, and he did not land his forces. During the night, a fierce storm destroyed his fleet and about a third of his men were lost. The remainder were taken prisoner after two days of exposure and without food. After being forced to swear loyalty to Olid, they were released. However, Las Casas was kept a prisoner, soon to be joined by González, who had been captured by Olid's inland force.

Eventually, Olid's own men betrayed him, he was quickly tried, found guilty of treason, and beheaded. Las Casas and González joined forces and declared their loyalty to Cortés. Las Casas proceeded to establish the Honduran colony with headquarters in Trujillo (named after his home city in Spain).

Mexico

The two captains returned to Mexico to obtain supplies and reinforcements for the colony. In the meanwhile, Cortés himself had decided to journey to Honduras to insure the establishment and security of the colony, so he was not in Mexico City when Las Casas and González arrived. Gonzalo de Salazar had been left in charge, but Cortes soon had misgivings and sent a message to Mexico City, appointing Las Casas as lieutenant governor. Salazar kept the message secret and had the captains arrested and prosecuted for the murder of Olid. They refused to acknowledge his authority, stating their loyalty to Cortés, or if he had died, to Pedro de Alvarado. Salazar intended to execute them, but was finally forced to send them as prisoners to Spain.

Las Casas was exonerated, and subsequently returned to Mexico where he retired to his encomienda of Anquitlan until his death in 1536.

References

*Cortés, Hernán, "Letters from Mexico", Translated and Edited by A. R. Pagden, Grossman Publishers, New York (1971)
*Duncan, David Ewing, "Hernando de Soto - A Savage Quest in the Americas - Book II: Consolidation", Crown Publishers, Inc., New York (1995)
*Scanlan, Thomas, "Colonial Writing and the New World, 1583-1671", New York: Cambridge University Press (1999)

External links

*Altman, Ida, [http://libro.uca.edu/emigrants/emigrants6.htm The Library of Iberian Resources Online, Emigrants and Society] : Extremadura and America in the Sixteenth Century
*Kerr, Robert, [http://www.fullbooks.com/A-General-History-and-Collection-of-Voyagesx18725.html A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels, Vol. IV]
* [http://www.trujillohonduras.com/history.htm The Trujillo Honduras Pages]
* [http://www.frommers.com/destinations/trujillospain/1144010001.html Introduction to Trujillo, Spain]