Francisco de Garay
Encyclopedia
Francisco de Garay was a Spanish
Basque
conquistador
. He was a companion to Christopher Columbus
on his second voyage to the New World and arrived in Hispaniola in 1493. Here he attracted attention when he encountered a large gold nugget worth four thousand pesos.
accused him of being responsible for the great decline of the Indian population. By 1519 the original population of Jamaica was almost eradicated. He also raised pigs during his governorship - at one point employing five thousand Indians to herd his swine.
to Mexico
. In 1519 Garay sent an expedition under Alonso Álvarez de Pineda
to map the coast between Florida and the northern limit of the lands visited by Diego Velázquez de Cuéllar
. The Mississippi River
was shown on the maps as Rio del Espiritu Santo (River of the Holy Spirit
). Garay also led expeditions and explored the Pánuco River
region. However, he came into legal conflict with Hernan Cortés
, and while in Mexico negotiating with Cortés, he died in 1523.
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
Basque
Basque people
The Basques as an ethnic group, primarily inhabit an area traditionally known as the Basque Country , a region that is located around the western end of the Pyrenees on the coast of the Bay of Biscay and straddles parts of north-central Spain and south-western France.The Basques are known in the...
conquistador
Conquistador
Conquistadors were Spanish soldiers, explorers, and adventurers who brought much of the Americas under the control of Spain in the 15th to 16th centuries, following Europe's discovery of the New World by Christopher Columbus in 1492...
. He was a companion to Christopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus was an explorer, colonizer, and navigator, born in the Republic of Genoa, in northwestern Italy. Under the auspices of the Catholic Monarchs of Spain, he completed four voyages across the Atlantic Ocean that led to general European awareness of the American continents in the...
on his second voyage to the New World and arrived in Hispaniola in 1493. Here he attracted attention when he encountered a large gold nugget worth four thousand pesos.
Jamaica
From 1514 to 1523 Garay served as Royal Governor of Santiago (Governor of Jamaica). As a Governor of Santiago he was responsible for the genocide of the Island's indigenous population whom he enslaved and sent to work in the goldmines of Cuba. Writing in 1516 Bartolomé de Las CasasBartolomé de Las Casas
Bartolomé de las Casas O.P. was a 16th-century Spanish historian, social reformer and Dominican friar. He became the first resident Bishop of Chiapas, and the first officially appointed "Protector of the Indians"...
accused him of being responsible for the great decline of the Indian population. By 1519 the original population of Jamaica was almost eradicated. He also raised pigs during his governorship - at one point employing five thousand Indians to herd his swine.
Expeditions
Garay sent several expeditions to explore, map and claim lands along the Gulf shore extending from present day FloridaFlorida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
to Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
. In 1519 Garay sent an expedition under Alonso Álvarez de Pineda
Alonso Álvarez de Pineda
Alonso Álvarez de Pineda was a Spanish explorer and cartographer. His map marks the first document in Texas history.-Expedition:The Spanish thought there must be a sea lane from the Gulf of Mexico to Asia...
to map the coast between Florida and the northern limit of the lands visited by Diego Velázquez de Cuéllar
Diego Velázquez de Cuéllar
Diego Velázquez de Cuéllar was a Spanish conquistador. He conquered and governed Cuba on behalf of Spain.-Early life:...
. The Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
was shown on the maps as Rio del Espiritu Santo (River of the Holy Spirit
Holy Spirit
Holy Spirit is a term introduced in English translations of the Hebrew Bible, but understood differently in the main Abrahamic religions.While the general concept of a "Spirit" that permeates the cosmos has been used in various religions Holy Spirit is a term introduced in English translations of...
). Garay also led expeditions and explored the Pánuco River
Pánuco (province)
The Province of Pánuco was a province of the Spanish colony of New Spain. It was probably discovered by Amerigo Vespucci in 1498, and later by Juan de Grijalva. It is located on the Mexican gulf coast centered around Santiestebán de Pánuco, from the river of Tuxpan and extending into the current...
region. However, he came into legal conflict with Hernan Cortés
Hernán Cortés
Hernán Cortés de Monroy y Pizarro, 1st Marquis of the Valley of Oaxaca was a Spanish Conquistador who led an expedition that caused the fall of the Aztec Empire and brought large portions of mainland Mexico under the rule of the King of Castile in the early 16th century...
, and while in Mexico negotiating with Cortés, he died in 1523.