Francisco Martínez de Baeza

Francisco Martínez de Baeza was the colonial governor of New Mexico from November 1634 to 18 April 1637. He was heavily criticized for rejecting the participation of Franciscan missions in the territory, for impeding the conversion of indigenous people to Christianity, and for exploiting the labor of these people.

Biography

Although the time and place of his birth are unknown, it is believed that he was born in Seville, Spain.

He was appointed governor of Spain's New Mexico colony and installed in that office in late November 1634, succeeding Francisco de la Mora y Ceballos. His main activity as governor was to exploit the labor of the Hispanic settlers and, especially, that of the native population.

Once in power, he organized a series of commercial companies, paying little attention to his duties as governor in the province, such as that of maintaining peace between settlers and Native Americans. Martínez de Baeza forced the Amerindians to gather pine nuts and trade in manufactured goods^[1] (specifically in furs, fabrics, and cotton blankets), which were produced by Puebloans and other Native American peoples in his workshops in Santa Fe.^[1] His demands were so burdensome that some people were forced to negotiate with other pueblos to get the cotton needed in order to manufacture the fabrics required. Workers were paid a very low wage. The Native Americans had to work every day, including Church holidays. By late 1636 the governor had produced enough to send nine wagonloads of goods south in search of trading opportunities.^[2][3]

Martínez de Baeza took little interest in the Franciscan missions, making it difficult for them to convert indigenous people to Christianity. Nor did he pay attention to Native American attacks against settlers and their descendants, and as a result he was denounceds by the Franciscans. On 24 September 1636, the Franciscan custodian, Fray Cristóbal de Quirós, explained to Martínez de Baeza his decision to establish a mission in Zuni Pueblo and requested military escorts for the missionaries. However, Martínez de Baeza rejected the demand, under the pretext that Quirós should request it in a more respectful manner. The Franciscan explained that the necessary encomiendas and allotments of tribute from the Puebloan Indian hads already been established to pay for the escorts. However, the Governor asked Father Quirós for proof of his assertions, knowing that the Franciscans themselves had decided that conversion to Christianity should to be done in the apostolic way, by persuasion, and never by means of military force. Therefore, in November 1636, both Cristóbal de Quirós and Fray Antonio de Ibargaray sent a packet of letters of protest against Martínez de Baeza to the viceroy, Lope Díez de Armendáriz, in Mexico City. Meanwhile, Martínez de Baeza wrote a series of reports containing false information about certain individuals of the clergy in order to discredit them in the eyes of the viceroy.

His governorship ended on 18 April 1637, leaving the colony in hands of Luis de Rosas.^[2][3]

Last years

In Mexico City, on 11 December 1639, Martínez de Baeza signed his last will and testament, leaving a bequest of fifty pesos to the "Cofradía del Santísimo Sacramento" (Brotherhood of the Holy Sacrament) of the parish of San Marcos in Seville, and other money to cover any debts that he apparently had with Sevillian merchants.^[3]

References