Revolt and Reconquest: New Mexico in 1680-92

Four months had passed since the pueblos of New Mexico had rebelled, and now the Spaniards were back in an attempt to recoquer their lost land. By mid-December 1680, Governor Antonio de Otermín and a small army were camped on high ground along the Rio Grande in view of the pueblos of Alameda, Sandia, and Puaray, all near present Albuquerque. The north wind blew gusts of cold air, cuasing the loose ends of their tents to flap incessantly, and the snow-bearing clouds reflected a pale light throughout the night across “the fields and sierras all covered with snow.” Otermín and his men hoped to understand the immediate causes fo the revolt that stemmed from long-range issues revolving around Spanish sovereignty and Indigenous territoriality.