The Spanish And The Pueblo Revolt Of 1680

On August 10, 1680, the Pueblo Indians staged a coup to take back their native lands from the Spanish. The Pueblo Revolt of 1680 was a successful revolt against migrants from Europe. Fighting for religious liberty and the freedom from tyranny, the natives of the southwest area now known as New Mexico fought for their rights against the oppressive Spanish crown and succeeded. In addition to their independence, the Pueblo natives successfully drove out their oppressors and kept them out for twelve years when the Spanish effectively re-colonized New Mexico. Colonization by the Spaniards of New Mexico would not have ended in the revolt of 1680 if the Spanish had been more tolerant of the Pueblo Indian’s religious beliefs and customs, and been less

The Pueblos felt that actions that furthered the community were the most significant actions that a person could make. This included sharing food and goods with the community rather than keeping them solely for themselves. This ties in closely with reciprocity. Ellis explained, “When an individual gave another person a good or labor, the receiver was expected to reciprocate” (2007). This helped to make sure that all members of the community had their basic needs met. The Spaniards did not understand this practice and became upset with the Pueblos when they failed to meet their demands for food and shelter. The demands were insulting to the Pueblos as the Spaniards did not offer anything in return for what they demanded. This view also tied in with the Pueblo’s religious beliefs. “The Pueblos believed that the spirit world, like the human world, was ruled by the law of reciprocity. Therefore, in order to invoke the aid of spirits, the Pueblos performed rituals that were meant to please the spirits. In kind, the spirits were expected to aid humanity by providing rain, healing maladies, killing enemy tribesmen, and performing other beneficent acts” (Ellis,

Many of the Pueblos were resistant to being ruled by the Spaniards and the imposition of Catholicism. One example of this, as described by Ellis, was the Acoma. When the Acomas rebelled against the Spanish soldiers, many were killed. The surviving men over the age of twenty-five had one foot cut off. The women and men under the age of twenty-five were punished with twenty years of servitude (Ellis, 2007). The Spanish friars of the Catholic church began to take up many of the roles in the communities that chiefs held previously held including being consulted about illnesses, collecting and giving food to the poor, marriages, and land disputes. Under the direction of the Spanish friars, the Pueblo Indians were overworked and did not see the advantage of the Christian God. Converted Pueblos would frequently turn from the Christian faith when a natural disaster occurred, since the Christian spirit did not protect