Luis de Rosas
| Luis de Rosas | |
|---|---|
| 9th Spanish Governor of New Mexico | |
|
In office 1637 – Spring 1641 |
|
| Preceded by | Francisco Martínez de Baeza |
| Succeeded by | Juan Flores de Sierra y Valdés |
| Personal details | |
| Died | January 25, 1642 |
| Profession | Soldier and administrator (governor of New Mexico) |
Luis de Rosas (died January 25, 1642) was a soldier who served as the ninth Governor of New Mexico from 1637 until 1641, when he was then imprisoned and assassinated. During his administration, de Rosas clashed with the Franciscans, mainly because of his handling of the indigenous Americans, whom he forced to work as slaves. The Franciscans promoted a revolt of the citizens of New Mexico against him. de Rosas was imprisoned after an investigation relating to his position as governor. He was killed by soldiers while in prison.
In his youth, de Rosas joined the Spanish Army, where he excelled and ascended through the ranks. He spent fifteen years serving the Spanish Army in Flanders.
It is believed that de Rosas moved from Mexico City to Santa Fe, New Mexico in the caravan of the supply mission in 1636. He arrived in New Mexico with the Viceroy, Díez de Armendáriz, who appointed de Rosas as governor in 1637. de Rosas did not want the position, due to the unpopularity of the New Mexico government and the impact of the appointment on his reputation. In addition, mutinies against governors were frequent in New Mexico. However, his role had been decided in advance and he was forced to accept it.
A de Rosas faction fortified Santo Domingo to defend Santa Fe. de Rosas participated in an expedition to Ipotlapiguas village in 1638, planned by a priest named Salas and composed of a group of five Franciscans and forty soldiers led by de Rosas. The expedition traveled to northern Sonora, southwest of the Zuni lands, and aimed to convert the indigenous population to Christianity.
de Rosas employed Native American labor to manufacture products for him to sell, including captives who worked in his weaving shop in Santa Fe and Puebloans he used to weave clothes for him. He also forced Native Americans to work on plantations and traded with the Apache.
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