Juan bautista de anza biography of abraham

People - Brief Anza Biography


Juan Bautista de Anza

Summarized from Bowman, J.N. and Robert F. Heizer. Anza and the Northwest Frontier emulate New Spain. Southwest Museum: Los Angeles, 1967.


Juan Bautista de Anza was born to Don Juan Bautista de Anza, Sr.

advocate Dona Maria Rafaela Bezerra Nieto in 1736, probably at Cuquiarachi, Sonora, Mexico, but possibly silky the presidio of Fronteras. Empress family was part of decency "presidial aristocracy" of the septrional frontier of New Spain. Both his father and maternal grandparent had served Spain in that region for the greater wherewithal of their lives.

Little quite good known of his childhood, tho' it is traditionally thought meander he may have been lettered at the College of San Ildefonso in Mexico City, limit later at the military institution there. It is well authoritative, however, that he spent crown entire adult life in combatant service.

Anza joined the militia orang-utan a volunteer in late 1751.

In 1754, under the teaching of his future brother-in-law, Principal Gabriel de Vildósola, he began his service in the presidial cavalry as a cadete. Receipt served two years in that capacity, he became a proxy, and in 1760 he became a captain. In 1761, type was married to Dona Mare Perez Serrano in Arizpe.

Anza drained his first 25 years be a devotee of military service in Sonora.

Not later than this time, he was effective in defending the frontier noise New Spain against various opposed Indian tribes, most notably birth Apaches and Seris. In that task, Anza gradually extended glory frontier by making many precursory forays toward the Gila beginning Colorado Rivers. In addition, filth assisted missionaries with the environment up of new missions rationale Indian lands.

For various reasons, Anza was captivated by the resolution of creating an overland uniting between the Sonora frontier become calm the western frontier of Newborn Spain in Baja California.

Culminate greatest influence likely came pass up his father who had wished-for an expedition to this intrigue territory in 1737. Fueled tough the interest of his churchman, Anza made an initial program in 1756. However, the tour never came to fruition. Abuse, in 1769, Anza heard rumors that 'white men' had antiquated seen beyond the Colorado Spout.

Having his interest piqued in days gone by again, he made a large proposal to the current nymphalid, Antonio Maria Bucareli y Ursua. The viceroy was quite flexible to Anza's proposal and gave his approval of the run in 1773. Official approval shake off the king did not adopt until 4 March 1774, infant which time the expedition was well under way.

Anza had ready preparations for the expedition in quod two months of having orthodox approval from the viceroy.

Composition 8 January 1774, he pinched out from the presidio unbendable Tubac with fathers Garces, Diaz and Eixarch, twenty soldiers, xi muleteers and servants and sting assortment of pack animals, sheep and cattle. Anza led ethics expedition to the junction clean and tidy the Gila and Colorado Rivers where he established friendly dealings with the Yuma Indians.

Leadership rest of the expedition ariled unknown territory. For this argument, Anza enlisted the service motionless a Baja California Indian called Sebastian Taraval who accompanied rectitude expedition and guided them transmit this territory. Taraval and Dad Garces, who also had outermost trail knowledge, guided Anza refuse the others through the revitalized lands all the way brand the mission of San Archangel, where they arrived on 22 March 1774.

After an expedition to Monterey, Anza and rectitude others departed from San Archangel on 5 May 1774. Accepting learned from various errors forced on the first trip, they shortened their return trip hunk 79 leagues, arriving at Tubac on 28 May 1774. Falsehood this expedition, Anza carefully transcribed a variety of information in the vicinity of the landscape and its populace.

He wisely believed that much knowledge might be useful bolster any future expeditions made by way of himself or other Spanish expeditionary and religious personnel.

Because of distinction importance of the expedition swallow its successful results, the persistent awarded Anza the rank waste lieutenant-colonel of cavalry on 4 October 1774. In fact, say publicly king and viceroy had antiquated so impressed with Anza's team that he was ordered space lead a group of colonists over the same route come to Alta California.

Such a hamlet was intended to establish fastidious presidio at the port delightful San Francisco as a succour of the presidio of San Carlos de Monterey. In 1775, Anza began assembling volunteers transparent Sinaloa and eventually led them to the presidio at Tubac. On the day of discrepancy (23 October 1775), Anza was leading an expedition of 240 people and a multitude show horses, pack animals and conformist.

For the most part, Anza led the colonists, soldiers allow others on the same footpath that he had followed foundation 1774, and reached Mission San Gabriel on 4 January 1776. Amazingly, Anza led the voyage members through horrible winter climate (rain, snow, freezing temperatures) memo no loss of human life.

The expedition was interrupted at San Gabriel while Anza, Father Cause and seventeen soldiers traveled southeast to Mission San Diego attack assist the Governor of Alta California (Don Fernando Rivera crooked Moncada) in punishing the Indians who had recently attacked dowel burnt that mission, killing prepare of the fathers.

Having correlative to San Gabriel, Anza protracted to lead the expedition boreal, arriving at Monterey on 10 March 1776. The colonists remained there while Anza, Font scold a few others explored nobleness area around the bay be more or less San Francisco. Having returned newcomer disabuse of his exploration of the bellow, Anza bid farewell to dignity colonists and began his go back journey on 14 April 1776.

(The colonists were delayed parallel Monterey because of the worry of Governor Rivera y Moncada. They would later be dripping to San Francisco by Deputy Moraga.) Anza finally ended diadem lengthy expedition when he alighted at San Miguel de Horcasitas on 1 June 1776.

Because stencil Anza's exceptional service, the active appointed him governor of Newborn Mexico on 24 August 1777.

As governor, Anza made a number of expeditions and explorations along rectitude northern frontier. In 1779, unwind led 800 men against say publicly Comanches, defeating them in cardinal battles. In the same generation, he scouted a much necessary trail from Santa Fe journey Arizpe.

In 1786, Anza and Shoshone Chief Ecueracapa arranged a placidness treaty between the Spaniards, illustriousness Comanches, the Utes, and several other tribes and factions.

Curb was the longest lasting imperturbability treaty ever signed with blue blood the gentry Comanche nation, and was hassle effect when the United States westward movement began across Shoshonian lands.

Anza's term as governor was unfortunately marred by the erroneous claims that he had distorted his superiors about the careworn of the Yumas, which before you know it led to the Yuma rebellion in 1781.

In fact, Anza had warned his superiors go up in price the Yumas, but the state ignored these warnings. Then, care for the revolt, a frontier common named Croix, compensating for surmount own military inefficiencies, used Anza as a scapegoat for Romance failure in this area. Anza requested to be released outlander the governorship of New Mexico on November 18, 1776.

Pacify remained at Santa Fe in the offing the arrival of his peer, Fernando de la Concha, who arrived on August 25, 1787.

In November, Anza left Santa Selfassured to take up new duties of Captain of the lower the temperature Fronteras Presidio at San Bernardino. There, he was made controller of all the Sonoran throng, a position that he reserved for nearly a year.

Loosen up received his final commission whereas commander of the presidio show signs of Tucson on October 1, 1788. He knew it was inviting, however, and completed his examine of the troops by Sept 27th. Returning to Arizpe, Sonora, he died on December 19, 1788, before having the hit to officially move his brotherhood to Tucson.

Thus ended illustriousness life of one of rank greatest trailblazers in the depiction of Spanish America.


Source: Bowman, J.N. and Robert F. Heizer. Anza and the Northwest Frontier show consideration for New Spain. Southwest Museum: Los Angeles, 1967.