# List of Spanish governors of New Mexico

Spanish Governors of New Mexico were the political chief executives of the province of Santa Fe de Nuevo México (New Mexico) between 1598, when it was established by an expedition by Juan de Oñate, and 1822, following Mexico's declaration of independence. New Mexico became a territory of the United States beginning in 1846, and a state in 1912.

## History

In 1598, Juan de Oñate pioneered 'The Royal Road of the Interior Land', or El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro, between Mexico City and the Tewa village of 'Ohkay Owingeh', or San Juan Pueblo, founding the Nuevo México Province under the authority of Philip II. He also founded the settlement (a Spanish pueblo) of San Juan on the Rio Grande near the Native American Pueblo. In 1610, Pedro de Peralta, then governor, established the settlement of Santa Fe in the region of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains on the Rio Grande. Missions were established for conversions and agricultural industry under the authority of the governor. The territory's Puebloan peoples resented the Spaniards denigration and prohibition of their traditional religion, and their encomienda system's forced labor. In 1680, the Pueblo Revolt occurred, and a final resolution included additional protections from Spanish efforts to eradicate their culture and religion, the issuing of substantial communal land grants to each Pueblo, and a public defender of their rights and for their legal cases in Spanish courts.
In January 1822, the last Governor under the Spanish regime, Facundo Melgares, lost the title of governor and was now called géfe político (political chief) and géfe militar (military chief). Subsequently, Melgares became the first Mexican Governor of New Mexico, serving until July 5, 1822 when he was succeeded by Francisco Xavier Chavez, though he would hold office for just five months.

## Governors

The following is a list of governors of the Province of New Mexico under the Viceroyalty of New Spain:

### 1st stage (1598–1680)

The political chiefs (géfe políticos) or governors were:
| Name | Start | End | Notes |
| Juan de Oñate | 1598 | 1610 | Conquistador, explorer and administrator of New Spain. Son of explorer and conquistador Cristóbal de Oñate. Initiated NM Indian slaving through encomienda system. Allowed colonists to seize "orphaned" Native children, including from their parents. |
| Cristóbal de Oñate (son of Juan de Oñate) | November 1610 | 1610 | |
| Pedro de Peralta | 1610 | 1613 | |
| Bernardino de Ceballos | 1613 | 1618 | |
| Juan Álvarez de Eulate | 1618 | 1625 | |
| Felipe de Sotelo Osorio | 1625 | 1630 | Employed Indians to capture Indians from competing tribes for slave trade in New Mexico. |
| Francisco Manuel de Silva Nieto | 1630 | 1632 | |
| Francisco de la Mora Ceballos | 1632 | 1635 | |
| Francisco Martínez de Baeza | 1635 | 1637 | |
| Luis de Rosas | 1637 | spring 1641 | Exploited Indian slaves in sweatshop manufacturing of textiles to export to Mexico. Imprisoned and killed when his government ended |
| Juan Flores de Sierra y Valdés | Spring 1641 | Autumn 1641 | Died in office |
| Francisco Gomes | 1641 | 1642 | Acting |
| Alonso de Pacheco y Herédia | 1643 | 1643 | |
| Fernando de Argüello | 1644 | 1647 | |
| Luis de Guzmán y Figueroa | 1647 | 1649 | |
| Hernando de Ugarte y la Concha | 1649 | 1652 | |
| Juan de Samaniego y Xaca | 1652 | 1656 | |
| Juan Manso de Contreras | 1656 | 1659 | Issued a "death sentence against the entire Apache nation and others of the same ilk," but allowed Spanish settlers to hold captured Indians as indentured servants. |
| Bernardo López de Mendizábal | 1659 | 1660 | Collected Indians as slaves and stole their livestock, clothing, salt, sleeping mats, and other items to gift to authorities in Mexico. |
| Diego Dionisio de Peñalosa Briceño y Berdugo | 1661 | 1664 | Had a dispute with Franciscan missionary Alonso de Posada and was prosecuted by the Inquisition. |
| Tomé Dominguez de Mendoza | 1664 | 1664 | |
| Juan Durán de Miranda | 1664 | 1665 | |
| Fernando de Villanueva | 1665 | 1668 | |
| Juan de Medrano y Mesía | 1668 | 1671 | |
| Juan Durán de Miranda | 1671 | 1675 | |
| Juan Francisco Treviño | 1675 | 1679 | His policies against the Pueblo Indians gave rise to their revolt. |

### 2nd stage: Governors and Pueblo leaders during the revolt

From 1680 until 1692, the Puebloans revolted against Spanish domination and lived under their own rulers. The political chiefs or governors and Pueblo leaders were:
| Spanish governors | Start | End | Notes |
| Antonio de Otermin | 1679 | 1680 | Titular governor until 1683 |
| Domingo Gironza Petriz Cruzate | 1683 | 1686 | |
| Pedro Reneros de Posada | 1686 | 1689 | |
| Domingo Gironza Petriz Cruzate | 1689 | 1691 | |
| Pueblo leaders | Start | End | Notes |
| Popé | 1680 | 1685 | |
| Luis Tupatu | 1685 | 1692 | |

### 3rd stage (1688–1822)

The political chiefs (géfe políticos) or governors were:
| Name | Start | End | Notes |
| Diego de Vargas | 1688 (titular) 1691 (effective) | 1691 (titular) 1697 (effective) | He placated the Pueblo revolt through a peace treaty with them. |
| Pedro Rodríguez Cubero | 1697 | 1703 | |
| Diego de Vargas | 1703 | 1704 | |
| Juan Páez Hurtado | 1704 | 1705 | |
| Francisco Cuervo y Valdés | June 1705 | August 1707 | Provisional |
| Jose Chacón Medina Salazar y Villaseñor | 1707 | 1712 | |
| Juan Ignacio Flores Mogollon | 1712 | 1715 | |
| Felix Martínez de Torrelaguna | 1715 | 1716 | Acting |
| Antonio Valverde y Cosío | 1716 | 1716 | Acting |
| Juan Páez Hurtado | 1716 | 1717 | Acting |
| Antonio Valverde y Cosío | 1718 | 1721 | Interim |
| Juan Estrada de Austria | 1721 | 1723 | |
| Juan Domingo de Bustamante | 1723 | 1731 | |
| Gervasio Cruzat y Gongora | 1731 | 1736 | |
| Enrique de Olavide y Michelena | 1736 | 1738 | |
| Gaspar Domingo de Mendoza | 1739 | 1743 | |
| Joaquín Codallos | 1743 | 1749 | |
| Tomás Vélez Cachupín | 1749 | 1754 | |
| Francisco Antonio Marín del Valle | 1754 | 1760 | |
| Mateo Antonio de Mendoza | 1760 | 1760 | Acting |
| Manuel de Portillo y Urrisola | May 10, 1760 | 1762 | |
| Tomás Vélez Cachupín | 1762 | 1767 | |
| Pedro Fermín de Mendinueta | 1767 | 1777 | |
| Francisco Trevre | 1777 | 1777 | Acting |
| Juan Bautista de Anza | 1778 | 1788 | |
| Fernando de la Concha | 1789 | 1794 | |
| Fernando Chacón | 1794 | 1804 | |
| Joaquín del Real Alencaster | 1804 | 1807 | |
| Alberto Maynez | 1807 | 1808 | |
| José Manrique | 1808 | 1814 | |
| Alberto Maynez | 1814 | 1816 | |
| Pedro María de Allande | 1816 | 1818 | |
| Facundo Melgares | 1818 | 1822 | |