page_title: Spanish conquest of Honduras
section_title: Crown authorities try to take control, 1526–1530
hierarchical_section_title: Spanish conquest of Honduras / Crown authorities try to take control, 1526–1530
caption_attribution_description: English: This diagram displays interactions between different Spanish factions during the Spanish conquest of Honduras between 1524 and 1540. The three coloured sections represent general jurisdictions. Commanders in bold had authority in territories beyond Honduras. Commanders in red rebelled against their superior officer. Crossed swords indicate an open battle between two Spanish groups Chain indicates one officer was imprisoned by the other. Hand indicates a tense stand-off that did not erupt into battle. Source: Mainly Chamberlain's The Conquest and Colonization of Honduras.
context_page_description: The Spanish conquest of Honduras was a 16th-century conflict during the Spanish colonization of the Americas in which the territory that now comprises the Republic of Honduras, one of the five states of Central America, was incorporated into the Spanish Empire. In 1502, the territory was claimed for the king of Spain by Christopher Columbus on his fourth and final trip to the New World. The territory that now comprises Honduras was inhabited by a mix of indigenous peoples straddling a transitional cultural zone between Mesoamerica to the northwest, and the Intermediate Area to the southeast. Indigenous groups included Maya, Lenca, Pech, Miskito, Sumu, Jicaque, Pipil and Chorotega. Two indigenous leaders are particularly notable for their resistance against the Spanish; the Maya leader Sicumba, and the Lenca ruler referred to as Lempira.
  In March 1524, Gil González Dávila became the first Spaniard to arrive in what is now Honduras with the intention of conquest. He founded the first Spanish port upon the Caribbean coast, Puerto de Caballos, which became an important staging post for later expeditions.
context_section_description: Diego López de Salcedo sailed from Santo Domingo with two ships, carrying a large number of soldiers, as well as provisions and clothing he intended to sell to the colonists. Contrary winds delayed López de Salcedo off Jamaica for a month; he eventually disembarked in Trujillo on 26 October 1526, after a lengthy standoff with Saavedra that almost came to violence. At last Saavedra was convinced that López de Salcedo had been authorised directly by the crown, and allowed him to come ashore.
  López de Salcedo was under orders to investigate the state of affairs in the troubled province, and take whatever actions were necessary to impose order. He and his immediate successors promoted their own personal ambitions over the good government of Honduras, sowing division amongst the colonists, and instituting harsh policies against the indigenous population. In 1527 the natives rebelled against their brutal treatment. The punishment meted out to the rebellious Indians only served to incite further revolts. López de Salcedo arrested Saavedra and his supporters and shipped them to Santo Domingo to be tried by the Audiencia. The prisoners seized control of the ship and sailed for Cuba.
  After López de Salcedo had been installed as governor, the emissaries that had been sent by Pedrarias arrived, expecting to find Saavedra. Although they did not dare to present Pedrarias' demands to a Crown representative, López de Salcedo had them imprisoned. When the Crown had appointed the new governor, it had not defined the limits of Honduras. Pedrarias had been replaced by a Crown representative in July 1526; this prompted López de Salcedo to claim jurisdiction over Nicaragua, based upon the actions of González Dávila and Hernán Cortés. He left a few men under the command of Francisco de Cisneros in Trujillo, and marched with 150 men to impose his authority over Nicaragua.
caption: Diagram simplifying interactions between Spanish officers from different jurisdictions, including stand-offs, battles, and incarcerations
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