Pueblo Revolt of 1680

The Pueblo Revolt of 1680, also known as Pope’s Rebellion, was the rebellion of the Pueblo people toward the Spaniards. The Pueblo people were lead by a medicine man named Pope. (A medicine man is “a man believed to be able to heal others by making use of supernatural powers, especially among Native North American peoples. ”) Pope belonged to the Tewa tribe. He was originally from San Juan but was forced to take refuge in Taos because it became too dangerous for him to stay.
Pope’s objective was to restore the tradition of Pueblo religion and culture. August 1680 Pope held a meeting with some Pueblo Indians to go over the details of their plan. The plan was to eliminate all Spanish influences. He also declared that everything that had to do with Christianity had to be either broken or burned. This included pictures of holy Christ, the Virgin Mary, crosses, ECT.
The plan was to take place on August 11, 1680 but someone told of their plans so Pope decided to start the revolt a day early, August 10. On August 24 the Spaniards had lost the war. About four-hundred people were killed. The Pueblo people’s uprising was a success. In celebration they destroyed Spanish buildings and burned their churches. Within the next ten years the Pueblo people returned to their homes and continued their traditional way of life.

Most of the Spanish that was in New Mexico moved to El Paso. In 1690 Pope (means “Ripe Pumpkin”) died. In 1691 a new governor was appointed, General Don Diego de Vargas. He led the victory over the Pueblo people and reappointed Spanish authority. In the 1692 General Don Diego de Vargas inscribed on a rock “Here was the General Don Diego de Vargas, who conquered for our Holy Faith, and for the Royal Crown, all the New Mexico, at his expense, Year of 1692″