In 1680, Pueblo Indians Ruled Santa Fe from This Adobe Fortress After Expelling the Spanish

Palace of the Governors, New Mexico

Spanish colonizers thought they had New Mexico locked down. Then 1680 happened.

Pueblo warriors launched a coordinated revolt, seized the Palace of the Governors, and held Santa Fe for 12 years. The old adobe building still stands today.

Here’s how this uprising went down, and how you can visit today.

Spanish Religious Persecution

Governor Juan Francisco Treviño started trouble in 1675 by arresting 47 Pueblo medicine men across New Mexico. He charged these spiritual leaders with “sorcery” for practicing their ceremonies.

Spanish officials hanged three medicine men while a fourth killed himself. The others were whipped in Santa Fe’s plaza then locked in the Palace jail.

News of this cruelty spread through Pueblo villages. Armed leaders marched to Santa Fe and surrounded the Palace.

Governor Treviño then released all prisoners, including a medicine man named Popé from Ohkay Owingeh.

Popé’s Secret Network Organizes the Rebellion

After his release, Popé went to Taos Pueblo and spent five years planning an uprising. He built connections between Pueblo communities that had always operated independently.

Messengers carried knotted cords between villages counting days until the attack. Each morning, leaders untied one knot. When no knots remained, everyone would attack together.

Spanish authorities caught two messengers on August 9, 1680. Popé started the revolt early the next day. Tewa, Tiwa, Keresan, and Apache groups attacked Spanish settlements together.

Santa Fe Under Siege

Pueblo warriors moved quickly. Within three days, they destroyed every Spanish settlement outside Santa Fe.

Spanish families rushed to the city as their farms burned. Governor Otermín sent armed escorts to bring stranded colonists to safety. Nearly 1,000 Spanish colonists packed into the Palace of the Governors.

Outside, about 2,500 Pueblo warriors surrounded the building. They took control of the water supply, leaving those inside desperate.

With no water and little food, the Spanish faced a terrible choice: fight or die inside.

Governor Otermín’s Desperate Final Stand

After five days, conditions in the Palace became unbearable. Horses died of thirst, food ran low, and families crowded together while Governor Antonio de Otermín considered his options.

On August 21, he gathered every man who could fight and launched a surprise attack against the Pueblo forces.

The unexpected charge caught Pueblo warriors off guard. Spanish soldiers created an escape route from the city.

This desperate move didn’t save Santa Fe but opened a path for colonists to escape south.

Spanish Retreat From New Mexico

After breaking through, Spanish survivors began the long journey south toward El Paso del Norte (today’s Ciudad Juárez). They left behind homes, land, and the Palace.

Another group of Spanish survivors had gathered at Isleta Pueblo, seventy miles south. Led by Lieutenant Governor Alonso Garcia, they didn’t know what had happened in the capital.

The two groups met at Socorro in early September and traveled together to El Paso by September 27, 1680.

Pueblo warriors followed the Spanish but never attacked. They simply wanted to ensure the Spanish left New Mexico territory.

Puebloan Transformation of the Palace

For twelve years, Pueblo people controlled the Palace and transformed this symbol of Spanish power into their own cultural center.

They converted the Palace into a multi-story structure like traditional Pueblo housing. They replaced Spanish rooms with smaller spaces arranged around communal areas.

The redesigned Palace housed up to 1,000 people. Archaeological digs in 1974 found storage pits, new room foundations, and items from this period.

Through these changes, Pueblo people erased Spanish authority and reclaimed the space as their own.

Cultural Purification Under Pueblo Rule

Popé and his lieutenants Alonso Catiti and Luis Tupatu traveled from village to village. They told people to return to traditional ways and remove Spanish influence.

Many Pueblo people held ceremonies washing away Christian baptisms and reclaiming traditional names. They canceled Catholic marriages and returned to traditional family practices.

Communities destroyed churches and religious items. They reopened kivas – sacred chambers for Pueblo spiritual practices – which Spanish authorities had closed.

Popé ordered people to destroy Spanish crops like wheat and barley, along with European livestock, to erase 80 years of Spanish influence.

Life in Santa Fe During the 12-Year Puebloan Period

Inside the Palace, Pueblo residents removed Spanish furniture, religious symbols, and government records. They built new floors and dug storage pits matching their traditional living patterns.

While rejecting Spanish religion and government, they kept useful technologies. They continued metalworking, creating tools and weapons that served their needs.

Santa Fe changed from a Spanish headquarters to a center for Pueblo governance. Leaders from various communities gathered there to coordinate their independence and plan defenses.

Attempted Spanish Return in 1681

Spanish authorities refused to accept losing New Mexico. In November 1681, former governor Antonio de Otermín led an expedition from El Paso.

He brought 146 Spanish soldiers and an equal number of indigenous allies. They marched north along the Rio Grande to reclaim New Mexico for Spain.

They found many communities abandoned. At Isleta Pueblo, Spanish forces fought briefly before the inhabitants surrendered.

Despite this small victory, Otermín faced strong resistance elsewhere. He retreated to El Paso in 1682, leaving New Mexico under Pueblo control.

The Spanish Reconquest of 1692

A decade later, Spain mounted a successful campaign. In 1692, Diego de Vargas led new forces to retake New Mexico.

Vargas reached Santa Fe on September 13 with sixty Spanish soldiers, one hundred Native allies, and seven cannons. He found about 1,000 Pueblo people living in the transformed Palace.

Instead of attacking, Vargas negotiated. He promised mercy and religious tolerance if the Pueblo people accepted Spanish authority.

After days of talks, Vargas declared a formal reconquest of Santa Fe on September 14, 1692.

Visiting Palace of the Governors

Find the Palace at 105 W Palace Ave on Santa Fe Plaza’s north side. The building opens Tuesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and closes Mondays.

Admission costs $7 for New Mexico residents and $12 for non-residents. New Mexico seniors (60+) receive free admission on Wednesdays, with free entry for all New Mexico residents on Friday evenings (5-7 p.m.) and the first Sunday each month.

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