The Spanish land grant that started from a historic Pueblo revolt and created Petroglyph National Monument in New Mexico

From Revolt to Reconquest

Petroglyph National Monument in New Mexico preserves over 24,000 ancient rock carvings on volcanic basalt, but many visitors don’t realize they’re looking at two different stories carved in stone.

Alongside the ancient Ancestral Pueblo petroglyphs are Spanish colonial markings including Christian crosses, livestock brands, and settler initials.

These Spanish carvings tell the remarkable story of the Pueblo Uprising of 1680, when medicine man Popé led a coordinated revolt that drove Spanish colonists from New Mexico for twelve years.

The land where these petroglyphs sit was part of a massive Spanish land grant given to Fernando Duran y Chaves II as a reward for helping reconquer the territory in 1692.

Here’s how one of the most successful Native American uprisings in history shaped the landscape you can visit today.

Governor’s Whips Started a Revolution in 1675

Juan Francisco Treviño sparked trouble in New Mexico when he locked up 47 Pueblo medicine men in 1675.

Spanish officials accused these spiritual leaders of practicing “sorcery” that was really just traditional Pueblo religion. They hanged three medicine men, and a fourth killed himself.

The rest got public whippings and jail time, including Po’pay from San Juan Pueblo. About 70 Pueblo warriors showed up at the Governor’s office and demanded their release.

Treviño let them go, but Po’pay left with whip marks on his back.

Secret Meetings at Taos Pueblo Built a Resistance Network

Po’pay hid at Taos Pueblo, about fifty miles north of Santa Fe, where he started building an alliance across language barriers.

He brought in key leaders like Luis Tupatú from Picuris, who spoke Tiwa and had strong ties with northern Rio Grande pueblos. Antonio Malacate joined too, connecting with Keresan-speaking pueblos in the south.

Francisco El Ollita, a war captain from San Ildefonso, also joined.

As the group grew, Po’pay became a religious figure, telling followers that three spirits visited him in a Taos kiva.

Knotted Cords Sent a Secret Countdown Signal

Po’pay created a smart system to plan attacks across great distances. He sent runners to all Pueblos carrying special cords made from maguey fiber with several knots.

Each knot stood for one day. Every morning, Pueblo leaders untied one knot from their cord.

The last knot marked the day everyone would attack the Spanish together. As the cord passed through each pueblo, leaders untied one knot to show they agreed to join.

Po’pay first set the attack for August 11, 1680, but later moved it up to August 10.

Spanish Torture Runners But Can’t Stop the Revolt

Two young men from Tesuque Pueblo left early on August 8, 1680, carrying the revolt message to Tano villages. The next day, southern Tiwa leaders warned Spanish officials about the coming attack.

Spanish soldiers caught the Tesuque messengers and tortured them until they explained the knotted cords. When Po’pay learned about the captured messengers, he quickly moved the revolt up by a day.

He even killed his own son-in-law, Nicolás Búa, fearing he might tell the Spanish about their plans.

Thousands of Warriors Strike Across New Mexico

On August 10, 1680, Pueblo fighters attacked throughout New Mexico at once.

About 2,400 Spanish people, many of mixed blood, lived scattered across the territory with native servants.

Spanish forces could only gather about 170 armed men, while the Pueblos had at least 2,000 warriors with bows and arrows. Following Po’pay’s orders, the rebels first took Spanish horses to stop colonists from escaping.

They then attacked farms, blocked roads, and cut off water to Santa Fe.

Flames Burned Churches as Priests Became Targets

The rebels aimed at symbols of Catholic power, burning churches and breaking religious items. The uprising killed 400 Spanish people, including 21 of the 33 priests in New Mexico.

Women and children died in the violence too. Po’pay told all Pueblo communities to break new ground and grow more crops.”

Now they were as they had been in ancient times,” he said, “free from the work they did for the religious and the Spaniards.”

After years of forced labor and religious control, the Pueblos took back their traditions and land.”

A Thousand Refugees Huddled in Santa Fe’s Palace

By August 15, about 1,000 Spanish colonists crowded into the Governor’s Palace in Santa Fe, their last safe place. Outside stood a Pueblo army they counted at 2,500 fighters led by Po’pay himself.

Other Spanish survivors found brief shelter at Isleta Pueblo, which hadn’t joined the revolt, before running south.

Pueblo leader Alonso Catití traveled between communities, pushing everyone to join the attack on Santa Fe to kill the governor and remaining Spaniards.

He warned that anyone who refused would be beheaded when the warriors returned.

Survivors Left New Mexico in a Long March South

On August 21, the trapped Spanish broke out of the Palace and began a tough journey southward. Strangely, the Pueblo fighters didn’t attack the retreating colonists.

Nearly 2,000 Spanish survivors made the long walk, stopping only when they reached El Paso. Po’pay did what seemed impossible: he drove the Spanish completely out of New Mexico.

Spanish accounts claim Po’pay set himself up as ruler of all Pueblos. For the first time in 82 years, the Pueblos controlled their homeland without Spanish control.

Vargas Returns with a Small Force and Big Promises

Twelve years later, in July 1692, Diego de Vargas led a small group of soldiers back to Santa Fe. Rather than attacking with a big force, they surrounded the city and asked the Pueblo people to give up.

Vargas promised mercy if they swore loyalty to Spain’s king and returned to Christianity. He brought about sixty soldiers and one hundred native allies.

The timing worked for him. Po’pay’s rule had grown harsh, and his broken promises created splits among the Pueblos.

Years of drought, hunger, and Apache raids had also weakened the Pueblo alliance.

Pueblo Leaders Accept Spanish Return Without Bloodshed

After meeting with Vargas, Pueblo leaders agreed to surrender on September 12, 1692. Vargas held a formal ceremony claiming Spanish control of New Mexico again.

People called this the “bloodless reconquest” since Vargas first retook the land without fighting. Some Pueblos actually welcomed the Spanish back, though carefully.

They faced ongoing hunger and Apache raids without access to European weapons and trade goods. Po’pay lost his leadership role about a year after the revolt and vanished from history.

He likely died shortly before the Spanish returned.

Land Grants Rewarded Spanish Loyalty with Volcanic Rock Canvas

Fernando Duran y Chaves II joined Vargas’s volunteer army and got a nice reward for his service. In 1692, Vargas gave him land near Albuquerque, if Fernando settled and built on it.

The grant covered 41,533 acres west of the Rio Grande, where Fernando’s father Don Pedro had lived before the Pueblo Revolt.

The volcanic rocks scattered throughout the Atrisco grant became a canvas for Spanish settlers, who carved Christian crosses, livestock brands, and their initials alongside ancient Pueblo rock art.

Almost 2,000 acres of this historic land grant were eventually sold to the federal government for $33 million, creating part of what we now know as Petroglyph National Monument.

Visiting Petroglyph National Monument, New Mexico

Petroglyph National Monument is free to visit and showcases ancient rock carvings that tell the story of the Pueblo Uprising and Spanish reconquest. The Information Center on Western Trail NW opens daily from 8:30am-4:00pm.

You can explore three main areas: Boca Negra Canyon with 100 petroglyphs (closes at 4:30pm), Piedras Marcadas Canyon with 400 petroglyphs on a 1.5-mile trail, or Rinconada Canyon with 300 petroglyphs along a 2. 2-mile loop.

Dogs are welcome on leash except at Boca Negra Canyon.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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