Lope de Aguirre
Lope de Aguirre was a Spanish conquistador born in the 1510s in the Basque Province of Guipúzcoa, Spain. He traveled to South America in 1544 and became involved in the tumultuous conflicts between Spanish explorers and indigenous populations, advocating for Peru's independence from Spain. Aguirre is particularly known for his role in the infamous 1560 expedition led by Pedro de Ursúa, which sought the legendary city of El Dorado. During this expedition, Aguirre incited a mutiny, resulting in the assassination of Ursúa and the subsequent takeover of the leadership of the expedition.
He exhibited a ruthless approach, eliminating rivals and instigating rebellion as he attempted to establish his own authority. Aguirre's campaign of piracy culminated in the seizure of the island of Margarita, where he executed local officials and declared Peru independent. His actions and the letter he sent to King Philip II of Spain have become significant in understanding the complexities and brutality of the Spanish conquest of the Americas. Ultimately, Aguirre was captured and executed in 1561, but his legacy remains a subject of study regarding the darker aspects of the conquistador era.
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Lope de Aguirre
Spanish explorer, conquistador, pirate
- Born: c. 1511–1518
- Birthplace: Place of birth: Araoz, Spain
- Died: October 27, 1561 (some sources claim October 7, 1561)
- Place of death: Place of death: Barquisimeto, Venezuela
Also known as: El Tirano (the tyrant), El Traidor (the traitor)
Significance: Spanish adventurer Lope de Aguirre traveled to the New World in 1544. While on an expedition seeking the legendary kingdom of El Dorado at the origin of the Amazon River, he killed the expedition leader and then led the soldiers and crew against Spanish colonies.
Background
Lope de Aguirre was born in Araoz in the Basque Province of Guipúzcoa, Spain, probably during the 1510s. Little is known about his early or young adult life. He is believed to have been born into a noble family. He traveled to South America in 1544, in what was then Peru. He would have been roughly thirty years old at the time. Aguirre may have been a horse trader for some time. He became a conquistador, an explorer of the Spanish Empire. He and his compatriots sought to put down rebellions among the native Indian population. The Spanish conquerors also fought among themselves, however. Aguirre advocated for Peru's independence from Spain and frequently fostered rebellions.
Aguirre and other conquistadores heard stories about a legendary kingdom. According to stories that circulated before 1530, El Dorado was a village led by a chief who covered his body in gold dust for festivals. The village was reputed to be rich with gold and jewels. Spanish explorers journeyed to Bogotá in 1538 to find this village. In time, the legend grew. El Dorado was said to be a city—and eventually a kingdom—of gold. The stories drew many more treasure hunters into the jungles.
Aguirre joined an expedition to find El Dorado on September 26, 1560. The group, which was sanctioned by the king of Spain, was led by Pedro de Ursúa, and traveled up the Amazon River.
Life's Work
The Amazon River basin contains a network of twisting waterways, including more than one thousand tributaries. Even in the twenty-first century, many remote places in Peru are reachable only by air or boat. The source of the Amazon River is high in the Peruvian Andes Mountains. From there, the river flows east to the Atlantic Ocean.
Several documents describe the events of the 1560 expedition. Several are secondhand descriptions of what was reported, while others are eyewitness accounts. One member of Ursúa's expedition, Bachiller Francisco Vasquez, wrote an account of the events as he saw them. The document provides what little is known about the adventure. Aguirre was said to be one of several members of the group who sowed seeds of unrest among the soldiers. They said the leader did not like his troops and treated them badly. Aguirre and his fellow conspirators said Ursúa was under the influence of a woman on the expedition, the widow Doña Inez. Ursúa was said to be in love with Inez and intending to marry her. The mutineers also hinted that Ursúa was stingy and greedy. In December, they agreed among themselves to speak to Don Fernando de Guzmán and encourage him to support them in exchange for making him the next expedition leader. They made their appeal based on a claim that the mutiny was for the good of the expedition and for the glorification of God and country.
When Ursúa's expedition reached the headwaters, or source, of the Amazon River, Aguirre began an uprising. He led other explorers against Ursúa and killed him on January 1, 1561, during the night. Guzmán was quickly named the new expedition commander, with Aguirre his second.
Although Aguirre had encouraged the rebellion by saying the expedition would find the riches of El Dorado and all would benefit, he in truth wanted to leave the jungle and return to Peru. His plans included exciting rebellion in the territories there. When Guzmán began planning to continue Ursúa's search for El Dorado, Aguirre moved quickly to redirect the expedition. Guzmán drew up a document explaining why the mutineers rose up against the previous leader and indicated all members of the expedition should sign it. After he signed, he passed the document to his second in command. Aguirre signed, but followed his name with the words "the traitor." He explained his signature, saying that the document would not save them from punishment once they encountered representatives of Spain. Those who opposed Aguirre said that they should continue the mission of the king, because if they discovered El Dorado, they would be rewarded with pardons.
Aguirre killed Guzmán and took over as leader. He later had Doña Inez killed as well. Aguirre reportedly killed everyone who had opposed him, including priests.
On the way to Peru, Aguirre sailed to the island of Margarita. He and his men executed the governor and other officials, seized the island, and plundered its wealth. They continued this campaign of piracy against the inhabitants of other islands and sent a letter to King Philip II of Spain declaring Peru an independent state.
Eventually Spanish authorities routed Aguirre and executed him on October 27, 1561, although some sources claim he died October 7.
Impact
Aguirre's letter to King Philip II became an important document in studying the mythology of the Spanish conquest of the Americas. Aguirre repeatedly states his Christian faith as justification for his actions. Although early mythology of the conquistadores painted them as dashing heroes, documents of the era proved many were violent and brutal.
Personal Life
Aguirre had a daughter with an indigenous woman. Before he surrendered to authorities, Aguirre reportedly killed his daughter to prevent her from suffering the indignity of being scorned for being a traitor's child.
Bibliography
"Amazon River." WWF. WWF—World Wide Fund for Nature. Web. 2 June 2016.
Bollaert, William. The Expedition of Pedro de Ursua and Lope de Aguirre in Search of El Dorado and Omagua in 1560–1. London: Hakluyt Society, 1840. Print.
Lewis, Bart L. The Miraculous Lie: Lope de Aguirre and the Search for El Dorado in the Latin American Historical Novel. Lanham: Lexington Books, 2003. Print.
"Lope de Aguirre." Texas Theory Wiki. The University of Texas at Austin College of Liberal Arts. Web. 3 June 2016.
Robertson, James Alexander. The Hispanic American Historical Review, Volume 2. Baltimore: Williams & Wilkins Company, 1919. Print.
Smith, Anthony. Explorers of the Amazon. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1990. Print.