Who led an expedition onto the Great Plains in 1720?
Who led an expedition onto the Great Plains in 1720?
General Pedro de Villasur
The Villasur expedition of 1720 was a Spanish military expedition intended to check New France’s growing influence on the North American Great Plains, led by Lieutenant-General Pedro de Villasur….Villasur expedition.
| Date | June 16 – August 14, 1720 |
|---|---|
| Location | Great Plains |
| Result | Pawnee-Otoe victory |
Who was Don Pedro de Villasur?
Don Pedro de Villasur, a Spanish government official and military officer, led a disastrous expedition north into modern Nebraska in 1720. Born a Castilian nobleman in the late seventeenth century, he died on August 13, 1720, in a battle against Pawnee and Otoe Indians.
What was the purpose of the Villasur expedition?
The Villasur expedition of 1720 was a Spanish military expedition intended to check New France ‘s growing influence on the North American Great Plains, led by Lieutenant-General Pedro de Villasur. Pawnee and Otoe Indians attacked the expedition in Nebraska, killing 36 of the 40 Spaniards, 10 of their Indian allies,…
Where did the Villasur expedition camp in Nebraska?
Villasur camped that night just south of the Loup–Platte confluence near Columbus, Nebraska, nervous about the possibility of attack and the increasing number and belligerence of the Pawnee and Otoe Indians.
Who was the Governor of Nuevo Mexico during the Villasur expedition?
Antonio Valverde y Cosío, governor of the Spanish colony of Nuevo México based in Santa Fe, ordered Villasur to capture French traders on the plains. Spanish authorities hoped to gather intelligence about French ambitions in the region.
Who was with Villasur when he left Santa Fe?
Villasur had no experience with Indians, but he left Santa Fe on June 16, 1720, leading an expedition which included about 40 soldiers of a mounted frontier corps known as “Cuera” or leather soldiers, 60 to 70 Pueblo allies, a priest, a Spanish trader, and approximately 12 Apache guides, who were tribal enemies of the Pawnee.
