Popé (Pueblo leader)

Timeline

1. c. 1630–1675San Juan Pueblo · Rio Grande ValleyPopé was born at San Juan Pueblo and was a respected local religious ceremony leader. Spanish colonial authorities banned traditional religious ceremonies and forced conversion to Catholicism; in 1675 he was flogged and exiled for participating in religious activities, an experience that became a key motivation for organizing resistance.
2. 1675–1680Pueblo villages of the Rio Grande Valley · New SpainAfter his release Popé lived in hiding at Taos Pueblo, secretly communicating the revolt date among villages using a knotted-cord counting method. He united Pueblo groups such as San Juan, Santa Clara, and Santo Domingo, devised a plan for simultaneous attacks on missions and colonial outposts, and revived traditional religious ceremonies as a unifying device.
3. 1680–1688Santa Fe · New SpainOn August 10, 1680 Popé launched the revolt with knotted-cord signals; thousands of Pueblo warriors attacked missions simultaneously, captured Santa Fe, and expelled the Spanish colonists. After the revolt he attempted to rebuild traditional governance, but harsh policies provoked tribal discontent; he died around 1688, and Spain reconquered New Mexico in 1692.