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Alvarado's Conquest of Guatemala
In 1524 Pedro de Alvarado, sent by Hernán Cortés, marched south from Mexico to conquer the Guatemalan highlands, defeating indigenous coalitions, exe…
Timeline
- 1523–1524New Spain to the Guatemala border · Central AmericaPedro de Alvarado led about a hundred Spanish soldiers plus large numbers of Tlaxcalan and other indigenous allies south from New Spain into present-day Guatemala, forming alliances with peoples such as the Kaqchikel and obtaining supplies along the way.
- 1524Quetzaltenango · GuatemalaAlvarado fought fiercely against the coalition led by K'iche' Maya king Oxib around Quetzaltenango. According to Spanish chronicles, the K'iche' general Tecum Umam was killed in battle, the coalition was routed, and the K'iche' political center of Utatlán subsequently fell.
- 1524–1525Santiago de los Caballeros · GuatemalaAlvarado founded the city of Santiago de los Caballeros in the Iximché valley, executed the captured K'iche' king Oxib, and continued suppressing resistance from peoples such as the Kaqchikel, establishing the framework of Spanish colonial rule over the Guatemalan highlands.
Sources
- Recinos, Adrian. Annals of the Cakchiquels — Adrián Recinos (1953)
- The Cambridge History of Latin America, Vol. 1 — Leslie Bethell (ed.) (1984)