Francisco Roldán (circa 1450 - 11 July .S. 1 July1502) was a Spanish colonial administrator.

Biography

He was left as ' (local governor) of

La Isabela La Isabela in Puerto Plata Province, Dominican Republic was the first stable Spanish settlement and town in the Americas established in December 1493. The site is 42 km west of the city of Puerto Plata, adjacent to the village of El Cast ...

when

Christopher Columbus Christopher Columbus (; between 25 August and 31 October 1451 – 20 May 1506) was an Italians, Italian explorer and navigator from the Republic of Genoa who completed Voyages of Christopher Columbus, four Spanish-based voyages across the At ...

returned to Spain from his second voyage. In 1497, Roldán revolted against

Bartholomew Columbus Bartholomew Columbus (; ; ; ; – 12 August 1514) was a Genoese explorer and the younger brother of Christopher Columbus. Biography Born in Genoa in the 1461, Bartholomew became a mapmaker in Lisbon, the principal center of cartography of the ...

and established a rival regime in western

Hispaniola Hispaniola (, also ) is an island between Geography of Cuba, Cuba and Geography of Puerto Rico, Puerto Rico in the Greater Antilles of the Caribbean. Hispaniola is the most populous island in the West Indies, and the second-largest by List of C ...

, drawing into it by 1498 about half of the Spaniards. When Christopher Columbus returned to Hispaniola in August 1498, he was able to make peace with the rebels by granting concessions, including control of native labor. Under

Francisco de Bobadilla Francisco de Bobadilla (c. 1448 – 11 July 1502) was an official under the Crown of Castile and a knight of the Order of Calatrava. He was also the nephew of Beatriz de Bobadilla, marchioness and of Peñalosa, a patron of Christopher Columbus ...

, the governor who replaced Christopher Columbus, Roldán received a pardon for his sedition. Roldán died on during a

hurricane A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system with a low-pressure area, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls. Depending on its ...

that wrecked 20 vessels of the 31-ship convoy, including the flagship, ''El Dorado'', in the

Mona Passage The Mona Passage () is a strait that separates the islands of Hispaniola and Puerto Rico. The Mona Passage connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Caribbean Sea and is an important shipping route between the Atlantic and the Panama Canal. The Mona Pas ...

returning to Spain. Among the surviving ships was the ''Aguja'', the weakest ship of the convoy and which carried the gold Columbus was owed—spurring accusations that Columbus magically invoked the storm out of vengeance..

References

Year of birth unknown 1502 deaths Spanish conquistadors People from the Colony of Santo Domingo Year of birth uncertain {{Spain-bio-stub