Miguel Caldera (1548–1597) was an important figure in the colonization of

Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...

's northern frontier immediately following the

Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire The Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire was a pivotal event in the history of the Americas, marked by the collision of the Aztec Triple Alliance and the Spanish Empire. Taking place between 1519 and 1521, this event saw the Spanish conquistad ...

Early life

Caldera was the illegitimate son of a Castilian soldier named Pedro Caldera and a

Guachichil The Guachichil, Cuauchichil, or Quauhchichitl are an exonym for an Indigenous people of Mexico. Prior to European contact, they occupied the most extensive territory of all the Indigenous Chichimeca tribes in pre-Columbian central Mexico. The ...

woman named Maria. He was born in 1548 in what later became the city of

Zacatecas Zacatecas, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Zacatecas, is one of the Political divisions of Mexico, 31 states of Mexico. It is divided into Municipalities of Zacatecas, 58 municipalities and its capital city is Zacatecas City, Zacatec ...

and was raised by

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friars in the city's monastery.

Military career

Caldera entered the

Chichimeca War The Chichimeca War (1550–1600) was a military conflict between the Spanish Empire and the Chichimeca Confederation established in the territories today known as the Central Mexican Plateau, called by the Conquistadores La Gran Chichimeca. ...

in 1571 or 1572 at the age of 24 or 25 as a common soldier with the help of his brother-in-law Hernàn Gonzales. He obtained the rank of

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

before 1580. The cruelty and futility of the

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's efforts to subdue the Chichimecas by brute force left an impression on him. He advocated the use of diplomacy and gift-giving instead. The success of his alternative policy led to his appointment as Chief Justice and District Mayor of the Valley of Tlaltenango and Jerez. In that role he was the principal implementor of the Spanish Crown's pacification program in the region of

, northern

Jalisco Jalisco, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Jalisco, is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the 32 Political divisions of Mexico, Federal Entities of Mexico. It is located in western Mexico and is bordered by s ...

and

San Luis Potosí San Luis Potosí, officially the Free and Sovereign State of San Luis Potosí, is one of the 32 states which compose the Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 59 municipalities and is named after its capital city, San Luis Potosí. It ...

. Caldera was instrumental in the migration of 400 Tlaxcaltec families in 1591 to the newly pacified region to help

Christianize Christianization (or Christianisation) is a term for the specific type of change that occurs when someone or something has been or is being converted to Christianity. Christianization has, for the most part, spread through missions by individu ...

the local indigenous populations and consolidate the peace. The consolidation of peace during his tenure facilitated the settlement of the region and the eventual Spanish occupation of what would, two and a half centuries later, become the

American Southwest The Southwestern United States, also known as the American Southwest or simply the Southwest, is a geographic and cultural list of regions of the United States, region of the United States that includes Arizona and New Mexico, along with adjacen ...

Career as Miner

In March 1592, Caldera sent a group of miners and soldiers from Mezquitic to the region of Cerro San Pedro to survey and register some newly discovered mines. Upon ascertaining the mines' potential the place was named

Potosí Potosí, known as Villa Imperial de Potosí in the colonial period, is the capital city and a municipality of the Potosí Department, Department of Potosí in Bolivia. It is one of the list of highest cities in the world, highest cities in the wo ...

after the famous mines in

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. As settlement of the mines began, the lack of water near the mines became problematic. The permanent settlement, which was initially populated by Tlaxcaltec families, was named

. Miguel Caldera is considered one of the founders of this city.

Late life

Caldera acquired considerable wealth during his lifetime including claims on a number of newly discovered mines in the region that he administered. He was never married, but fathered an illegitimate daughter named Isabel. She married Juan de la Torre and was the mother of two sons: Marcos and Melchor. Research shows that Catarina Caldera, also called, Catarina Cid Caldera, as well as, Juana Caldera, are also, most likely, the illegitimate children of Miguel Caldera. Catarina, born around 1595, married Rodrigo Pinedo. Juana married Miguel de Olagüe Etulain. Miguel Caldera also had a sister (possibly half-sister) named Maria Cid Caldera, who was married to Hernán González, a close collaborator of Caldera in the administration of the town of Colotlán, one of the Tlaxcaltec frontier colonies he helped found. The son of this couple, Pedro Cid Caldera was the primary heir of Caldera upon his death in 1597.

Sources

*Philip Wayne Powell, Mexico's Miguel Caldera: The Taming of Ameríca's First Frontier (1548–1597). {{DEFAULTSORT:Caldera, Miguel Soldiers from New Spain 16th-century Mexican people 16th-century Spanish people 1548 births 1597 deaths Spanish conquistadors