Juan Bautista de Anza. Militar, explorador en la frontera norte de Nueva España

Juan Bautista de Anza was a Creole of Basque descent. An officer in the presidial troops of the Interior Provinces of the Viceroyalty of New Spain, he explored vast areas of Arizona during his expeditions against the Apaches. He found an overland route to Alta California, where he led settlers, and is considered the founder of the city of San Francisco. Appointed governor of New Mexico, he defeated the Comanches who were ravaging the province with their raids and, a few years later, signed a lasting peace treaty with them. The life of this loyal servant of the King is in itself an adventure story, which we will discuss in this talk. LOCATIONS WHERE IT TAKES PLACE: Present-day states of New Mexico, Arizona, and California (USA), Chihuahua and Sonora (Mexico). Speaker: Francisco Moreno del Collado