Everything about Gonzalo Jim Nez De Quesada totally explained
Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada (
1509–
1579) was a
Spanish explorer and
conquistador in
Colombia. While successful in many of his exploits, acquiring massive amounts of gold and emeralds, he ended his career disastrously; he's been suggested as a possible model for Cervantes'
Don Quixote.
He explored the northern part of South America.
He is also a desendant of Henry The Navigator.
He was a
lawyer by training. He was appointed chief justice of
Santa Marta colony (on the north coast of Colombia), where he arrived in
1535 with the fleet of
Pedro Fernández de Lugo. In
1536 he was commissioned by
de Lugo to command an expedition to explore southwards into the interior of Colombia. A land party under Quesada, with
Hernán Pérez de Quesada (his brother),
Juan San Martín,
Juan del Junco (as second in command)
Lázaro Fonte and
Sergio Bustillo, struck south from Santa Marta, crossed the
Cesar River, and arrived at
Tamalameque on the
Magdalena River. A support fleet of 6 (or 5) ships had also sailed from Santa Marta with 800 men to navigate the Magdalena. Only two of the vessels actually arrived at Tamalameque, and subsequently returned to Santa Marta with many of Quesada's men. Continuing up the Magdalena as far as La Tora (
Barrancabermeja), Quesada and his men ascended the
Opon River into the
cordillera, reaching the Opon hills, Chipata (near
Vélez) (March
1537) and the valley of the
Suárez River. Passing
Lake Fúquene and
Lake Suesca, they reached
Nemoncón and
Zipaquirá, but with only 166 men left alive (600 had perished en route). From there they entered the lands of the
Zipa (at the site of present day
Bogotá). They renamed Bacata (the major city) as
Santa Fé de Bogotá, and attacked
Tunja. Quesada remained in the region until the arrival of the expeditions of
Sebastián de Belalcázar from
Ecuador and
Nikolaus Federmann from
Venezuela in
1539. The three generals then agreed on the refoundation of the capital and promptly decided to submit their rival territorial claims to the arbitration of the crown. From
Cartagena they sailed for
Spain, where Quesada pressed his claim as governor. In this he was unsuccessful, the governorship of
Popayán being awarded to Belalcázar, but Quesada did return (in
1549) with the honorary title of
Governor of El Dorado.
In
1568, at the age of 60, Quesada received a commission to conquer
Los Llanos to the east of the Colombian cordillera. From Bogotá in April
1569 with 400 Spaniards, 1500 natives, 1100 horses and 8 priests, he first descended to
Mesetas on the upper
Guejar River. There most of the livestock was destroyed by a grass fire. Quesada's expedition then moved to nearby
San Juan de los Lllanos, where a course was set for east-southeast (by the guide
Pedro Soleto), and maintained for the following two years. After a year or so some men returned with
Juan Maldonado, reaching San Juan after six months with few survivors. Quesada eventually reached (San Fernando de)
Atabapo at the confluence of the
Guaviare and the
Orinoco (in December
1571), any further movement requiring the construction of ships. He therefore dejectedly returned to Bogotá, arriving in December
1572 with only 64 Spaniards, 4 natives, 18 horses and 2 priests. The expedition had been one of the most expensive disasters on record, and after a brief period of service in a frontier command Quesada retired to
Huesca (Spain) with what he could salvage of his fortune. He died in
Mariquita in 1579, and his remains were taken to the cathedral at Bogotá.
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