San Geronimo de Taos Mission Ruins
Photographed August 4, 2023.
Shown in the photo is the original site of the San Geronimo Church at Taos Pueblo. The bell tower still stands, but the site is now a cemetery.
San Geronimo Church at Taos Pueblo was rebuilt in 1850 on a site just a couple of hundred meters or so from this cemetery.
How this church has come to occupy two sites in the course of its history is an interesting story.
First built in 1619, the San Geronimo Church at Taos Pueblo was destroyed twice: first, in the Pueblo Revolt against the Spanish in 1680, and again in 1847 by the U.S. Cavalry.
The circumstances and motives behind these two events differed greatly.
The first event (1680) involved the Pueblos and the Spanish. In this case, the destruction of the San Geronimo Chapel was carried out under the leadership of Po'pay, a Tewa warrior leader originally from the nearby San Juan Pueblo. Po'pay was the strategic, tactical, and spiritual leader of the Pueblo Revolt of 1680, and had carefully and secretly planned out this Revolt with the various Pueblos of what is now New Mexico. Po'pay regarded the San Geronimo Church at Taos Pueblo--and presence of the Roman Catholic Church on the Pueblos in general--as an instrument of Spanish oppression. He was dedicated to driving the Spanish out of the territory so that the Pueblos could return to their own culture, spirituality, and way of life.
By the time of the second destruction event (1847), circumstances and alliances had changed greatly. The United States and Mexico were embroiled in the Mexican-American War (1846-1848). This war was principally sparked by the American annexation of Texas, which had become independent from Mexico in 1838. Hispanos in general were now resentful and fearful of American expansion, and by now, the Hispanos and Pueblos of the New Mexico territory had lived side by side for generations. Their cultures had intermingled and they were allies, especially insofar as they both feared and resented American expansion.
The New Mexico territory was taken over by the United States in 1846, and a certain long-time American resident and businessman in the territory by the name of Charles Bent was installed as governor.
This American expansion led to the 1847 Taos Revolt.
On January 19, 1847, an Hispano man, Pablo Montoya and a Taos Indian man, Tomás Romero (Tomasito), led a group of rebels to Charles Bent's home, where they scalped Bent and killed six U.S. Government officials.
The Americans mobilized to quash the rebels, engaging them at the Battles of Santa Cruz de la Cañada and Embudo Pass. The rebels now retreated to the San Geronimo Church at Taos.
Here, on February 4, 1847, the U.S. Cavalry burned down San Geronimo Church with cannon fire. It is from this event that the site became a cemetery, and San Geronimo Church at Taos Pueblo was built on a new site close by.
San Geronimo de Taos Mission Ruins
Photographed August 4, 2023.
Shown in the photo is the original site of the San Geronimo Church at Taos Pueblo. The bell tower still stands, but the site is now a cemetery.
San Geronimo Church at Taos Pueblo was rebuilt in 1850 on a site just a couple of hundred meters or so from this cemetery.
How this church has come to occupy two sites in the course of its history is an interesting story.
First built in 1619, the San Geronimo Church at Taos Pueblo was destroyed twice: first, in the Pueblo Revolt against the Spanish in 1680, and again in 1847 by the U.S. Cavalry.
The circumstances and motives behind these two events differed greatly.
The first event (1680) involved the Pueblos and the Spanish. In this case, the destruction of the San Geronimo Chapel was carried out under the leadership of Po'pay, a Tewa warrior leader originally from the nearby San Juan Pueblo. Po'pay was the strategic, tactical, and spiritual leader of the Pueblo Revolt of 1680, and had carefully and secretly planned out this Revolt with the various Pueblos of what is now New Mexico. Po'pay regarded the San Geronimo Church at Taos Pueblo--and presence of the Roman Catholic Church on the Pueblos in general--as an instrument of Spanish oppression. He was dedicated to driving the Spanish out of the territory so that the Pueblos could return to their own culture, spirituality, and way of life.
By the time of the second destruction event (1847), circumstances and alliances had changed greatly. The United States and Mexico were embroiled in the Mexican-American War (1846-1848). This war was principally sparked by the American annexation of Texas, which had become independent from Mexico in 1838. Hispanos in general were now resentful and fearful of American expansion, and by now, the Hispanos and Pueblos of the New Mexico territory had lived side by side for generations. Their cultures had intermingled and they were allies, especially insofar as they both feared and resented American expansion.
The New Mexico territory was taken over by the United States in 1846, and a certain long-time American resident and businessman in the territory by the name of Charles Bent was installed as governor.
This American expansion led to the 1847 Taos Revolt.
On January 19, 1847, an Hispano man, Pablo Montoya and a Taos Indian man, Tomás Romero (Tomasito), led a group of rebels to Charles Bent's home, where they scalped Bent and killed six U.S. Government officials.
The Americans mobilized to quash the rebels, engaging them at the Battles of Santa Cruz de la Cañada and Embudo Pass. The rebels now retreated to the San Geronimo Church at Taos.
Here, on February 4, 1847, the U.S. Cavalry burned down San Geronimo Church with cannon fire. It is from this event that the site became a cemetery, and San Geronimo Church at Taos Pueblo was built on a new site close by.