Taos Revolt
A 1847 Hispano-Pueblo uprising against U.S. occupation in New Mexico.
Wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons
In January 1847, during the Mexican-American War, a coalition of Hispanic settlers and Pueblo Indians rose up against the U.S. occupation of what is now northern New Mexico. This uprising, known as the Taos Revolt, was fueled by resentment toward the American military presence and a long-standing tradition of resistance to outside rule among the people of Taos. The rebels killed the provisional governor, Charles Bent, along with several other Americans. U.S. troops and local militia put down the rebellion in two brief campaigns. Although the insurgents tried to reorganize and fought three more battles, they eventually gave up open conflict after suffering defeat. In the revolt’s aftermath, at least 28 rebels were executed by the Americans. The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, signed in 1848, later guaranteed property rights for New Mexico’s Hispanic and Native American residents.
In August 1846, U.S. forces under Stephen Watts Kearny took control of the Mexican territory of New Mexico after Governor Manuel Armijo surrendered at the Battle of Santa Fe without a fight. Kearny then left for California, placing Colonel Sterling Price in charge of U.S. troops in the region and appointing Charles Bent as the first territorial governor. Many New Mexicans rejected Armijo’s surrender and were angered by the behavior of U.S. soldiers. Governor Bent described how the troops “undertook to act like conquerors” and urged Colonel Alexander Doniphan to force them to respect local rights, warning that the ongoing abuses would lead to serious trouble. A deeper concern was that the U.S. might not honor land titles issued by the Mexican government, leaving many New Mexicans worried that American sympathizers would take advantage of them. After Kearny left, dissidents in Santa Fe planned a Christmas uprising. When U.S. authorities discovered the plot, the conspirators postponed it and gained support from Pueblo peoples, who also wanted the Americans out.
On the morning of January 19, 1847, the revolt began in Don Fernando de Taos and nearby Taos Pueblo. The leaders were Pablo Montoya, a Hispano with Taos Pueblo ancestry, and Tomás Romero (also called Tomasito) from Taos Pueblo. Romero led a Native American group to Governor Bent’s house, where they broke down the door, shot him with arrows, and scalped him in front of his family, killing him during the initial attack.
Quick Facts
- Conflict
- Taos Revolt
- Part Of
- the Mexican–American War
- Date
- January 19 – July 9, 1847
- Location
- Northern New Mexico, United States
- Notes
- Civilian casualties: ~20 killed, including Simeon Turley
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Colonel Price led more than 300 U.S. troops from Santa Fe to Taos, together with 65 volunteers organized by Ceran St. Vrain. They beat back a force of some 1,500 Hispanos and Puebloans at Santa Cruz de la Cañada and Embudo Pass. The insurgents retreated to Taos Pueblo, where U.S. forces breached the church wall with cannon fire, killing about 150 rebels and capturing 400 more. Seven U.S. troops died. A separate force campaigned in Mora; after the First Battle of Mora ended in a New Mexican strategic victory and Captain Israel R. Hendley's death, the Americans attacked again in the Second Battle of Mora and destroyed the village. U.S. officials executed some captives in a drumhead court-martial, and the convictions were later reviewed by a lower federal court—not the U.S. Supreme Court. Among those executed was George Bent, the son of Charles Bent, while Lucien Maxwell, the son-in-law of Judge Beaubien, was also involved in the conflict.
Reader's Guide
The Taos Revolt represents a significant early resistance to U.S. territorial expansion during the Mexican–American War. It highlights the tensions between occupying forces and local populations, particularly over land rights and the behavior of soldiers. The revolt's suppression and the subsequent trials, which included convictions for treason under a new U.S. rule, raised questions about the legitimacy of imposing American law on conquered peoples. The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848 guaranteed property rights for New Mexico's Hispanic and Native American residents, but the revolt's aftermath demonstrated the violent enforcement of U.S. authority. The rebellion also illustrates the alliance between Hispano and Pueblo communities against a common external threat. The executions and trials, criticized by eyewitness Lewis Hector Garrard as a 'strange mixture of violence and justice,' remain a controversial episode in the history of the American Southwest.
Did You Know?
- Governor Charles Bent was shot with arrows and scalped in front of his family, but initially survived; he was killed later when insurgents discovered his escape attempt.
- The U.S. military executed at least 28 rebels in Taos, including Pablo Montoya, in response to the revolt.
- The jury that convicted the rebels included George Bent (Charles' brother) as foreman and Lucien Maxwell, a brother-in-law of judge Charles H. Beaubien.
- The U.S. Supreme Court later agreed that one man hanged for treason, Hipolito Salazar, might have been wrongfully convicted.
More in Rebellions against the United States 1-23
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