Southwestern landscape

Franciscan missions among the Pueblo peoples of New Mexico sought to convert Native Americans to Christianity and force them to conform to European ways, as part of the colonial settlement of Latin America. At first Pueblo villages flourished by raising European-introduced livestock and crops, but the new prosperity attracted raids from nomadic tribes. European diseases ravaged the Pueblo population. Meanwhile the Franciscans punished Pueblo people for retaining native religious practices. For all of these reasons, the Pueblos decided to throw off Spanish rule. They coordinated a revolt which involved twenty-four villages spread over a large area. Over four hundred Europeans were killed, including twenty-one missionaries; churches and many other buildings were destroyed. Within two weeks the Spanish were completely expelled, and did not return for another fifteen years.