governor-general Soldier nobleman
Nicolas de Ovando was born into a reputable and religious family in Alcantara, Spain. His father was a nobleman Diego Fernandez de Caceres y Ovando, while his mother was Isabel Flores de las Varillas, Diego’s first wife. Nicolas had an elder brother, Diego de Caceres y Ovando.
Ovando was from a very reputable family, so he enjoyed a nice childhood. It is believed that his friends were the heirs to the throne, children of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella. He studied religion and grew up to be a devoted Catholic. Thanks to his heritage, Ovando was able to receive the finest education and he had a prospect of a successful military career.
Being from a religious family and growing up at the imperial court, Ovando was very fond of church and crown. It is believed that he was at the time a favorite of Queen Isabella. Ovando joined the Order of Alcantara, a military order founded to resemble the famous Order of Templars which had already gained a great reputation.
Ovando quickly proved himself to be a reliable asset. In 1478, he was chosen as one of only ten men to accompany Prince Don Juan at the Court of Almazan. He also was a part of reforming and improving the stature of the order, becoming one of its Masters (Maitre, Mestre). After continuing to prove himself in service of the king, he was rewarded with a great honor in 1501.
After numerous complaints and the scandalous arresting of Christopher Columbus, King Ferdinand decided to withdraw Francisco de Bobadilla from his position of the Governor of the Islands and the Mainland (Tierra Firme) in the Indies. The King decided to appoint Ovando instead so he became the next Captain and Governor of the Indies, which was commonly known as Hispaniola and was comprised of the territories that Christopher Columbus had discovered.
Ovando set his sail in 1502 with a fleet that is known to be the biggest ever to head for the New World. It consisted 30 ships and more than 2,000 colonists. The idea of the Spanish monarch was to consolidate the Spanish community and develop it economically and in other ways, which is why many experts and scholars were present in the expedition. The most famous name was probably Francisco Pizarro, known for his conquest of the Empire of Inca which was to follow.
The situation that Ovando found once he disembarked in Santo Domingo was not good as the natives were rebelling against the Spaniards. He decided to be merciless and suppress the rebellions by massacring the Taino natives. He arrested Taino’s Queen Anacaona, who was hanged later in 1503. He also ordered a Jaragua massacre, during which hundreds of Taino’s were killed after celebrating the Thanksgiving. The records state that there were about 500,000 Taino people residing in the area when Columbus had arrived in 1492, while the next census in 1507 shows that there were only about 60,000 of them.
Aside from massacres, Ovando is known for exploiting Taino people for their labor. He implemented encomienda system, where he was allegedly offering them protection and a chance to learn about the Christian civilization but was in fact brutally exploiting them. Bartolome de las Casas, Spanish historian pronounced to be “Protector of the Indians”, had written on more than one occasion to the monarchs in Madrid to notify them of the terrible actions that Ovando was conducting in the Indies.
When Queen Isabella was given the news, she was speechless. King Ferdinand wasn’t planning on recalling Ovando but after the Queen made him make a promise on her deathbed, he was forced to do so. In 1509, Ovando was called back to Madrid and was succeeded by Christopher Columbus’ son, Diego.
The permission to keep all his possessions from the Indies allowed Ovando to lead a nice life after getting back to Spain. He died in 1511 and was buried in a church that belonged to the Order of Alcantara.
Originating from a pious family, Ovando was a devoted Catholic, and had some merit in spreading the Christianity to the New World. His order that Christians should marry Indians was in power up until 1515.
Ovando was in service of the Spanish crown and remained a huge supporter of the monarchs and his country until his death.
All actions that Ovando had done during his life were what he believed was the best for Spain. He was certain that he is working in the interests of his home country and paid no regards to the damage he is inflicting on others. He established a strong Spanish community in Santo Domingo, where he disembarked in 1502 with around 2,000 colonists and this even became a model for settlements that were to follow, however, the natives paid a huge price.
He didn’t care for the lives of Taino natives, who were maltreated and used for their labor for years, under the disguise of providing them protection. Ovando employed them to work trying to find gold in mines near Santo Domingo, forced them to cultivate sugarcane and other plants, and used them to help with the preparation of food for the colonists. It is believed that more than 400,000 Taino natives died over just a couple of years during Ovando’s rule in the Indies.
Ovando was one of the prominent members of the Order of Alcantara, a military order that resembled the Order of Templars.
Ovando is remembered as a merciless and brutal man that showed virtually no humanity towards the natives in the Indies.
Physical Characteristics: He is portrayed as a man with a pointy nose and a beard that always wore a wide hat with a feather in it.
There are no records that confirm that Nicolas Ovando ever married or that he had any children.
