Pedro de Tovar

Pedro de Tovar (born 1501) was a Spanish explorer, military man and colonial administrator. He was part of Francisco Vazquez de Coronado's expedition and led the first expedition to Cibola in 1540. Tovar was also the first European to hear about the existence of the Grand Canyon, although he did not get to see it. He was also a member of Nuño Beltrán de Guzmán's troops during the conquest of Nueva Galicia, as well as collaborating in the colonization of Guadalajara and the foundation of Culiacán, in modern Mexico. After that, he was alcalde of Nueva Galicia and Culiacán.

Biography Tovar was born in 1501, in a family of hidalgos belonging to the House of Boca de Huergano. Tovar was brother of Sancho de Tovar and nephew of the Viceroy of New Spain and Peru Antonio de Mendoza y Pacheco. During his career, he achieved the position of regidor of Sahagún, in León, Spain.

In 1531, he was part of the troops of Nuño Beltrán de Guzmán, with whom he conquered Nueva Galicia and founded Culiacán, in Sinaloa. He also participated in the colonization of Guadalajara, in Jalisco, in modern Mexico, being one of its first colonists.

Tovar joined Coronado's expedition in 1541 and assumed the titles of captain and alferez mayor (ensign) of the expedition.

A week later, Coronado sent Tovar and his troop westward in search of Cibola. During their journey, Tovar's team reached the lands of the Hopi Amerindians in Arizona. However, just like the Zuni, the Hopi did not allow them to enter their lands and the Spanish had to fight them. During the confrontation some Hopi died, so they surrendered and allowed him to visit their lands. The natives provided them with gifts in peace, as well as accepted to develop a trade with Tovar's troop. The first one employed a thousand men and the other four hundred. The workers of his encomiendas, as was usual in Spanish America, had to obey him and pay him tribute.

Legacy Tovar is credited as being the first white person to be seen by the Hopi.