On April 30, 1598, explorer Juan de Oñate forged the El Paso River and claimed all of New Mexico beyond the river for Spain. Oñate was born in Zacatecas, Mexico to Spanish-Basque colonists and silver mine owners. He married Isabel de Tolosa Cortés de Moctezuma, the great granddaughter of the Aztec Emperor. Oñate ruthlessly suppressed… Continue reading “The Last Conquistador” 1598