Indian Uprising on the Rio Grande: The Pueblo Revolt of 1680

This award-winning account of the Pueblo Revolt is told from the point of view of the Native American villagers of the Rio Grande Valley. Folsom equates the Pueblos' desire to control their own destiny to that of the Americans in 1776 and reveals the harshness of Spanish rule. Not only were the Pueblos taxed and forced to labor for the Spanish, they were frequently sold into slavery and their religion was attacked and suppressed by missionaries. Under the direction of Pope, the Pueblos overcame their traditional reliance on local leadership and joined together in a brilliantly conceived and successful attack on Spanish power. Not until twelve years later did the Spaniards re-enter the Rio Grande Valley, and after this conquest they allowed the Pueblo people to maintain their religious traditions. This pivotal time in Pueblo history is powerfully and compellingly retold here.