January 6, 1542: The Day Mérida Was Founded... But the Conquest Went On

To understand the founding of the city of Mérida on January 6, 1542, it is necessary to go back several years, as the Conquest of Yucatán is a unique case within the history of 16th-century Spanish conquests. This is due to the fierce and long-standing Maya resistance, which forced the Montejo family to return on three different occasions to try to secure the territory and consolidate Spanish presence, let alone rule.

The history begins in 1519, when Hernán Cortés decided to focus his efforts on the conquest of Tenochtitlán—present-day México City. His lack of interest in Yucatán is not surprising: for the conquistadors, wealth was primarily measured in gold and silver, resources that were scarcely present in the Península but abundant in the center of what is today México.

The wealth Montejo saw in Yucatán

Francisco de Montejo Álvarez saw something different in these lands: if mineral wealth was scarce, the indigenous workforce could become the exploitable resource. Interested in establishing his own realm of power, Montejo sent a request to King Charles I of Spain on November 19, 1526, seeking permission to conquer Yucatán. In these letters, known as the Capitulations of Granada, he offered to finance the enterprise with his own resources and guarantee colonization on behalf of the Crown. In return, he asked for the titles of Adelantado (basically, an official title for the head conqueror), Governor, and Captain General, as well as tax exemptions, and for his companions to be named local authorities.

The Crown authorized the conquest and granted Montejo the title of “Adelantado and Captain General.” Furthermore, the use of the “Requerimiento” (Requirement) was established—a legal document to be read aloud to indigenous peoples, encouraging them to voluntary submission to the authority of God, the Pope (then Clement VII), and the Spanish monarchs. If they refused, the Spanish considered it “legal” to enslave them and appropriate their goods. With the capitulations signed, Montejo departed from the port of Sanlúcar de Barrameda in 1527, ready to undertake the conquest of the Maya territory.

Yucatán, a territory unlike the others

What the Adelantado was slow to recognize was the political complexity of the region: a dense network of chiefdoms (settlements organized into batabilatos) and a long tradition of military resistance. This made the Conquest of Yucatán not only late but extraordinarily difficult and protracted. Every advance required opening new negotiations, facing new conflicts, and establishing new alliances.

What was a batabilato? 

A batabilato (from the Maya batabil) was the basic political, territorial, and administrative unit during the time of the Maya. Essentially, it was a small chiefdom led by a hereditary leader called a batab. Although the batabs and batabilatos organized themselves under a higher leader called a Halach Uinic ("True Man"), they operated with wide autonomy. This is why it was impossible for the Spanish to establish a single alliance that guaranteed their complete dominance. 

Montejo's arrival in Cozumel marked the beginning of a long and fragmented process, divided into three major stages characterized by advances, abandonment, and persistent resistance.

First stage of the Conquest of Yucatán: 1527-1528

The first phase focused on the initial Spanish settlements in Cozumel and Xel-Há, from which they intended to advance inland. There, in 1527, they founded the town of Salamanca, but the Maya defense—motivated by the preservation of their gods and ways of life—combined with disease and a lack of food, forced the Adelantado to abandon it. Defeated, he had to retreat and head to New Spain to resupply. He would return in 1530 for a second attempt.

Second stage of the Conquest of Yucatán: 1530-1534

In late 1530 or early 1531, Francisco de Montejo began the second stage along the western coast (the current Tabasco area), accompanied by his son, Francisco de Montejo “el Mozo” (the Younger). They advanced inland and founded Salamanca de Campeche, in addition to noting the existence of Chichén Itzá, then uninhabited, where they attempted to establish Ciudad Real.

Alliances with some indigenous groups seemed to promise stability but soon proved fragile: resistance erupted in the provinces of Sotuta and Uaymil-Chetumal, showing that those pacts were little more than superficial agreements. Added to this were the harsh geographical conditions: extreme climate, dispersed territories, and water scarcity—factors that complicated Spanish survival.

Finally, news of the enormous wealth of Perú undermined the loyalty of the captains, who abandoned the Montejos in search of immediate gold. By late 1534, both the Adelantado and el Mozo were forced to abandon the Yucatán Península again.

Third stage and founding of Mérida: 1537-1542

The third stage marked a decisive turning point. In 1537, Francisco de Montejo “el Adelantado” decided not to return to Yucatán and delegated the enterprise to his son “el Mozo,” along with sending his nephew, also named Francisco de Montejo, known as “el Sobrino” (the Nephew). The younger Montejos received specific instructions: forcibly subdue the caciques (chiefs) of the small, still-rebellious districts, found cities with enough settlers, and secure communication routes with New Spain before continuing to advance.

They entered through Champotón and proceeded with the founding of settlements, including the town of San Francisco de Campeche in 1540, with about thirty soldiers. Advancing north, they learned that Ah Kinchuy, a priest from the town of Pebá, was organizing a coalition with the halach uinik of Sotuta, Nachi Cocom, in response to the abuses committed by the Spanish. To preempt the rebellion, el Sobrino moved quickly and captured the priest, which reinforced the Montejos’ position.

With this triumph, “el Mozo” decided to advance toward the ruins of the ancient Maya city of T’hó. Impressed by the monumentality of its ruins, which reminded him of those of Mérida in Extremadura, Spain, he chose this site to establish a new city. Thus, on January 6, 1542, he officially founded Mérida.

What did the founding of the city of Mérida consist of?

Following the Castilian protocols for founding a city, el Mozo installed the first cabildo (city council), naming mayors, aldermen, and a notary; he symbolically took possession of the site on behalf of the king and laid out the main square over the ancient ceremonial center. With the presence of clerics, the space was blessed, and lots were assigned for the church and the homes of the first settlers. Thus, the City of Mérida was formally founded, which in 1618 would receive the title of "Most Noble and Most Loyal City of Mérida."

A story that goes on

In the fall of 1546, the Adelantado arrived in Campeche to take up the post of governor and captain general. But Maya resistance was far from extinguished: the caciques of Cupul, Sotuta, and Uaymil-Chetumal were preparing an uprising that would go down in history as the Great Indigenous Rebellion of 1546.

The founding of Mérida should not be understood as the endpoint of the conquest, but as the beginning of a long coexistence (sometimes violent, sometimes negotiated) between two worlds. The Montejos managed to establish the city after almost fifteen years of setbacks and failed campaigns, but Maya resistance remained alive and would manifest strongly in subsequent episodes.

Beyond the official date, the history of Mérida is the result of tensions, encounters, and disagreements that shaped the cultural and social direction of Yucatán. Today, walking through Mérida is traversing a space where two histories coexist: the Spanish one that tried to impose itself and the Maya one that never disappeared.

First published in Yucatán Today print and digital magazine no. 457, in January 2026.