by Francisco Hernandez de Cordova reached the village of Kin Pech to replenish their water supply. Afraid of being attacked by the native population, they quickly left. A few days later the Europeans en-countered a storm at sea, causing them to land in Champoton (40 miles south of the city of Campeche). Here, their fears were fulfilled, as they were attacked by native troops led by Moch Couoh. The triumph of the Mayan forces over the Spaniards was obvious. Hernandez de Cordova was so badly wounded that he died of his wounds a few days later. The bay near the battleground at Champoton where this happened has been called 'the bay of the bad fight' ever since.
In 1527 Commander Francisco de Montejo failed to enter the land of the Campechanos, and his son, trying some years later, was also unsuccessful. In 1537 Francisco de Montejo the Younger returned to Champoton and again there was fighting between the Mayas and the conquistadors.
On December 24, 1540 Montejo the Younger arrived in Champoton, this time determined to conquer. He eventually won the fight, and on the 4th of October 1541 Francisco Montejo founded the Villa de San Francisco de Campeche. Later he also defeated the nearby Mayan towns of Tenabo, Hecelchakan and Calkini.
A visit to Campeche will give young and old alike a glimpse of what life was like in the time of pirates. For years after Montejo's triumph, this town was pummeled by pirate attacks. The spirits of those pirates still seem to be hanging around here. At the height of the pirate attacks (and probably the reason for them), Campeche had become one of the main ports of New Spain, exporting many Yucatecan products.
Much energy was expended building battlements to defend the city. As a result, local inhabitants endured constant tension of wars, conflicts and alliances between England, France, Holland, Spain and Portugal. The unfortunate result was that they were prevented from taking advantage of any economic boom due to their port location, spending all their energy constantly refortifying their city. |
