Beatriz de Palacios was a Spanish

woman soldier Women have served in the military in many different roles in various jurisdictions throughout history. Women in many countries are no longer excluded from some types of combat missions such as piloting, mechanics, and infantry officer. Since 1 ...

nurse Nursing is a profession within the health care sector focused on the care of individuals, families, and communities so they may attain, maintain, or recover optimal health and quality of life. Nurses may be differentiated from other health c ...

and

explorer Exploration refers to the historical practice of discovering remote lands. It is studied by geographers and historians. Two major eras of exploration occurred in human history: one of convergence, and one of divergence. The first, covering most ...

African African or Africans may refer to: * Anything from or pertaining to the continent of Africa: ** People who are native to Africa, descendants of natives of Africa, or individuals who trace their ancestry to indigenous inhabitants of Africa *** Ethn ...

and Spanish descent who took part in the

Spanish conquest of Mexico The Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire, also known as the Conquest of Mexico or the Spanish-Aztec War (1519–21), was one of the primary events in the Spanish colonization of the Americas. There are multiple 16th-century narratives of the eve ...

. She is widely considered to be one of the first

biracial Mixed race people are people of more than one race or ethnicity. A variety of terms have been used both historically and presently for mixed race people in a variety of contexts, including ''multiethnic'', ''polyethnic'', occasionally ''bi-ethn ...

people of partial black ancestry to set foot in the new world.Pereyra CC. Hernán Cortes. Ed. Porrúa Col. Sepan Cuantos 1971 México (165), 165.

Biography

Nicknamed "La Parda" due to the tone of her skin (''

Pardo ''Pardos'' (feminine ''pardas'') is a term used in the former Portuguese and Spanish colonies in the Americas to refer to the triracial descendants of Southern Europeans, Amerindians and West Africans. In some places they were defined as ne ...

'' being an ethnic category, i.e. of mixed ancestry), she arrived to the new world with the expedition of

Pánfilo de Narváez Pánfilo de Narváez (; 147?–1528) was a Spanish ''conquistador'' and soldier in the Americas. Born in Spain, he first embarked to Jamaica in 1510 as a soldier. He came to participate in the conquest of Cuba and led an expedition to Camagüey ...

along with her husband, Pedro de Escobar, a white Spaniard, as well as her father, Cristobal Palacios. She is mentioned by

Francisco Cervantes de Salazar Francisco Cervantes de Salazar (1514? – 1575) was a Spanish man of letters and rector of the Royal and Pontifical University of Mexico, founded in 1551. He was born and raised in Toledo, Spain. He first attended Alejo Venegas’s Grammar ...

and

Bernal Díaz del Castillo Bernal Díaz del Castillo ( 1492 – 3 February 1584) was a Spanish conquistador, who participated as a soldier in the conquest of the Aztec Empire under Hernán Cortés and late in his life wrote an account of the events. As an experienced ...

among other famous conquerors who often express admiration towards her. Her date of birth is not clear She served as a nurse under the command of

Isabel Rodríguez Isabel Rodríguez, also known as Isabel Rodrigo, was a Spanish nurse, explorer, and doctor of the 16th century. She was the "mother" of 16th century military medicine. Biography She was a member of the expedition of Hernán Cortés to Mexico. Born ...

, but also fought at the front lines, often taking over the guard duties in place of her husband whenever he was too tired. She tended to his wounds and the wounds of others, saddled the horses, took care of the weapons, and did everything just like any other soldier. Palacios served with honor during

La Noche Triste La Noche Triste ("The Night of Sorrows", literally "The Sad Night") was an important event during the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire, wherein Hernán Cortés, his army of Spanish conquistadors, and their native allies were driven out of the ...

, helping the Spanish troops evacuate

Tenochtitlan , ; es, Tenochtitlan also known as Mexico-Tenochtitlan, ; es, México-Tenochtitlan was a large Mexican in what is now the historic center of Mexico City. The exact date of the founding of the city is unclear. The date 13 March 1325 was ...

, and later took part in the retaking of the city. Both she and her husband survived the conquest and established a family in Cuba.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Palacios, Beatriz Spanish explorers 16th-century Spanish women Spanish conquistadors African conquistadors Women in the Conquest of Mexico Spanish emigrants to Cuba Spanish people of African descent

Biography

See also

References