Between a Rock and a Hard Place: O’odham Reasons to Revolt (Or Not) in 1751–52 – A presentation by Dr. Dale S. Brenneman, associate curator of documentary history at the Arizona State Museum

In late November 1751, thousands of O’odham (aka Pimas Altos and Papagos) rose up in widespread rebellion. Spaniards were caught completely off-guard as O’odham rebels, over the course of five days, attacked missions and Spanish communities, killing two Jesuit priests and some one hundred Spanish settlers while ransacking and burning mission churches and structures. Although the revolt effectively ended with a decisive Spanish victory over the rebels at Arivaca on January 5, 1752, investigations into its causes went on for several years, producing a massive body of documentation that includes forty-one O’odham reports, testimonies, and other statements recorded by various Spanish officials. This talk will provide extensive insights we gain from these regarding O’odham experiences of mission life, complexities of interrelationships and individual motivations, and mixed loyalties within the milieu of missionary and Spanish rule.