Santa Fe Map Paso on September 21, 1680. The Pueblo peoples maintained control of Santa Fe and northern New Mexico for about a decade, until Diego de Vargas reconquered the region in 1692 and 1693. Stockton Map Tourist Attractions When the Spaniards returned, they lessened demands on the native peoples for labor and allowed them more religious freedom. The nonnative population of Santa Fe increased throughout the eighteenth century. In 1750, the population of Santa Fe included 965 nonnatives and 570 natives.
By 1790, Santa Fe consisted of 2,997 nonnatives and 598 natives. From the time the Spaniards first arrived, Native Countrys became part of Spanish households. Many of these native peoples were criadas, or servants, who had been taken in war by Spaniards or rescued from Plains Indians, who were holding them captive. These criadas were raised in Spanish households and taught Christianity. Some were adopted into families formally or as godchildren. Treatment of servants ranged from incorporation as family members to sheer cruelty. The high number of female servants contributed to the unbalanced sex ratio of the Santa Fe population.
There were more women in Santa Fe than men, making Santa Fe an unusual settlement on the frontier of New Spain, where men more often outnumbered women. The late 1800s saw major changes affecting Santa Fe. In 1786, Spanish officials negotiated a peace with the Comanche, which led to relative peace for several decades and allowed settlers to expand beyond the town limits. Government reforms, known as the Bourbon reforms, increased money circulation and regulated taxes more accurately, stimulating the economy of New Mexico. Settlers in northern New Mexico traded in Chihuahua, as well as at Taos with Plains Indians.
