Juan Vicente de Güemes Padilla Horcasitas y Aguayo, 2nd Count of Revillagigedo (Spanish, with variant name: Juan Vicente de Güemes Pacheco de Padilla y Horcasitas, segundo conde de Revillagigedo) (1740, Havana—May 2, 1799, Madrid) was a Spanish military officer and viceroy of New Spain from October 17, 1789 to July 11, 1794). Year 1740 ( MDCCXL) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap Havana ( IPA: aˈβana officially Ciudad de La Habana, is the Capital city, major port and leading Events 1194 - King Richard I of England gives Portsmouth its first Royal Charter. Year 1799 ( MDCCXCIX) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Madrid (pronounced in English in Spanish and colloquially in Spain) is the Capital and largest city of Spain. The Viceroyalty of New Spain (Virreinato de Nueva España was a name given to the Viceroy -ruled territories of the Spanish Empire in North America, Events 539 BC - King Cyrus The Great of Persia marches into the city of Babylon, releasing the Jews from almost Year 1789 ( MDCCLXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Events 911 - Signing of the Treaty of Saint-Clair-sur-Epte between Charles the Simple and Rollo of Normandy. Year 1794 ( MDCCXCIV) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a He is known as a great reformer and one of the finest administrators of the Spanish colonial era — perhaps the last able viceroy of New Spain.
Contents |
Youth and military career
From a young age, Güemes Padilla Horcasitas served in the army, and distinguished himself fighting the British in the siege of Gibraltar. Gibraltar (dʒɨˈbrɒltər is a British overseas territory located near the southernmost tip of the Iberian Peninsula overlooking the Strait of Gibraltar He rose to the rank of lieutenant colonel. He was a knight of the military Order of Charles III, baron of Benilova y Rivarroja and lord of the bedchamber to his majesty.
First days as viceroy
He arrived at Veracruz on October 8, 1789 and took up the offices of viceroy, captain general and president of the Audiencia on the seventeenth. Veracruz, formally Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave is one of the 31 states that constitute the republic of Mexico. Events 314 - Roman Emperor Licinius is defeated by his colleague Constantine I at the Battle of Cibalae, and loses Year 1789 ( MDCCLXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common For the modern court see Audiencia Nacional of Spain. The Royal Audiencia and Chancellery ( Spanish: Real audiencia y chancillería He became the third Criollo viceroy. His father, Juan Francisco de Güemes y Horcasitas, 1st Count of Revillagigedo was captain general of the island of Cuba, where the son was born, and later viceroy of New Spain (1746-55). Juan Francisco de Güemes y Horcasitas 1st Count of Revillagigedo (Juan Francisco de Güemes y Horcasitas primer conde de Revillagigedo (1681 Spain &mdash1766 The son was said to sleep only three to four hours a night, arising at 1 a. m. to begin a day's work.
Within a week of Güemes Padilla taking office, a gang of outlaws murdered Joaquín Dongo, a merchant and principal citizen of the capital, and ten of his employees. Güemes Padilla took only 13 days to have the gang located, tried and executed for the murders. Blanco, Aldama and Quintero, all Spaniards, were garroted for the murders on November 7, on a scaffold in the Plaza de Mexico. For this, he was often called the Vindicator of Justice.
Two other prominent murders occurred during his term. The first was that of the prefect of the monastery of Merced, killed by a priest of his order September 23, 1790. Events 1122 - Concordat of Worms. 1459 - Battle of Blore Heath, the first major battle of the English Year 1790 ( MDCCXC) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year The other was the murder on June 25, 1792 of Lucas de Gálvez, governor and captain general of Yucatán. Events 524 - Battle of Vézeronce, the Franks defeat the Burgundians Year 1792 ( MDCCXCII) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year
The challenges of his administration
He found the capital run down and dirty — the streets, the markets, the promenades. Most of the people appeared in public wearing nothing but thin robes and battered straw hats. Houses were badly made and badly cared for. Public education had deteriorated. There were no free primary schools and other public schools were deficient. Most streets had not been maintained, and were fit for travel only by foot or by mule. The state of the army was shocking.
His reforms
He immediately ordered the cleaning of the viceroy's palace, banishing the food-sellers' stalls. He prohibited the population from throwing trash in the streets. He removed stray animals from the streets. He ordered that no building be constructed without a license from the authorities. He continued the cobblestone paving of the streets outside of the city center.
He did much to lessen the bribery and corruption among government employees. He implemented a new administrative system of intendancies in the government (begun by a previous viceroy, Alonso Núñez de Haro y Peralta). Dr Alonso Núñez de Haro y Peralta ( October 31, 1729, Villagarcía Spain &mdash May 26, 1800, Mexico City) was archbishop He reorganized the courts and founded schools for Indigenous in various cities. Mexico, in the second article of its Constitution, is defined as a "pluricultural" nation in recognition of the diverse ethnic groups that constitute it He hired competent teachers for the Academy of San Carlos, and founded a chair in mathematics. He also set up a chair in anatomy at the General Hospital of the Natives.
He ordered plans be created for the principal cities, stimulated the establishment of factories, and continued the work on the drainage system of Mexico City. Mexico City (in Spanish: Ciudad de México, México DF, México or simply Méjico) is the Capital city of Mexico He stimulated the cultivation of plants for textiles — cotton, hemp, flax and mulberry — and regulated the cutting of wood.
Güemes Padilla cleaned up Mexico City and continued to install street lights there and in various other cities. All of the principal streets of Mexico City were lighted by the end of his term. He intensified the construction of highways to Veracruz, Acapulco, Guadalajara, San Blas and Toluca and established biweekly mail service to the capitals of the intendencies. He promoted the construction of needed public buildings and aqueducts. He instituted night patrols and fire brigades. He also established the general archives of the colony, bring together old and important documents. He ordered that cemeteries be outside the city. He had new ships built for the protection of the coasts.
As a reaction to the French Revolution, he prohibited the importation of books and periodicals expressing the new ideas. Spain's war with France was very expensive, and Güemes Padilla sent three million pesos to the mother country, in addition to the usual remittances.
He initiated excavations in the Plaza de Armas in Mexico City, during which the Aztec calendar stone was discovered (1790). The Aztec sun stone, Stone of the Sun ( Spanish: Piedra del Sol) or Aztec calendar stone is a large monolithic sculpture that was excavated (This was part of a project to level the streets. ) In 1792 he founded the Royal College of Mining. He aided the botanical investigations of Martín Sessé y Lacasta, which were to result in the Flora mexicana (1894). Martín Sessé y Lacasta (1751 in Baraguás, Aragon, Spain &mdash October 4, 1808, Madrid) was a Spanish botanist who relocated He ordered that a census be taken of the colony. There were 4,484,000 inhabitants.
On November 14, 1789, for the first time on record the Aurora Borealis was seen in Mexico City. Events 1533 - Conquistadors from Spain under the leadership of Francisco Pizarro arrive in Cajamarca, Inca Year 1789 ( MDCCLXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common This caused much consternation; people believed that the heavens were on fire, and the end of the world was approaching.
On December 27, 1789 the new king, Charles IV was proclaimed in Mexico. Events 537 - The Hagia Sophia is completed 1512 - The Spanish Crown issues the Laws of Burgos, governing the Year 1789 ( MDCCLXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Charles IV ( November 11, 1748 - January 20, 1819) was King of Spain from December 14, 1788 until his abdication The famous Mexican engraver and medalist Jerónimo Antonio Gil cast a series of medals for the event.
On February 21, 1794, Antonio López de Santa Anna, many-time president of the Republic of Mexico, was born in Jalapa, Veracruz. Events 362 - Athanasius returns to Alexandria. 1245 - Thomas, the first known Bishop of Finland Year 1794 ( MDCCXCIV) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Antonio de Padua María Severino López de Santa Anna y Pérez de Lebrón ( February 21, 1794 &ndash June 21, 1876) often known as Santa Xalapa or Jalapa is the capital city of the Mexican state of Veracruz. Veracruz, formally Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave is one of the 31 states that constitute the republic of Mexico.
Explorations
Alessandro Malaspina, commander of the frigates Descubierta and Atrevida, arrived in Mexico in 1791 during his scientific and political voyage throughout the Spanish colonies. Alessandro Malaspina (also spelled Alexandro and Alejandro; November 5, 1754 - April 9, 1810) was an Italian Malaspina assigned several of his officers to investigate the colonial archives and records. This was one of the political tasks of the Malaspina expedition, for which Malaspina and his officers had royal authority above that of the viceroy, authorizing access to any and all documents they might think relevant. Dionisio Alcalá Galiano was in command of the party of Malaspina's officers. Dionisio Alcalá Galiano ( October 8, 1760 &ndash October 21, 1805) was a Spanish naval officer cartographer and explorer While in Mexico Malaspina received orders from the king of Spain to investigate a rumored Northwest Passage in Alaska. The Northwest Passage is a sea route through the Arctic Ocean, along the northern coast of North America via waterways amidst the Canadian Arctic Archipelago Alaska ( Аляска Alyaska) is a state in the United States of America, in the northwest of the North American continent While returning to Acapulco Malaspina learned of the discovery of the entrance to the Strait of Georgia, a result of the expedition of Francisco de Eliza sent by Güemes Padilla in 1791 to the Pacific Northwest. The Strait of Georgia or the Georgia Strait (also known as the Gulf of Georgia) is a Strait between Vancouver Island (as well as its nearby Francisco de Eliza y Reventa (1759 &ndash February 19, 1825) was a Spanish naval officer Navigator, and Explorer. The Pacific Northwest is a region in the northwest of North America (the term refers to the land not the ocean Güemes Padilla had been preparing another expedition to explore the Strait of Juan de Fuca since 1791. It was to be under the command of Francisco Antonio Mourelle, using two newly built schooners, Mexicana and Sutil. Francisco Antonio Mourelle de la Rúa (1755 &ndash May 24, 1820) was a Spanish naval officer and Explorer. But Malaspina was able to take control of the schooners, replace Mourelle with Alcalá Galiano, and sent the ships to explore the Strait of Georgia. Galiano's expedition took place in 1792. Because Malaspina was imprisoned for political reasons upon his return to Spain in 1794 the account of his expedition was never published. Galiano's exploration account was published in 1802, but with all mention of Malaspina removed. It was instead said that Galiano operated under the direction of Güemes Padilla instead of Malaspina. This fiction continues to be widely cited to the present day. [1][2]
Because of his sponsorship of exploration, several places in North America bear his name, such as San Juan Island, Orcas Island, and Guemes Island, among others. San Juan Island is the second-largest and most populous of the San Juan Islands in northwestern Washington, United States. MountConstitutionViewjpg|thumb|View eastwards from Mount Constitution over the Rosario Strait with Mount Baker visible]] Orcas Island is the largest of the San Guemes Island is a small island in the southeastern part of the San Juan Islands chain in western Skagit County, Washington state, USA. When he took the office of viceroy in 1789, the Spanish claims in North America had reached their widest extent. Although he sponsored exploration, he did not see the Pacific Northwest as being worth what it would cost to maintain possession of it and he resisted his predecessor's efforts to build up the army there.
End of his administration
In 1794 complaints from the Ayuntamiento (city government) led to a juicio de residencia against the viceroy before the Council of the Indies. A juicio de residencia (literally judgment of residence) was a judicial procedure of Castilian law and the Laws of the Indies. The Council of the Indies, officially the Royal and Supreme Council of the Indies (In Spanish " el Real y Supremo Consejo de Indias " was the (He had made enemies by his fight against corruption. ) The viceroy was ordered to return to Spain to mount a defense against the various charges. He was absolved and the councilmen were ordered to pay costs.
Despite his good work and popularity with the people he ruled, Güemes Padilla lasted only five years in office. Although King Charles IV was the nominal ruler of Spain, his queen, Maria Louisa of Parma, and her lover, Manuel de Godoy, held most of the power. Charles IV ( November 11, 1748 - January 20, 1819) was King of Spain from December 14, 1788 until his abdication Maria Luisa of Parma ( December 9 1751, Parma, Italy - January 2 1819, Barberini Palace, Rome Don Manuel Francisco Domingo de Godoy (di Bassano y Alvarez de Faria de los Ríos y Sánchez-Zarzosa, also Manuel de Godoy y Alvarez de Faria de los Ríos Sánchez Zarzosa Godoy wasn't in agreement with Güemes Padilla's reforms and lack of territorial ambitions in the Pacific Northwest. Godoy replaced him as soon as he could.
Death and legacy
Revillagigedo Island, in the Alexander Archipelago of southeast Alaska was named for him, as were the San Juan Islands in what is now the United States state of Washington and the Revillagigedo Islands, southwest of the Baja California peninsula in Mexico. Revillagigedo Island is an Island in the Alexander Archipelago in Ketchikan Gateway Borough of the southeastern region of the The Alexander Archipelago is a three-hundred-mile-long Archipelago, or group of islands off the southeastern coast of Alaska. Alaska ( Аляска Alyaska) is a state in the United States of America, in the northwest of the North American continent The San Juan Islands are a part of the San Juan Archipelago in the northwest corner of the continental United States. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Washington ( is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. The Revillagigedo Islands (also Revillagigedo Archipelago or Islas Revillagigedo) are a group of four Volcanic islands Islands in the The Baja California peninsula ( English: Lower California peninsula) is a Peninsula in western Mexico. There is also a Revilla-Gigedo Palace in Gijón, Spain. A palace is a grand residence especially the home of a Head of state or some other high-ranking Public figure. Gijón ( Asturian: Xixón) is a coastal industrial city He has a great great grand son named Saul Aguayo
He died on May 2, 1799 (some sources say May 12) in Madrid. Events 1194 - King Richard I of England gives Portsmouth its first Royal Charter. Year 1799 ( MDCCXCIX) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a He was greatly mourned in New Spain. In his honor, Charles IV made his descendants grandees of Spain.
References
- (Spanish) "Güemes Pacheco de Padilla, Juan Vicente de," Enciclopedia de México, v. 6. Mexico City: 1987.
- (Spanish) García Puron, Manuel, México y sus gobernantes, v. 1. Mexico City: Joaquín Porrua, 1984.
- (Spanish) Orozco L. , Fernando, Fechas Históricas de México. Mexico City: Panorama Editorial, 1988, ISBN 968-38-0046-7.
- (Spanish) Orozco Linares, Fernando, Gobernantes de México. Mexico City: Panorama Editorial, 1985, ISBN 968-38-0260-5.
Notes
- ^ Kendrick, John (2003). Alejandro Malaspina: Portrait of a Visionary. McGill-Queen's Press, pp. 58-60. ISBN 0773526528.
- ^ Dionisio Alcalá Galiano: The Canadian Adventure of a Spanish Naval Hero, Malaspina University-College
| Preceded by Manuel Antonio Flores |
 Viceroy of New Spain 1789 - 1794 |
Succeeded by Miguel de la Grúa Talamanca y Branciforte, marqués de Branciforte |