Francisco Cajigal de la Vega facts for kids
Francisco Cajigal de la Vega (sometimes spelled Francisco Caxigal de la Vega) was born on February 6, 1691, in Ribamontán al Monte, Cantabria, Spain. He passed away in 1777. He was an important Spanish military officer who served as the governor of Cuba for many years, from 1747 to 1760. Later, he became the temporary viceroy of New Spain (which was a large Spanish colony, including much of modern-day Mexico). He held this powerful position from April 28, 1760, to October 5, 1760.
Contents
Early Life and Career
Francisco Cajigal de la Vega was a high-ranking officer in the Spanish royal army. He held the rank of lieutenant general. He was also a knight of the Order of Santiago, which was a special group of knights in Spain. In 1747, he was chosen to be the governor of Cuba.
Becoming Viceroy
In 1760, while Cajigal was still governor of Cuba, the previous viceroy of New Spain, Agustín de Ahumada, passed away. The Audiencia, a high court in New Spain, had secret instructions for what to do if the viceroy died. These instructions named Cajigal as the person to take over as temporary viceroy.
Cajigal left Havana, Cuba, on March 28, 1760, and sailed to Veracruz in New Spain. After waiting a few days in Veracruz for his travel arrangements, he made his official entry into Mexico City on April 28, 1760. This is when he officially took on the role of viceroy.
Changes and Reforms
During his time as viceroy, Francisco Cajigal de la Vega worked on several important changes.
Economic Improvements
He focused on improving the way the treasury (the government's money) was managed.
- He removed a sales tax on products made from iron and steel. This was done to encourage more building and mining of these metals.
- To bring in more money for the government, he sold the right to be the only producer of playing cards.
- He also arranged for a private company to collect customs duties (taxes on goods entering the country) at Veracruz for five years.
- These actions helped boost the economy in areas like La Florida and Panzacola (which is now Pensacola).
Military Strength
Cajigal also worked to make the army stronger in New Spain.
- He increased the size of the regular army to 2,921 soldiers.
- He appointed his son, Juan Manuel, as the commander of the cavalry company that guarded the viceroy.
Royal Amnesty
When Charles III became the new king of Spain, a general amnesty was announced. This meant that some prisoners could be set free. However, in New Spain, not many prisoners were released because there were many exceptions to the amnesty.
End of His Term
Francisco Cajigal de la Vega served as interim viceroy for a short time. On October 5, 1760, he handed over the government of the colony to the new viceroy, Joaquín de Montserrat, marqués de Cruillas. After that, Cajigal returned to Havana, Cuba, and went back to his previous job as governor.
See also
In Spanish: Francisco Antonio Cagigal de la Vega para niños
