Francisco Romá y Rosell facts for kids
Francisco Romá y Rosell was an important Spanish official who lived in the 1700s. He was born in Mataró, Spain, and later worked for the king's government in Valladolid and New Spain (which is now Mexico). He was the very first leader, called a regent, of the main court in Mexico.
When the viceroy (the king's main representative) of New Spain, Antonio María de Bucareli y Ursúa, passed away, Francisco Romá y Rosell stepped in. He served as the temporary governor of the colony from April 9, 1779, until August 23, 1779, before the new viceroy, Martín de Mayorga, arrived.
Contents
Early Life and Ideas
Francisco Romá y Rosell was a very smart student. He earned a special degree in law from Huesca University. After that, he worked as a lawyer in Barcelona. Soon, he joined the royal civil service, which means he worked for the king's government. Over his long career, he worked in different parts of Spain, like Catalonia and Castile, and also in New Spain.
He was also a member of a special group in Barcelona called the Royal Academy of Experimental Physics and Agriculture. This group focused on science and farming.
Francisco Romá y Rosell wrote several books where he shared his ideas. In 1766, he wrote a book about how different jobs and professions could help improve public order and the quality of goods made in Barcelona.
In 1768, he published another important book called Señales de la felicidad de España (which means Signs of the Happiness of Spain). In this book, he believed that Spain needed to improve its farming, factories, and trade to become stronger. He thought that people were starting to buy lighter, cheaper clothes that didn't last as long, just to follow fashion. He felt this showed a change in how people spent their money.
By 1769, he became a judge in Valladolid. He continued to move up in the legal system, becoming a civil judge just a few years later.
Leading the Audiencia of Mexico
The Audiencia was a very old and important government group in New Spain. It acted like a high court, making big decisions about laws and how the colony was run. For a long time, the viceroy was also the head of the Audiencia. This gave the viceroy a lot of power over both the government and the courts. However, most viceroys were military leaders, not trained lawyers.
In 1776, the king of Spain made big changes to how the government worked in the colonies. These changes were part of the Bourbon Reforms. The Audiencia became more independent from the viceroy. A new position was created: the regent of the Audiencia. This person would now lead the court instead of the viceroy. Francisco Romá y Rosell was chosen to be the very first regent of the Audiencia of Mexico. This was a very important job!
Temporary Governor of New Spain
Soon after Francisco Romá y Rosell arrived in Mexico City, he started working on a plan to grow flax and hemp plants, which were used to make cloth and rope. He was asked to do this by the Minister of the Indies, José de Gálvez.
But his plans changed quickly. The viceroy, Bucareli, died, and Romá y Rosell had to step up. He served as the temporary governor of New Spain for several months in 1779.
Just before the new viceroy, Martín de Mayorga, arrived, news reached Mexico City that Spain had declared war against Britain. It was up to Romá y Rosell to start getting New Spain ready for war. The new viceroy later approved all the actions he had taken.
Later Career
Francisco Romá y Rosell was chosen by José de Gálvez for two main reasons: to bring in new court reforms and to help the colony's economy grow. However, he didn't have much experience running a colony, and he didn't stay in close touch with Gálvez. Because of this, he was replaced in 1782 by Vicente Herrera. Francisco Romá y Rosell passed away in 1784.
See also
In Spanish: Francisco Romá y Rossell para niños
