José Alfonso Pizarro facts for kids
José Alfonso Pizarro (1689–1762) was an important Spanish naval officer and a colonial leader. He was also known as the Marquis del Villar. From 1749 to 1753, he served as the Viceroy of New Granada, which was a large Spanish territory in South America.
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As a young man, Pizarro joined the naval service of the Knights of Malta. This was a special group of knights who helped people. He was a knight of this Order. He also served the king as a gentleman of the bedchamber.
Later, Pizarro joined the Spanish navy. He worked his way up to become a rear admiral. This is a high rank in the navy.
Chasing a British Admiral
In 1740, the Spanish government learned about a British admiral named George Anson. Anson was sailing to the Pacific Ocean. Spain sent a fleet of ships to stop him. Pizarro was put in charge of this fleet.
His fleet included two large warships and four smaller frigates. They also carried soldiers for Chile. Pizarro's fleet left in October 1740. They arrived in the Río de la Plata (a large river in South America) in January 1741.
Pizarro heard that Anson was getting his ships ready. Anson planned to enter the Pacific through the Le Maire Strait. This strait is near the tip of South America. Pizarro quickly sailed to try and catch him.
Challenges at Sea
Pizarro's squadron had several ships. These included the Asia, Guipúzcoa, Hermione, Esperanza, and the frigate San Estéban. However, a big storm hit them. Pizarro lost one ship and one frigate. He had to go back for repairs.
He tried again with two ships. But another storm hit, and his ships lost their masts. This meant they couldn't sail properly. He had to return to Montevideo. From there, he sent the frigate Esperanza to the Pacific. Pizarro himself crossed the Andes mountains to Peru. For some time, he was the main naval commander there.
Return to Europe
After a peace agreement with England, Pizarro left the frigate in the Pacific. He traveled overland back to Montevideo. There, he found his main ship, the Asia, had been repaired. He sailed the Asia back to Europe in November 1745.
During this trip, some of the crew were Indigenous people from the pampas. One night, they rebelled against the Spanish crew. They took control of the ship. Pizarro managed to kill their leader. In the confusion, he forced the rebels into the sea.
When Pizarro arrived in Cádiz, Spain, in January 1746, he was promoted. He became a vice-admiral.
Viceroy of New Granada
In 1749, Pizarro was chosen for a very important job. He became the viceroy and captain general of New Granada. A viceroy was like a governor. They ruled a large area for the king of Spain.
He arrived in Cartagena de Indias in November 1749. His predecessor, Sebastián de Eslava, officially handed over the government to him.
Changes and Improvements
As viceroy, Pizarro made some changes. He created a monopoly on aguardiente. This meant he controlled who could sell this specific drink. This caused some riots. He also improved the place where money was made, called the mint.
Pizarro worked to make travel and communication better. He started building the San Antonio bridge in Bogotá. This bridge was made of stone and mortar. It crossed two rivers, the Río San Agustín and the Río San Francisco. His successor, José Solís Folch de Cardona, finished building the bridge.
Pizarro served as viceroy until 1753. Then, he passed the government to the next leader. After that, he returned to Spain.
See also
In Spanish: José Alfonso Pizarro para niños
