José del Campillo facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
José del Campillo y Cossío
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| Born | 1695 Alles, Asturias
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| Died | 1743 Madrid
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| Nationality | Spanish |
| Occupation | Diplomat |
José del Campillo y Cossío (born February 13, 1693, in Alles, Asturias, Spain – died April 11, 1743, in Madrid) was an important Spanish politician. He helped shape how Spain's empire was organized. His ideas were part of big changes known as the Bourbon Reforms.
Contents
Early Life and Career
José del Campillo came from a simple family. He was born in a "poor but honest" home. He taught himself Latin because he wanted to learn.
When he was young, he worked for Don Antonio Maldonado. Maldonado wanted José to become a priest, but José decided not to. In 1715, he started working for Don Francisco de Ocio. Ocio was in charge of customs, and José likely helped him as a clerk.
In 1717, a powerful person named José Patiño noticed Campillo. Patiño was building up Spain's navy. He moved Campillo to the navy department. Campillo worked hard and honestly. He helped Patiño manage the navy in Spain and America.
Patiño wanted to build a strong navy without other countries, especially England, noticing too much. Campillo was a good helper in this plan. Once, he was in a shipwreck in Central America. He showed great courage and skill in saving the crew's lives.
Facing Challenges
In 1726, some people reported Campillo to the Spanish Inquisition. This was because he was reading books that were not allowed. The Inquisition was a powerful group that controlled what people could think and read. Luckily, the case against him did not go further. This event shows how difficult it was to have new ideas back then.
Important Government Roles
Between 1733 and 1737, Campillo worked with the Spanish army in Italy. This was during a war called the War of Polish Succession. After he returned, he became a top manager for the army in a region called Aragon.
Minister for Spain
In 1741, King Philip V of Spain asked Campillo to become a minister. Spain was fighting two wars at the time: one in Italy and a naval war with England. Campillo became the minister of Finance, Navy, War, and the Indies. This meant he was in charge of many important things.
His biggest challenge was to find money for the wars. Spain's treasury was empty. Before Campillo, the government often relied on private contractors to collect taxes. This system was not good for the country. It meant the government often had to borrow money from rich people.
Campillo wanted to change this. He convinced the king to let him create a system where the government collected taxes directly. This would stop waste and stealing. He made good progress in making Spain's finances stronger. However, the king sometimes spent large sums of money without telling Campillo.
José del Campillo y Cossío died suddenly on April 11, 1743.
His Writings
Campillo wrote a book called New System of Government for America. It was printed in Madrid in 1789. He also wrote another book that was not published during his lifetime. Its interesting title was: What is superfluous and is wanting in Spain, in order that it may be what it ought to be, and not what it is. This shows he thought deeply about how Spain could improve.
See also
In Spanish: José del Campillo y Cossío para niños
