Juan Francisco de Güemes, 1st Count of Revillagigedo facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
The Most Excellent
The Count of Revillagigedo
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Portrait by Miguel Cabrera
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| 41st Viceroy of New Spain | |
| In office 9 July 1746 – 9 November 1755 |
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| Monarch | Ferdinand VI |
| Preceded by | The Count of Fuenclara |
| Succeeded by | Agustín de Ahumada |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 16 May 1681 Reinosa, Cantabria |
| Died | 27 November 1766 (aged 85) Madrid, Spain |
| Children | Juan Vicente de Güemes |
Juan Francisco de Güemes y Horcasitas (born May 16, 1681, in Reinosa, Cantabria; died November 27, 1766, in Madrid) was an important Spanish leader. He was a general, the governor of Havana, and the captain general of Cuba. Most notably, he served as the viceroy of New Spain from July 9, 1746, to November 9, 1755.
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Early Life and Military Career
Juan Francisco de Güemes y Horcasitas was the first person to be called the Count of Revilla Gigedo. He was a high-ranking general in the army. He took part in important battles, like the siege of Gibraltar and the conquest of Oran.
In 1734, he became the captain general of Havana. While there, he successfully defended the city from English attacks. He also improved the army's cavalry and made the city's defenses stronger. Because of his good work, he was chosen to be the viceroy of New Spain.
Viceroy of New Spain
When Güemes y Horcasitas arrived in New Spain, he oversaw important ceremonies. He led the funeral for the old king, Philip V. Then, he officially announced the new king, Ferdinand VI.
He strongly supported the settlement of a new area called Nuevo Santander, which is now Tamaulipas. Under his leadership, Colonel José de Escandón helped create eleven new towns for Spanish settlers and Native Americans. They also built four missions. These new places were often named after the viceroy, his wife María Josefa Llera, or Escandón himself. Escandón was later rewarded for his efforts.
In 1750, the ancient ruins of Palenque were discovered. A few years later, in 1753, Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, a famous figure in Mexican history, was born in Guanajuato.
New Spain faced some challenges during this time. In 1750, there was a severe famine in Guanajuato and Zacatecas. This was followed by a widespread sickness. The next year, some Pimas in Sonora rebelled. To stop the rebellion, military forts called presidios were built at Altar and Tubac. In 1752, people in New Spain saw a nearly complete eclipse of the sun. Many people were worried, thinking it was a sign of bad things to come.
Government Reforms
In 1746, Viceroy Güemes y Horcasitas made big changes to how the colony's money was managed. A lot of money had been sent to Spain, so he ordered new coins to be made. He also allowed playing cards again, which his predecessor had banned. This helped the government collect more taxes.
Smuggling, which is bringing in goods illegally, was a big problem. The viceroy ordered all ships arriving in port to be carefully checked. However, this didn't stop smugglers. They used small boats to land on empty beaches and transfer their illegal goods. Spanish merchants complained, so Spain stopped trading with the Hanseatic League, a group of trading cities. This meant fewer legal goods came in, and smuggling increased even more. It was even said that the viceroy's wife wore clothes brought in illegally from England or Flanders!
Güemes y Horcasitas was known for being a good and honest leader. He made sure that government workers did their jobs well. He also managed to increase the government's income. This was impressive because money from the mines had gone down. This was due to a shortage of mercury, which was needed to get silver out of the ground. He also made the fleet that protected ships between Veracruz and Havana bigger.
After the war with England ended, there was less piracy. This meant more mercury from Spanish mines could reach New Spain. As a result, silver production went back up to its previous levels.
He also improved how official documents were kept. He made sure that government and religious matters were handled separately. These changes helped create what is now the General Archives of Mexico.
Some people said he became very rich while in office. However, when he left, the treasury had a lot of extra money. There were also plenty of supplies and goods.
Dealing with Other Countries
Spain was at war with England again, in a conflict known as the War of the Austrian Succession. News reached Mexico City that England was planning to invade Spanish lands in America. The viceroy didn't know where the English would attack, so he prepared all the provinces under his control to defend themselves.
A peace agreement was signed in 1748. Spain had to pay its debts to England, and England had to return any Spanish lands it had captured. This meant New Spain's military spending went down. The extra money was used for projects like settling Nuevo Santander.
While keeping good relations with France, he was careful to stop the French from taking over any New Spain territory. He made the military forts in Texas stronger. In 1755, he built a fort called a presidio at Horcasitas in Sonora. This was to help control the Apache people.
Return to Spain
After his time as viceroy, Güemes y Horcasitas returned to Spain. There, he became a captain general in the army. He was considered for other important roles, like viceroy of New Granada and Navarre. He also became the president of the council of Castile and the president of the council of war.
