Juan José de Vértiz y Salcedo facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Juan José de Vértiz y Salcedo
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Lithography of Salcedo
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| Viceroy of the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata | |
| In office 26 Jun 1778 – 7 Mar 1784 |
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| Monarch | Charles III of Spain |
| Preceded by | Pedro Antonio de Cevallos |
| Succeeded by | Nicolás del Campo |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1719 Mérida, Yucatán, Viceroyalty of New Spain (now Mexico) |
| Died | 1799 Madrid, Spain |
| Nationality |  Spain |
| Occupation | Military |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata |
Juan José de Vértiz y Salcedo (born in 1719 in Mérida, Yucatán, and died in 1799 in Madrid, Spain) was an important Spanish leader. He was born in what is now Mexico. He became the Viceroy of the Río de la Plata. This was a large area in South America controlled by Spain.
Contents
Early Life and Military Career
Juan José de Vértiz y Salcedo was the son of a well-known Spanish politician. He studied in Spain and became a soldier. He fought in wars for Spain in places like Italy and France.
Governor of Buenos Aires
Before becoming Viceroy, he was the Governor of Buenos Aires. At that time, Buenos Aires was part of the Viceroyalty of Perú. Later, it became part of the new Viceroyalty of Río de la Plata. His main goal as governor was to remove the Portuguese from an area called the Banda Oriental. This area is now Uruguay. He was not successful in this goal. However, people still thought his time as governor was very good.
Viceroy of Río de la Plata
Starting as Viceroy
In 1778, Juan José de Vértiz y Salcedo became the Viceroy. This was a very powerful position. He was in charge of a huge territory. He worked hard to make many improvements.
Growing the Economy and Government
He helped the local economy grow. He also encouraged people to settle in new lands. Some of these lands were not inhabited by Spanish settlers. He set up local governments called Intendencias across the viceroyalty. He also prepared the way for a major court system. This court was called the Real Audiencia de Buenos Aires.
He put new rules in place to help trade. He also opened customs offices. These offices collected taxes on goods. He tried to organize artisans into groups. These groups were like trade unions in Europe.
Social Improvements
During his time as Viceroy, he ordered the first city census. This count showed that about 37,000 people lived in the city. He also created the first theatre in the city. It was called La Ranchería.
He opened the "Casa Cuna" or "Hospital de expósitos." This was a special home for children who did not have families. It was first started by the Jesuits. He also created the "Protomedicato." This group watched over the practice of medicine. It helped stop people from practicing medicine without proper training. Miguel Gorman led this group. It also started the teaching of medicine in Buenos Aires.
Later Years and Return to Spain
Vértiz y Salcedo played an important role in stopping a big uprising. This was the rebellion led by Túpac Amaru II in Perú. In 1784, he asked to go back to Spain. He left the viceroyalty and handed control to his successor, Nicolás del Campo. He died in Spain in 1799.
See also
In Spanish: Juan José de Vértiz y Salcedo para niños
