Melchor de Navarrete facts for kids

Melchor de Navarrete y Bujanda (1693–1761) was an important Spanish soldier and leader. He served as a governor in different parts of the Spanish Empire. He was the governor of Cartagena de Indias (in modern-day Colombia) from 1739 to 1742. Later, he governed Spanish Florida from 1749 to 1752. His last role was as governor of Yucatán (in modern-day Mexico) from 1754 to 1758.

Biography

Early Life and Role in Cartagena

Melchor de Navarrete was born on January 17, 1693, in Briones, Spain. His father, Francisco Navarrete, was the governor of Briones. Melchor joined the Spanish Royal Army when he was young. He worked his way up to become a Field Marshal, a very high military rank.

In 1736, Navarrete moved to Cartagena to serve as the King's Lieutenant. This meant he was a high-ranking official helping the governor. After Governor Pedro Hidalgo passed away in 1739, Navarrete became the temporary governor of Cartagena. He was in charge of the city's daily life and making sure there was enough food. The military defense was led by Admiral Blas de Lezo.

Navarrete helped defend Cartagena during a big battle.

In 1740, Navarrete joined the Order of Santiago, a famous Spanish knightly order. He also became a field marshal in the Spanish Royal Army. In 1741, he played a part in the Battle of Cartagena de Indias. In this battle, the Spanish defended Cartagena against British Admiral Edward Vernon. Navarrete fought alongside Admiral de Lezo and Viceroy of New Granada Sebastián de Eslava.

During his time in Cartagena, some concerns were raised about Navarrete's actions in trade and administration. Because of these issues, Viceroy Eslava replaced him as acting governor with Brigadier Basilio de Gante. The viceroy also suspended Navarrete from his role as royal lieutenant.

However, Navarrete's wife came from an important merchant family in Cartagena. In 1749, he managed to gather enough support and funds. This helped him get appointed as the governor of Florida. He also got his position as lieutenant to the king back before leaving for his new role.

Governing Florida and Yucatán

On August 8, 1749, Navarrete officially became the governor of Spanish Florida. While he was governor, he kept records of enslaved people who had escaped from British colonies and found freedom in Florida. His letters from April 1752 mention the baptism of fourteen formerly enslaved people living at Fort Mose. Fort Mose was a special settlement mainly for free Black people. It helped protect St. Augustine from attacks by Native American tribes and the British. Navarrete finished his term in Florida on July 3, 1752.

In 1752, he was recognized as a knight of the Order of Santiago. Two years later, in 1754, he was chosen to be the governor and captain general of the Mexican provinces of Yucatán, Cozumel, and Tabasco. During his time in Yucatán, there were complaints about the difficult working conditions for the Mayas. These were the native people of the peninsula. They were often forced to work hard, especially growing cotton. Navarrete supported the landowners who benefited from this system. He even had Mayan chiefs sign a statement that was sent to the King of Spain, Ferdinand VI. The King approved the statement, and the forced work continued.

Navarrete also led a military effort against privateers in 1754. Privateers were like pirates who had permission from their government to attack enemy ships. These privateers had been attacking the coast of Yucatán. Ships and soldiers from places like Mexico City, Campeche, Bacalar, Honduras, and Havana joined the fight. The Spanish troops took control of an area called Valis. They captured many ships and soldiers and burned down privateer camps. However, the English later took Valis back, and privateer attacks continued.

During Navarrete's time as governor, the town council of Campeche asked to build a powder magazine (a place to store gunpowder) away from the town center. This was because lightning storms in the summer often caused fires near the town plaza. The new powder magazine was finished in 1758. This was the same year Navarrete's term in Yucatán ended. After that, he went back to Cartagena. He passed away there on August 28, 1761.

Personal Life

Melchor de Navarrete married María Micaela de Sanz y de la Roche on May 28, 1740. They had three daughters together: María Antonia, María Josefa, and María Francisca de los Dolores.

Images for kids

• 

  Navarrete helped defend Cartagena during a big battle.

See also

In Spanish: Melchor de Navarrete para niños