Miguel de Buría facts for kids

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Miguel I of Buría (also known as King Miguel or Miguel the Black) was a brave leader who was once enslaved in San Juan, Puerto Rico. He became the King of Buría in what is now Lara, Venezuela. His rule started in 1552 and ended around 1553 to 1555.

Miguel gained power and control over the area near the Buría River by leading the first rebellion of African people in Venezuela's history. Many enslaved people joined him, and even some local native groups helped his cause. During this uprising, he took over the San Felipe de Buría gold mines. These mines were important for getting gold, and they relied heavily on enslaved workers. Miguel, who was known for being rebellious, fought back when someone tried to whip him. He then led several enslaved people to escape.

They built a settlement in the nearby jungle. From there, they often raided the mines, encouraging other enslaved people to join them and find freedom. In 1552, Miguel, with about 50 followers, led a big attack against the mine foreman. They killed a Spaniard, burned some houses, and took weapons before moving towards the San Pedro river.

After gathering more people to form an army, Miguel I created his own kingdom. He named his wife, Guiomar, as his queen and their son as prince. Since he was born and grew up in San Juan, he was the first black king born in the Americas. He also organized his kingdom like European ones. Miguel I even started his own church, making one of the former enslaved people a bishop. He also appointed ministers and other officials for his kingdom. The Spanish expected more attacks and made their town, Nueva Segovia, stronger. Miguel led his forces in a fight against the Spanish, but he was killed in the battle. After the king fell, his kingdom ended, and the survivors were captured and enslaved again.

Early life of King Miguel
Kingdom of Buría
Legacy of King Miguel
- Literature
- Folklore and arts
See also

Early life of King Miguel

In 1517, Charles V allowed thousands of Africans to be brought to the Caribbean as enslaved people. This was because the Spanish settlements needed free workers for mining and farming. This decision also meant that enslavers could bring Africans directly from their home countries. Between 1530 and 1533, more Spanish settlers came to Trinidad and Venezuela. In 1552, the town of Nueva Segovia de Barquisimeto was founded.

One of the founders, Damián del Barrio, found a lot of gold in the Buría River. Mines were set up there, called Real de Minas de San Felipe de Buria. Enslaved Africans, along with local Jirajara natives, were forced to work in these mines to dig out the gold. Miguel was one of these enslaved Africans. He was a Christian and knew Spanish, a group known as ladino. Damián del Barrio brought Miguel to Venezuela, and later Miguel became enslaved by Damián's son, Pedro del Barrio. Miguel was forced to work in the mines in the state of Yaracuy. People described Miguel as "proud" and "clever."

Some historians believe Miguel might have come from a royal family in Angola or Mozambique. This idea comes from how well he organized his kingdom. There are other stories of captured royals being brought to Puerto Rico as enslaved people. For example, a prince was captured and sold, then later sent back to Africa from Manatí in 1832.

Kingdom of Buría

Rebellion at the San Felipe Mines

One day, a Spanish foreman who often mistreated the enslaved Africans tried to tie up Miguel to whip him. But Miguel fought back! He grabbed a sword from one of the foremen and defended himself. Miguel then escaped into the nearby jungle.

From the jungle, Miguel would secretly go back to the mines at night. He convinced other enslaved Africans and natives to escape and join him. He gathered about 20 people in the first group, and then more natives joined. Miguel organized them, took control of weapons, and led an attack against the mines. They won the battle! The rebels took control of the mines and punished some of the Spanish foremen who had been cruel to them. The survivors were allowed to leave, but they were told to warn Barquisimeto to prepare for war. This news caused a lot of worry in Barquisimeto.

In a later report from 1565, it was said that about 150 men and women took part in the rebellion. They were well-armed and attacked the Spanish building with great force. Miguel and his people took all the gold, equipment, and belongings from the mines. Miguel then sent out scouts to find and convince more enslaved men and women, and possible allies, to join their cause. These efforts brought Christianized natives to their side.

Coronation of King Miguel

Using the riches he had taken, Miguel started a campaign to free other enslaved Africans and natives. Many joined him, and his settlement grew to about 180 people, including his partner Guiomar and their son. Miguel built his settlement in a smart location, near a river with natural protection from a rocky area. It was surrounded by a fence with two entrances, and guards were always ready to defend against Spanish attacks. The exact location is not fully clear, but sources say it was near the city of Barquisimeto or the Nirgua area in Yaracuy state. Some reports say the population reached 180 people at its peak.

According to Spanish records, Miguel created a system where women were assigned to men to form couples. Among the settlers was a man known as "the priest" from the mines. Miguel made him the bishop of his kingdom. This bishop built a church where daily services were held. Because Miguel was from Puerto Rico and spoke Spanish well, he knew a lot about Spanish society and how their government worked. He organized his followers based on these ideas.

In a special ceremony, the bishop crowned Miguel as king. Guiomar was recognized as queen, and their son became the prince, creating a royal family line. The native people of the region also accepted Miguel as their king. He set up a Royal House and used all the European royal roles he knew. His most loyal helpers were given titles like ministers and royal officers.

War against the Spanish

After organizing his kingdom, Miguel prepared for war. They made spears and darts from the metal tools found in the mines. These new weapons were added to their existing collection of swords (taken from the mines) and bows and arrows (brought by the natives). The Spanish soon heard about these war preparations, which made them worried. They feared that more enslaved people would escape and join Miguel's kingdom. So, the Spanish town of Tocuyo sent extra soldiers to Nueva Segovia de Barquisimeto.

Learning this, King Miguel decided to attack first. He ordered an attack on Nueva Segovia de Barquisimeto. He reportedly gave a powerful speech about freedom, saying that God had made them free, but the Spanish had enslaved them. He also criticized the Spanish for treating enslaved people differently from other European countries. The king reportedly used a clever trick: he had the natives paint themselves with a dark plant called genipa americana (or jagua). This made it look like there were more black soldiers, hoping to scare the Spanish. Weapons were given out based on skill: natives got bows and arrows, while Africans received spears made from mining tools. Swords were also shared.

The Burian forces arrived at the edge of the Spanish town at night. They announced their attack by shouting ¡Viva el Rey Miguel! (meaning "Long live King Miguel!") and surprised the Spanish. In the confusion, some Spanish soldiers noticed the natives wearing black paint. The Burians took control of the town square, burned the church and several houses, and killed a priest and six settlers. The Spanish, with their extra soldiers from Tocuyo, fought back and pushed the Burians away. Miguel reorganized his troops but decided to return to his kingdom, expecting the Europeans to counterattack.

The Spanish throughout the region were very scared. They knew the Burians had not lost many people, and more attacks were likely. Nueva Segovia de Barquisimeto asked for more help from Tocuyo. The town council of Tocuyo, also fearing an attack, organized its forces under Captain Diego Losada. Losada went to Nueva Segovia, where his group was strengthened and given the job of attacking the Kingdom of Buría. The journey through the jungle was hard for the Spanish soldiers, who traveled on foot. One Spanish soldier captured one of Miguel's men, who was then forced to guide them. Using surprise, the Spanish captured a group of women who were washing clothes by the river. However, the kingdom's guards were alerted and shouted, ¡Arma¡ ¡Arma¡ ¡Que los barbudos vienen! (meaning "To arms! To arms! The bearded ones are coming!").

Final battle

With this warning, the people of the kingdom armed themselves. Miguel came out to lead them into battle, and they rallied behind him. They tried to stop the Spanish from entering the settlement. But after fighting with the Spanish, they retreated inside. However, the doors were not closed properly, allowing the Spanish to get in. Inside, Miguel gave a speech, encouraging his people to fight for freedom. Then, the king himself led his men into the fight. He was described as fighting like a "lion." During the battle, Miguel bravely refused offers from the Spanish to surrender. One account says his spear went right through a shield carried by a Spanish soldier. The Burians followed his example, making the battle very difficult for the Spanish.

However, in the heat of the battle, Miguel was badly wounded and died. He had stayed on the front line instead of falling back. It's not completely clear who killed him. Some say he was stabbed by "one of the Spaniards," possibly Diego García de Paredes, while others claim he was shot by a crossbow.

The king's death immediately made his men lose hope. The Spanish noticed this and attacked with even more energy. Many of the Africans kept fighting until they died, while others fled and were either killed or captured. The remaining survivors were taken to Nueva Segovia de Barquisimeto. Guiomar and the prince, who had stayed away from the battle with the other women, were recaptured and enslaved again. The Jirajara natives continued to fight the Spanish in the Nirgua region for many years. Eventually, they forced the Spanish to leave the mines and move the town of Nueva Segovia.

Legacy of King Miguel

Literature

Juan de Castellanos, who lived at the same time as Miguel, wrote about the events involving Miguel. He described Miguel as a "brave black man, a creole from San Juan de Puerto Rico." His account gives more details about the people involved than most other writings. Fray Pedro de Aguado, who arrived in Venezuela in 1561, met some of the survivors from Miguel's kingdom and wrote about the rebellion. Later, Antonio de Herrera y Tordesillas, a chief historian, summarized these events.

In 1956, Jesús M. Pérez Morales and Enrique Luch S. de Mons published Negro Miguel, el esclavo rey, a story that imagines Miguel's life. Many other authors have also written about Miguel, including Douglas Palmas, Raúl Agudo Freites, Miguel Arroyo, and Arturo Uslar Pietri.

Folklore and arts

In Venezuela, where he is most often called "El Negro Miguel," his actions became part of popular culture and were passed down through stories. The figure of the fallen king has become very important. He is now part of the María Lionza cult (which started in Yaracuy), where he is seen as a member of the goddess's court. He is joined by other historical figures known for rebellion, like Simón Bolívar and the native chief Guaicaípuro. Some researchers think the goddess María Lionza herself might be a cultural symbol of Queen Guiomar, because the cult started near where Miguel's kingdom was.

Miguel's story has also inspired many artists. Ángel Sauce used the events as the basis for a ballet. Manuel Rugeles and José Antonio de Armas Chitty wrote poetry about him. Guillermo Meneses created a play about Miguel's life. Alejo Carpentier also wrote poetry about Miguel and his defiance in building a kingdom in Spanish territory. However, in his home country of Puerto Rico, Miguel was not well known until the late 1970s and remains somewhat obscure even today.