Solís Uprising facts for kids

The Solís Uprising was a military rebellion in Galicia (Spain) in 1846. It did not succeed. The soldiers who were killed after the rebellion failed are remembered as the Martyrs of Carral.

Spain in the 1840s

During the 1840s, Isabel II of Spain was the Queen of Spain. This time was called the "Moderate Decade." The main political party, the Moderates, believed in a type of government that was only "liberal" (meaning free) for business. They did not want a king or queen to have total power.

General Ramón María Narváez was a very powerful leader during this time. He made many rules that limited people's freedoms and rights. He also made the government very centralized, meaning most power was held in one place.

The Uprising Begins

On April 2, 1846, a group of soldiers rebelled in Lugo, a city in Galicia. Their leader was Colonel Miguel Solís y Cuetos. Solís announced that the local government was no longer in charge.

After taking control of Lugo, Solís spoke to his soldiers. His speech showed what he wanted to achieve:

Galicians: all Spaniards: Long live the free Queen! Long live the Constitution! Out with the foreigners! Down with the Dictator Narváez! Down with the system of tribute!

In the days that followed, the rebellion spread to other cities in Galicia. People who wanted more power for their local areas, called "provincialists," joined the uprising. On April 15, in Santiago de Compostela, they created a new government for Galicia. This new government was called the "Junta Superior del Reino de Galicia."

Galicia used to be its own kingdom many years ago. But it had become part of Spain. Solís and his supporters wanted to bring back the freedoms and rights that Narváez had taken away. They also wanted Galicia to be treated more fairly. Students from the University of Santiago de Compostela even formed a special student army. This army, called the "Batallón Literario," had fought against French forces in the past.

The Rebellion is Stopped

General Narváez, who was a top leader in Spain, quickly sent soldiers to stop the uprising. These troops were led by General Manuel Gutiérrez de la Concha.

On April 23, the Battle of Cacheiras took place near Santiago de Compostela. Solís's rebel forces were much smaller and were defeated by Narváez's stronger army.

Solís first tried to hide in a monastery. But he surrendered later that day. Three days later, he had a quick trial in Carral, a small town. He was sentenced to death. The trial was held in Carral because people were afraid that Solís's supporters in Santiago and A Coruña might cause trouble.

At dawn, Colonel Solís was taken to a churchyard near Carral. There, he was executed by a firing squad. Ten other officers and Commander Víctor Velasco were also executed nearby. They were buried in the Paleo cemetery. Their tomb is still there, but it has no words on it. The local priest who saw the execution called it a "Horrible spectacle. Sad memory."

Honoring the Fallen

The twelve soldiers who were executed became known as the "Martyrs of Carral." Ten years later, the Spanish government honored them. They were called "Beneméritos de la Patria" (meaning "Meritorious of the Homeland").

The Spanish Parliament gave them a special award called the "Cross of Valor and Constancy." They also decided that a monument should be built to remember them.

The monument was finally built in 1904. It was started by the Galician League of A Coruña. The monument was designed by architect Juan Álvarez Mendoza. It is made of granite stone. It shows the coat of arms of Galicia and has a message in Galician: "To the martyrs of liberty killed 26 April 1846. Galician League of A Coruña." The monument looks like a traditional stone cross.

This monument has been a place for many memorial events. For example, on April 26, 1931, soon after the Second Spanish Republic was formed, a ceremony was held there. A photo from that day shows Manuel Lugrís Freire leading the people attending.

Historian Manuel Murguía described the Solís Uprising as a short "spring" of 24 days. During this time, hope and new ideas fought against Narváez's government. Even though Narváez called his government "liberal," many people disagreed with him. These included middle-class people, students, professors, and professionals. Many of them wanted a republic instead of a monarchy.

The Solís Uprising was an early example of "Galician nationalism" or "regionalism." People wanted Galicia to have a better position than just being a "colony of the Court," as Antolín Faraldo said.

See also

In Spanish: Levantamiento de Solís para niños