Juan Bautista Elguézabal: Difference between revisions
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=== Government of Texas === |
=== Government of Texas === |
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In July 27, 1799,<ref name="Governors of Texas"/> Elguezabal took over the government of the province of Texas,<ref name="HTJBE"/><ref name="Governors of Texas"/> in the absence of his governor [[José Irigoyen]].<ref name="HTJBE"/> In 1803, however, he also became acting governor of [[Louisiana]], after the place was sold to the United States. In this time, many immigrants |
In July 27, 1799,<ref name="Governors of Texas"/> Elguezabal took over the government of the province of Texas,<ref name="HTJBE"/><ref name="Governors of Texas"/> in the absence of his governor [[José Irigoyen]].<ref name="HTJBE"/> In 1803, however, he also became acting governor of [[Louisiana]], after the place was sold to the United States. In this time, many immigrants whom lived in Louisiana sent petitions to Elguézabal to request ''his move to Texas''.<ref name="HTJBE"/> Also, Spain declared that any slave who crossed the [[Sabine River (Texas–Louisiana)|Sabine River]] into Texas would be automatically freed. For a time, many slaves ran away to Texas. Free blacks also emigrated to Texas. Most escaped slaves joined friendly American Indian tribes, but others settled in the [[East Texas]] forests.<ref name=williams4>{{citation|last=Williams|first=David A.|title=Bricks Without Straw: A Comprehensive History of African Americans in Texas|publisher=Eakin Press|location=[[Austin, TX]]|year=1997|page 4=| isbn=1-57168-041-1}}</ref> When some French and Spanish slaveholders moved to Texas, they were allowed to retain their slaves.<ref name=barr13>{{citation|last=Barr|first=Alwyn| authorlink=Alwyn Barr|title=Black Texans: A history of African Americans in Texas, 1528–1995|edition=2nd|publisher=[[University of Oklahoma Press]]|location=[[Norman, OK]]|year=1996|page=14|isbn=0-8061-2878-X}}</ref> |
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Elguézabal developed a more liberal policy than the province had until that time, improving the life conditions of his inhabitants (previously, the province had a high poverty rate that caught most of its population).<ref name="HTJBE"/> Under his administration in the province, the [[Indigenous peoples of the Americas|Native Americans]] [[Alabama-Coushatta Tribe of Texas|Alabama-Coushatta]] and [[Choctaw]], with the autonomy they had acquired with the government of Manuel Munoz, obtained permission to settle to East of the [[Trinity River (Texas)]].<ref name="HTJBE"/><ref name="Governors of Texas"/> |
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==== Relations with US ==== |
==== Relations with US ==== |
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Revision as of 16:49, 15 November 2015
 | This article may require copy editing for grammar, style, cohesion, tone, or spelling. (November 2015) |
Juan Bautista Elguezabal | |
|---|---|
| 30ºGovernor of the Spanish Colony of Texas | |
| In office 1800–1805 | |
| Preceded by | José Irigoyen |
| Succeeded by | Manuel Antonio Cordero y Bustamante |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1741 Unknown |
| Died | 1805 San Antonio, Texas |
| Children | Juan José Elguezabal |
| Profession | Political |
Juan Bautista Elguezabal (1741–1805) was governor of Texas from 1800 to 1805. He also ruled the province (Texas was a province in this time) temporarily in 1797, and Louisiana (1803).
Biography
Early years
Juan Bautista Elguezabal was born in 1741,[1][2] but his birthplace is unknown, as well as where he lived until he turned sixty-five.[1] In 1795, he was appointed assistant inspector of a Presidio in the Mexican state of Coahuila. A year later in 1796, he was appointed assistant of Governor of Texas, replacing Manuel Muñoz, who was very ill. He became Acting governor in August the following year, 1797.[1][2] In this year, he made an inspection of the Bahia del Rosario.[2]
Government of Texas
In July 27, 1799,[2] Elguezabal took over the government of the province of Texas,[1][2] in the absence of his governor José Irigoyen.[1] In 1803, however, he also became acting governor of Louisiana, after the place was sold to the United States. In this time, many immigrants whom lived in Louisiana sent petitions to Elguézabal to request his move to Texas.[1] Also, Spain declared that any slave who crossed the Sabine River into Texas would be automatically freed. For a time, many slaves ran away to Texas. Free blacks also emigrated to Texas. Most escaped slaves joined friendly American Indian tribes, but others settled in the East Texas forests.[3] When some French and Spanish slaveholders moved to Texas, they were allowed to retain their slaves.[4]
Elguézabal developed a more liberal policy than the province had until that time, improving the life conditions of his inhabitants (previously, the province had a high poverty rate that caught most of its population).[1] Under his administration in the province, the Native Americans Alabama-Coushatta and Choctaw, with the autonomy they had acquired with the government of Manuel Munoz, obtained permission to settle to East of the Trinity River (Texas).[1][2]
Relations with US
For other way, the Commander General[5] Nemesio Salcedo Salcedo,[5][6] who served to Elquezabal, sent him a letter, asking him to order their officials establish good relations with United States, but whether carry out no official communication with them, in addition of ordering to Ugarte to inform him about the number of American troops established in Natchitoches (including cavalry and infantry), the exist of militias or regulars in these troops and the caliber of the twenty artillery pieces of this place. [6]
In August 1800, Pedro de Nava ordered to Elquezabal to secretly imprison to horse-trader and freebooter Philip Nolan if he shown be a spy to US service. However, the Commandant of Concordia near Natchez, Jose Vidal, indicated him that Nolan was leading a thirty or forty armed men group and that he unsuccessfully attempted to convince to the Supreme Court of Mississippi to prevent the entry of Nolan to Texas. [7]
First schools in Texas and the end of his term
Also, between 1803 - 1804, Salcedo wrote another letter to Elquezabal asking to build schools of primary education to teach reading and writing to the people "of the frontier", because of his illiteracy, and asked to send teachers there. Elquezabal ordered the construction of several schools (the first Texas's schools were established during the Elguézabal's administration) and sending teachers to the province (in this time, Texas was a province), whom obtained a one-fourth of peso per month for every boy enrolled (although apparently only boys could enroll to school, because no girl was mentioned in the documents that indicated the students who should enroll in the schools, it only was indicated that boys should register). Schools were established in places as San Antonio, the capital of Texas, and the presidio of La Bahia del Espiritu Santo (in July, 1804; no schools was built in Nacogdoches until 1805 because the population was very dispersed and the boys needed work in the ranches every day). So, Jose Francisco Ruiz become in teacher of school of San Antonio. [5]
The government of Elguezabal should have been temporary, since, as it was mentioned above, the provincial government actually belonged to José Irigoyen, appointed by the king, having governed Texas between 1798 and 1800. However he never returned to the province to claim its government, and Elguezabal continued to serve as governor until his death in San Antonio on October 5, 1805.[1]
Personal life
He had four children, one of whom was Juan José Elguézabal, governor of Mexican Texas between 1834 and 35.[1]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Bautista Elguésabal, Juan". Handbook of Texas Online. Retrieved October 12, 2010.
- ^ a b c d e f Pares, Ross (1976). The Governors of Texas. Page 43.
- ^ Williams, David A. (1997), Bricks Without Straw: A Comprehensive History of African Americans in Texas, Austin, TX: Eakin Press, ISBN 1-57168-041-1
{{citation}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|page 4=(help) - ^ Barr, Alwyn (1996), Black Texans: A history of African Americans in Texas, 1528–1995 (2nd ed.), Norman, OK: University of Oklahoma Press, p. 14, ISBN 0-8061-2878-X
- ^ a b c Jones, Oakah L. (September 15, 1996). Los Paisanos: Spanish Settlers on the Northern Frontier of New Spain. Page 60.
- ^ a b JE Townes (2008). Invisible Lines: The Life and Death of a Borderland. Page 125.
- ^ Edward Everett Hale, Hsuan L. Hsu, Susan Kalter (2010). Two Texts by Edward Everett Hale: "The Man Without a Country" and Philip Nolan´s friends. Page 50. Lexington Books.