Francisco Antonio García Carrasco
Encyclopedia
Francisco Antonio García Carrasco Díaz (December 15, 1742 – August 10, 1813) was a Spanish soldier and Royal Governor of Chile
. His political relations with Juan Martinez de Rozas
and a smuggling scandal involving the frigate Scorpion
destroyed what little authority he had, and required that he surrender his post to Mateo de Toro Zambrano. He was the last governor to rule before the Chilean independence movement
swept the country.
, the son of the Artillery Lieutenant Antonio García Carrasco and of Rosa Díaz. He joined the Royal Spanish Army as an infantry cadet on September 29, 1757. He was promoted regularly, until Lieutenant Colonel of infantry and engineers on July 1, 1784.
In 1785 García Carrasco was sent to the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata
, to supervise the construction of the fortifications of Montevideo
. In 1796, he was transferred to Santiago
, Chile
, as auditor for the construction of the Palacio de La Moneda
, and later, as supervisor of the fortifications of the port of Valparaíso, of which he also was named interim Governor.
On February 26, 1802, he was promoted to Colonel of infantry and chief engineer, and on November 29, 1806 to Brigadier and director of the Army engineers corps of the Division of Indias. Governor Luis Muñoz de Guzmán
charged him with the inspection of the fortification system in southern Chile, and he was living in Concepción
when Gov. Muñoz de Guzmán suddendly died in February 1808.
—was under the administration of Luis Muñoz de Guzmán
, an able, respected and well-liked Royal Governor
. In May 1808 the overthrow of Charles IV
and Ferdinand VII, their replacement by Joseph Bonaparte
and the start of the Peninsular War
plunged the empire into a state of agitation.
When Gov. Muñoz de Guzmán suddenly died on February of that year, the crown was unable to appoint a new governor. After a brief interim regency by Juan Rodríguez Ballesteros, and according to the succession law in place at the time, the position was laid claim to and assumed by the most senior military commander, who happened to be Brigadier García Carrasco. García Carrasco took over the post of Governor of Chile
on April 22 and in August the news of the Napoleonic invasion of Spain
and of the conformation of a Supreme Central Junta
to govern the Empire in the absence of a legitimate king reached the country. In the meantime, Charlotte Joaquina
, sister of Ferdinand and wife of the King of Portugal
, who was living in Brazil
, also made attempts to obtain the administration of the Spanish dominions in Latin America
. Since her father and brother were being held prisoners in France, she regarded herself as the heiress of her captured family. Allegedly among her plans was to send armies to occupy Buenos Aires
and northern Argentina and to style herself as Queen of La Plata
.
back in 1781. The majority of the people were fervent royalists but were divided into two groups: those who favored the status quo and the divine right of Ferdinand VII (known as absolutists) and those who wanted to proclaim Charlotte Joaquina
as Queen (known as carlotists). A third group was composed of those who proposed the replacement of the Spanish authorities with a local junta of notable citizens, which would conform a provisional government to rule in the absence of the king and an independent Spain (known as juntistas).
that Napoleon Bonaparte's forces had conquered Andalusia
and laid siege to Cádiz
, the last redoubt against the French on Spanish soil. Moreover, the Supreme Central Junta
, which had governed the Empire for the past two years, had abolished itself in favor of a Regency Council. García Carrasco, who was a supporter of the carlotist group, managed to magnify the political problems by taking arbitrary and harsh measures, such as the arrest and deportation to Lima without due process of well-known and socially prominent citizens under simple suspicions of having been sympathetic to the junta idea. Among those arrested were José Antonio de Rojas, Juan Antonio Ovalle and Bernardo de Vera y Pintado.
The autonomy movement also had, inspired by the May Revolution
in Argentina, thoroughly propagated through the criollo elite. They resented the illegal arrests and, together with the news that Cádiz was all that was left of a free Spain, finally solidified in their opposition to the Governor. Brigadier García Carrasco was suspended from office and forced to resign on July 16, 1810, to be in turn replaced by the next most senior soldier, Mateo de Toro Zambrano, 1st Count of la Conquista, even though a legitimate Governor, Francisco Javier de Elío
, had already been appointed by the Viceroy of Peru.
broke out in Santiago. Though the revolt soon sputtered, and Figueroa was arrested and summarily executed, García Carrasco was arrested and speedily deported. He left Valparaíso on July 4 and arrived to Lima
, Peru
on August 27, where he died two years later, in 1813.
Royal Governor of Chile
The Royal Governor of Chile ruled over the Spanish colonial administrative district known as the Kingdom of Chile. This district was also called the Captaincy General of Chile, and as a result the Royal Governor also held the title of a Captain General...
. His political relations with Juan Martinez de Rozas
Juan Martinez de Rozas
Juan Martínez de Rozas Correa was the earliest leader in the Chilean struggle for independence.He was born at Mendoza in 1759, the son of Juan Martínez de Soto Rozas and María Prudencia Correa Villegas. In his early life he was a professor of law, theology and philosophy at Santiago...
and a smuggling scandal involving the frigate Scorpion
Scorpion scandal
The Scorpion scandal was a smuggling, criminal and political scandal that caused the downfall of the Spanish Royal Governor of Chile, and hastened the Independence movement in that country.-Background:...
destroyed what little authority he had, and required that he surrender his post to Mateo de Toro Zambrano. He was the last governor to rule before the Chilean independence movement
Chilean Independence
Chilean War of Independence was an armed conflict between pro-Independence criollos who sought political and economic independence from Spain and royalist criollos, who supported the continued allegiance to and permanence within the Spanish Empire of the Kingdom of Chile...
swept the country.
Early life
García Carrasco was born in CeutaCeuta
Ceuta is an autonomous city of Spain and an exclave located on the north coast of North Africa surrounded by Morocco. Separated from the Iberian peninsula by the Strait of Gibraltar, Ceuta lies on the border of the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. Ceuta along with the other Spanish...
, the son of the Artillery Lieutenant Antonio García Carrasco and of Rosa Díaz. He joined the Royal Spanish Army as an infantry cadet on September 29, 1757. He was promoted regularly, until Lieutenant Colonel of infantry and engineers on July 1, 1784.
In 1785 García Carrasco was sent to the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata
Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata
The Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata, , was the last and most short-lived Viceroyalty of the Spanish Empire in America.The Viceroyalty was established in 1776 out of several former Viceroyalty of Perú dependencies that mainly extended over the Río de la Plata basin, roughly the present day...
, to supervise the construction of the fortifications of Montevideo
Montevideo
Montevideo is the largest city, the capital, and the chief port of Uruguay. The settlement was established in 1726 by Bruno Mauricio de Zabala, as a strategic move amidst a Spanish-Portuguese dispute over the platine region, and as a counter to the Portuguese colony at Colonia del Sacramento...
. In 1796, he was transferred to Santiago
Santiago, Chile
Santiago , also known as Santiago de Chile, is the capital and largest city of Chile, and the center of its largest conurbation . It is located in the country's central valley, at an elevation of above mean sea level...
, Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
, as auditor for the construction of the Palacio de La Moneda
Palacio de La Moneda
Palacio de La Moneda , or simply La Moneda, is the seat of the President of the Republic of Chile. It also houses the offices of three cabinet ministers: Interior, General Secretariat of the Presidency and General Secretariat of the Government...
, and later, as supervisor of the fortifications of the port of Valparaíso, of which he also was named interim Governor.
On February 26, 1802, he was promoted to Colonel of infantry and chief engineer, and on November 29, 1806 to Brigadier and director of the Army engineers corps of the Division of Indias. Governor Luis Muñoz de Guzmán
Luis Muñoz de Guzmán
Luis Muñoz de Guzmán was a Spanish colonial administrator who served as Royal Governor of Quito and Royal Governor of Chile.-Sources:...
charged him with the inspection of the fortification system in southern Chile, and he was living in Concepción
Concepción, Chile
Concepción is a city in Chile, capital of Concepción Province and of the Biobío Region or Region VIII. Greater Concepción is the second-largest conurbation in the country, with 889,725 inhabitants...
when Gov. Muñoz de Guzmán suddendly died in February 1808.
Background
At the start of 1808, the Captaincy General of Chile—one of the smallest and poorest colonies in the Spanish EmpireSpanish Empire
The Spanish Empire comprised territories and colonies administered directly by Spain in Europe, in America, Africa, Asia and Oceania. It originated during the Age of Exploration and was therefore one of the first global empires. At the time of Habsburgs, Spain reached the peak of its world power....
—was under the administration of Luis Muñoz de Guzmán
Luis Muñoz de Guzmán
Luis Muñoz de Guzmán was a Spanish colonial administrator who served as Royal Governor of Quito and Royal Governor of Chile.-Sources:...
, an able, respected and well-liked Royal Governor
Royal Governor of Chile
The Royal Governor of Chile ruled over the Spanish colonial administrative district known as the Kingdom of Chile. This district was also called the Captaincy General of Chile, and as a result the Royal Governor also held the title of a Captain General...
. In May 1808 the overthrow of Charles IV
Charles IV of Spain
Charles IV was King of Spain from 14 December 1788 until his abdication on 19 March 1808.-Early life:...
and Ferdinand VII, their replacement by Joseph Bonaparte
Joseph Bonaparte
Joseph-Napoléon Bonaparte was the elder brother of Napoleon Bonaparte, who made him King of Naples and Sicily , and later King of Spain...
and the start of the Peninsular War
Peninsular War
The Peninsular War was a war between France and the allied powers of Spain, the United Kingdom, and Portugal for control of the Iberian Peninsula during the Napoleonic Wars. The war began when French and Spanish armies crossed Spain and invaded Portugal in 1807. Then, in 1808, France turned on its...
plunged the empire into a state of agitation.
When Gov. Muñoz de Guzmán suddenly died on February of that year, the crown was unable to appoint a new governor. After a brief interim regency by Juan Rodríguez Ballesteros, and according to the succession law in place at the time, the position was laid claim to and assumed by the most senior military commander, who happened to be Brigadier García Carrasco. García Carrasco took over the post of Governor of Chile
Royal Governor of Chile
The Royal Governor of Chile ruled over the Spanish colonial administrative district known as the Kingdom of Chile. This district was also called the Captaincy General of Chile, and as a result the Royal Governor also held the title of a Captain General...
on April 22 and in August the news of the Napoleonic invasion of Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
and of the conformation of a Supreme Central Junta
Junta (Peninsular War)
In the Napoleonic era, junta was the name chosen by several local administrations formed in Spain during the Peninsular War as a patriotic alternative to the official administration toppled by the French invaders...
to govern the Empire in the absence of a legitimate king reached the country. In the meantime, Charlotte Joaquina
Charlotte of Spain
Doña Carlota Joaquina of Spain was a Queen consort of Portugal as wife of John VI...
, sister of Ferdinand and wife of the King of Portugal
John VI of Portugal
John VI John VI John VI (full name: João Maria José Francisco Xavier de Paula Luís António Domingos Rafael; (13 May 1767 – 10 March 1826) was King of the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves (later changed to just King of Portugal and the Algarves, after Brazil was recognized...
, who was living in Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, also made attempts to obtain the administration of the Spanish dominions in Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
. Since her father and brother were being held prisoners in France, she regarded herself as the heiress of her captured family. Allegedly among her plans was to send armies to occupy Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
and northern Argentina and to style herself as Queen of La Plata
La Plata
La Plata is the capital city of the Province of Buenos Aires, Argentina, and of La Plata partido. According to the , the city proper has a population of 574,369 and its metropolitan area has 694,253 inhabitants....
.
Administration
Brigadier García Carrasco turned out to be a man of crude and authoritarian manners, who managed in a very short time to alienate the criollo elites under his command. Already in Chile, as in most of Latin America, there had been some independence agitation but very minimal and concentrated in the very ineffectual Conspiracy of the Tres AntoniosConspiracy of the Tres Antonios
The Conspiracy of the Tres Antonios was minor failed conspiracy against the Spanish colonial authorities in the captaincy-general of Chile, that was led by two Frenchmen, Antonio Gramusset and Antonio Berney, and a criollo, José Antonio de Rojas...
back in 1781. The majority of the people were fervent royalists but were divided into two groups: those who favored the status quo and the divine right of Ferdinand VII (known as absolutists) and those who wanted to proclaim Charlotte Joaquina
Charlotte of Spain
Doña Carlota Joaquina of Spain was a Queen consort of Portugal as wife of John VI...
as Queen (known as carlotists). A third group was composed of those who proposed the replacement of the Spanish authorities with a local junta of notable citizens, which would conform a provisional government to rule in the absence of the king and an independent Spain (known as juntistas).
Deposition
In 1809 Governor García Carrasco himself was implicated in a flagrant case of corruption that managed to destroy whatever remnants of moral authority he or his office had left. From that moment on the pressure for his removal began to build. In June 1810 news arrived from Buenos AiresBuenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
that Napoleon Bonaparte's forces had conquered Andalusia
Andalusia
Andalusia is the most populous and the second largest in area of the autonomous communities of Spain. The Andalusian autonomous community is officially recognised as a nationality of Spain. The territory is divided into eight provinces: Huelva, Seville, Cádiz, Córdoba, Málaga, Jaén, Granada and...
and laid siege to Cádiz
Siege of Cádiz
The Siege of Cádiz was a siege of the large Spanish naval base of Cádiz by a French army from February 5, 1810 to August 24, 1812 during the Peninsular War. Following the occupation of Madrid on March 23, 1808, Cádiz became the Spanish seat of power, and was targeted by 60,000 French troops under...
, the last redoubt against the French on Spanish soil. Moreover, the Supreme Central Junta
Junta (Peninsular War)
In the Napoleonic era, junta was the name chosen by several local administrations formed in Spain during the Peninsular War as a patriotic alternative to the official administration toppled by the French invaders...
, which had governed the Empire for the past two years, had abolished itself in favor of a Regency Council. García Carrasco, who was a supporter of the carlotist group, managed to magnify the political problems by taking arbitrary and harsh measures, such as the arrest and deportation to Lima without due process of well-known and socially prominent citizens under simple suspicions of having been sympathetic to the junta idea. Among those arrested were José Antonio de Rojas, Juan Antonio Ovalle and Bernardo de Vera y Pintado.
The autonomy movement also had, inspired by the May Revolution
May Revolution
The May Revolution was a week-long series of events that took place from May 18 to 25, 1810, in Buenos Aires, capital of the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata, a Spanish colony that included roughly the territories of present-day Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay and Uruguay...
in Argentina, thoroughly propagated through the criollo elite. They resented the illegal arrests and, together with the news that Cádiz was all that was left of a free Spain, finally solidified in their opposition to the Governor. Brigadier García Carrasco was suspended from office and forced to resign on July 16, 1810, to be in turn replaced by the next most senior soldier, Mateo de Toro Zambrano, 1st Count of la Conquista, even though a legitimate Governor, Francisco Javier de Elío
Francisco Javier de Elío
Francisco Javier de Elío , was a Spanish military, governor of Montevideo and the last Viceroy of the Río de la Plata. He was also instrumental in the Absolutist repression after the restoration of Ferdinand VII as King of Spain...
, had already been appointed by the Viceroy of Peru.
Later life
After his deposition, García Carrasco settled to a quiet life in a rural property near Santiago. On April 1, 1811 the Figueroa mutinyFigueroa mutiny
Figueroa mutiny was a failed attempt to restore royal power and is the first coup d'état to ever take place in Chile.- Background :...
broke out in Santiago. Though the revolt soon sputtered, and Figueroa was arrested and summarily executed, García Carrasco was arrested and speedily deported. He left Valparaíso on July 4 and arrived to Lima
Lima
Lima is the capital and the largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón, Rímac and Lurín rivers, in the central part of the country, on a desert coast overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Together with the seaport of Callao, it forms a contiguous urban area known as the Lima...
, Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
on August 27, where he died two years later, in 1813.
See also
- Chilean War of Independence
- Scorpion scandalScorpion scandalThe Scorpion scandal was a smuggling, criminal and political scandal that caused the downfall of the Spanish Royal Governor of Chile, and hastened the Independence movement in that country.-Background:...
- Figueroa mutinyFigueroa mutinyFigueroa mutiny was a failed attempt to restore royal power and is the first coup d'état to ever take place in Chile.- Background :...