José Fernando de Abascal y Sousa
Encyclopedia
José Fernando de Abascal y Sousa, 1st Marquis of La Concordia , (sometimes spelled Souza) (June 3, 1743, Oviedo
, Asturias
, Spain
– June 30, 1821, Madrid
) was a Spanish military officer
and colonial administrator in America. From August 20, 1806 to July 7, 1816 he was viceroy of Peru
, during the Spanish American wars of independence.
against the British. Three years later he was named commanding general and intendant
of Nueva Galicia
(western Mexico). He took up that office in 1800. In 1804 he was named viceroy of Río de la Plata
in Buenos Aires
. He never took possession of the office, because in the same year (1804) he was named viceroy of Peru.
The Balmis Expedition
arrived in Lima on May 23, 1806. This expedition, named for its head, Doctor Francisco Javier de Balmis
, was propagating smallpox
vaccine
throughout the Spanish Empire. Balmis himself was not with the group that arrived in Peru. The Peruvian group was headed by Doctor José Salvany, Balmis's deputy. The vaccine had proceeded them, however, having arrived in Lima from Buenos Aires. On August 2, 1805, 22 Brazilian slaves had been vaccinated there and sent as living carriers of the vaccine to northern Argentina, Paraguay, Chile and Peru. (The Balmis expedition used Spanish orphans for the same purpose.) Abascal ordered mass vaccinations in Lima, but without much success. The vaccine was available, but it was not free, and vested interests were able to preserve it as a source of revenue.
On December 1, 1806, an earthquake lasting 2 minutes shook the towers of the city of Lima. Earthquake-generated waves at El Callao
threw a heavy anchor onto the roof of the harbormaster. One hundred fifty thousand pesos were required to repair the walls of the city. In October 1807 a comet was seen in Lima, and in November 1811 another one appeared that was visible with the naked eye for six months.
In 1810 the medical school of San Fernando was founded. In 1812 and 1813 occurred the great fire of Guayaquil
that destroyed half the city, a hurricane in Lima that uprooted trees in the Alameda, and earthquakes in Ica
and Piura
.
, La Paz
and Charcas
(in Alto Perú, now Bolivia
) and reincorporated them into the Viceroyalty of Peru. (These provinces had been separated from Peru when the Viceroyalty of Río de la Plata was created in 1776.) A royalist army defeated rebels at Huaqui, Alto Perú.
He also reincorporated Chile
and Quito
(Ecuador) into the Viceroyalty of Peru. (Quito had been in the Viceroyalty of New Granada
since the separation that colony from Peru in 1739.)
Abascal was a dedicated and tireless supporter of absolute monarchy; nevertheless he supported the Cádiz Cortes
in the fight with Napoleon
, sending money and materiel
. During his administration, the Inquisition
of Lima was temporarily abolished as a result of the reforms taken by the Cortes. Because of the distance between Peru and Spain and due to the wars in Spain and in the Americas, he governed nearly independently of mother country. He fought hard to suppress the independence movements in Spanish America, converting Peru into a center of royalist reaction. After the proclamation of the liberal Spanish Constitution of 1812
in Spain, Abascal fought to keep its provisions from being applied in Peru. This led to revolts in Cusco
, Tacna
and Arequipa
, all of which were repressed.
On April 24, 1814 a Spanish force under Rafael Maroto disembarked at Callao to fight the rebels in the colony. The viceroy sent 2,400 troops under Brigadier Antonio Pareja to fight in Chile. When they arrived on the island of Chiloé
, they were joined by a large number of other men, and they also gained reinforcements in the cities of Valdivia and Talcahuano
. This southern part of the country was not sympathetic to the independence movement. Parejas then entered Concepción
. He granted amnesty to the Spanish garrison there, and they joined his forces. Now leading about 4,000 troops he went to Chillán
, which surrendered without a fight. There 2,000 more men joined the royalist forces.
In 1812 Abascal was created marqués de la Concordia. In 1816 he was recalled at his request, and returned to Spain. He was replaced by General Joaquín de la Pezuela
. Abascal died at the age of 79 in 1821.
Oviedo
Oviedo is the capital city of the Principality of Asturias in northern Spain. It is also the name of the municipality that contains the city....
, Asturias
Asturias
The Principality of Asturias is an autonomous community of the Kingdom of Spain, coextensive with the former Kingdom of Asturias in the Middle Ages...
, 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...
– June 30, 1821, Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
) was a Spanish military officer
Officer (armed forces)
An officer is a member of an armed force or uniformed service who holds a position of authority. Commissioned officers derive authority directly from a sovereign power and, as such, hold a commission charging them with the duties and responsibilities of a specific office or position...
and colonial administrator in America. From August 20, 1806 to July 7, 1816 he was viceroy of 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....
, during the Spanish American wars of independence.
Background
Abascal was born into a noble family. At the age of 19 he entered the army. After serving for 20 years he was promoted to colonel, and later in the war against France, to brigadier. In 1796 he took part in the defense of HavanaHavana
Havana is the capital city, province, major port, and leading commercial centre of Cuba. The city proper has a population of 2.1 million inhabitants, and it spans a total of — making it the largest city in the Caribbean region, and the most populous...
against the British. Three years later he was named commanding general and intendant
Intendant
The title of intendant has been used in several countries through history. Traditionally, it refers to the holder of a public administrative office...
of Nueva Galicia
Nueva Galicia
El Nuevo Reino de Galicia or Nueva Galicia was an autonomous kingdom of the Viceroyalty of New Spain. It was named after Galicia in Spain...
(western Mexico). He took up that office in 1800. In 1804 he was named viceroy of 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...
in 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...
. He never took possession of the office, because in the same year (1804) he was named viceroy of Peru.
As viceroy of Peru
He was unable to occupy the position of viceroy in Lima until 1806, because he was taken prisoner by the British during his voyage from Spain. Once in office, Abascal promoted educational reforms, reorganized the army, and stamped out local rebellions. The last cargo of black slaves in Peru was landed during his administration, in 1806. At that time an adult male slave sold for 600 pesos.The Balmis Expedition
Balmis Expedition
The Balmis Expedition was a three year mission to the Americas led by Dr Francisco Javier de Balmis with the aim of giving thousands the smallpox vaccine. He set off from La Coruña on 30 November 1803...
arrived in Lima on May 23, 1806. This expedition, named for its head, Doctor Francisco Javier de Balmis
Francisco Javier de Balmis
Francisco Javier de Balmis was a Spanish physician who headed an 1804 expedition to Spanish America to vaccinate the populations against smallpox....
, was propagating smallpox
Smallpox
Smallpox was an infectious disease unique to humans, caused by either of two virus variants, Variola major and Variola minor. The disease is also known by the Latin names Variola or Variola vera, which is a derivative of the Latin varius, meaning "spotted", or varus, meaning "pimple"...
vaccine
Vaccine
A vaccine is a biological preparation that improves immunity to a particular disease. A vaccine typically contains an agent that resembles a disease-causing microorganism, and is often made from weakened or killed forms of the microbe or its toxins...
throughout the Spanish Empire. Balmis himself was not with the group that arrived in Peru. The Peruvian group was headed by Doctor José Salvany, Balmis's deputy. The vaccine had proceeded them, however, having arrived in Lima from Buenos Aires. On August 2, 1805, 22 Brazilian slaves had been vaccinated there and sent as living carriers of the vaccine to northern Argentina, Paraguay, Chile and Peru. (The Balmis expedition used Spanish orphans for the same purpose.) Abascal ordered mass vaccinations in Lima, but without much success. The vaccine was available, but it was not free, and vested interests were able to preserve it as a source of revenue.
On December 1, 1806, an earthquake lasting 2 minutes shook the towers of the city of Lima. Earthquake-generated waves at El Callao
Callao
Callao is the largest and most important port in Peru. The city is coterminous with the Constitutional Province of Callao, the only province of the Callao Region. Callao is located west of Lima, the country's capital, and is part of the Lima Metropolitan Area, a large metropolis that holds almost...
threw a heavy anchor onto the roof of the harbormaster. One hundred fifty thousand pesos were required to repair the walls of the city. In October 1807 a comet was seen in Lima, and in November 1811 another one appeared that was visible with the naked eye for six months.
In 1810 the medical school of San Fernando was founded. In 1812 and 1813 occurred the great fire of Guayaquil
Guayaquil
Guayaquil , officially Santiago de Guayaquil , is the largest and the most populous city in Ecuador,with about 2.3 million inhabitants in the city and nearly 3.1 million in the metropolitan area, as well as that nation's main port...
that destroyed half the city, a hurricane in Lima that uprooted trees in the Alameda, and earthquakes in Ica
Ica Region
Ica is a region in Peru. It borders the Pacific Ocean on the west; the Lima Region on the north; the Huancavelica and Ayacucho regions on the east; and the Arequipa Region on the south. Its capital is the city of Ica.- Geography :...
and Piura
Piura Region
Piura is a coastal region in northwestern Peru. The region's capital is Piura and its largest port cities, Paita and Talara, are also among the most important in Peru...
.
The wars of independence
When revolution broke out in Buenos Aires on May 25, 1810, Abascal reoccupied the provinces of Córdoba, PotosíPotosí Department
Potosí Department is a department in southwestern Bolivia. It comprises 118,218 km² with 709,013 inhabitants . The capital is the city of Potosí....
, La Paz
La Paz Department (Bolivia)
The La Paz Department of Bolivia comprises with a 2001 census population of 2,350,466 inhabitants. It is situated at the western border of Bolivia, sharing Lake Titicaca with Peru. It contains the mighty Cordillera Real that reaches altitudes of . Northeast of the Cordillera Real are the Yungas,...
and Charcas
Charcas Province
Charcas is a province in the northern parts of the Bolivian Potosí Department. Its capital is San Pedro de Buena Vista .-Location:...
(in Alto Perú, now Bolivia
Bolivia
Bolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...
) and reincorporated them into the Viceroyalty of Peru. (These provinces had been separated from Peru when the Viceroyalty of Río de la Plata was created in 1776.) A royalist army defeated rebels at Huaqui, Alto Perú.
He also reincorporated 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...
and Quito
Quito
San Francisco de Quito, most often called Quito , is the capital city of Ecuador in northwestern South America. It is located in north-central Ecuador in the Guayllabamba river basin, on the eastern slopes of Pichincha, an active stratovolcano in the Andes mountains...
(Ecuador) into the Viceroyalty of Peru. (Quito had been in the Viceroyalty of New Granada
Viceroyalty of New Granada
The Viceroyalty of New Granada was the name given on 27 May 1717, to a Spanish colonial jurisdiction in northern South America, corresponding mainly to modern Colombia, Ecuador, Panama, and Venezuela. The territory corresponding to Panama was incorporated later in 1739...
since the separation that colony from Peru in 1739.)
Abascal was a dedicated and tireless supporter of absolute monarchy; nevertheless he supported the Cádiz Cortes
Cádiz Cortes
The Cádiz Cortes were sessions of the national legislative body which met in the safe haven of Cádiz during the French occupation of Spain during the Napoleonic Wars...
in the fight with Napoleon
Napoleon I of France
Napoleon Bonaparte was a French military and political leader during the latter stages of the French Revolution.As Napoleon I, he was Emperor of the French from 1804 to 1815...
, sending money and materiel
Materiel
Materiel is a term used in English to refer to the equipment and supplies in military and commercial supply chain management....
. During his administration, the Inquisition
Inquisition
The Inquisition, Inquisitio Haereticae Pravitatis , was the "fight against heretics" by several institutions within the justice-system of the Roman Catholic Church. It started in the 12th century, with the introduction of torture in the persecution of heresy...
of Lima was temporarily abolished as a result of the reforms taken by the Cortes. Because of the distance between Peru and Spain and due to the wars in Spain and in the Americas, he governed nearly independently of mother country. He fought hard to suppress the independence movements in Spanish America, converting Peru into a center of royalist reaction. After the proclamation of the liberal Spanish Constitution of 1812
Spanish Constitution of 1812
The Spanish Constitution of 1812 was promulgated 19 March 1812 by the Cádiz Cortes, the national legislative assembly of Spain, while in refuge from the Peninsular War...
in Spain, Abascal fought to keep its provisions from being applied in Peru. This led to revolts in Cusco
Cusco
Cusco , often spelled Cuzco , is a city in southeastern Peru, near the Urubamba Valley of the Andes mountain range. It is the capital of the Cusco Region as well as the Cuzco Province. In 2007, the city had a population of 358,935 which was triple the figure of 20 years ago...
, Tacna
Tacna
- Rail :Tacna is served by a cross-border standard gauge railway to Arica, Chile.It is also the location of the National Railway Museum of Peru.-Air:Tacna is served by the Crnl. FAP...
and Arequipa
Arequipa
Arequipa is the capital city of the Arequipa Region in southern Peru. With a population of 836,859 it is the second most populous city of the country...
, all of which were repressed.
On April 24, 1814 a Spanish force under Rafael Maroto disembarked at Callao to fight the rebels in the colony. The viceroy sent 2,400 troops under Brigadier Antonio Pareja to fight in Chile. When they arrived on the island of Chiloé
Chiloé Island
Chiloé Island , also known as Greater Island of Chiloé , is the largest island of the Chiloé Archipelago off the coast of Chile, in the Pacific Ocean...
, they were joined by a large number of other men, and they also gained reinforcements in the cities of Valdivia and Talcahuano
Talcahuano
Talcahuano is a port city and commune in the Biobío Region of Chile. It is part of the Greater Concepción conurbation. Talcahuano is located in the south of the Central Zone of Chile.-Geography:...
. This southern part of the country was not sympathetic to the independence movement. Parejas then entered 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...
. He granted amnesty to the Spanish garrison there, and they joined his forces. Now leading about 4,000 troops he went to Chillán
Chillán
Chillán is a city in the Biobío Region of Chile located about south of the country's capital, Santiago, near the geographical center of the country. It is the capital of Ñuble Province and, with a population of approximately 170,000 people , the most populated urban center of this province...
, which surrendered without a fight. There 2,000 more men joined the royalist forces.
In 1812 Abascal was created marqués de la Concordia. In 1816 he was recalled at his request, and returned to Spain. He was replaced by General Joaquín de la Pezuela
Joaquín de la Pezuela
Joaquín de la Pezuela Griñán y Sánchez Muñoz de Velasco, 1st marquis of Viluma was a Spanish military officer and viceroy of Peru during the War of Independence.-Background:...
. Abascal died at the age of 79 in 1821.
See also
- Peruvian War of Independence
- Bolivian War of Independence
- Chilean War of Independence
- Royalist (Spanish American Revolution)