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Last Spanish governor of Texas appointed
On this day in 1817, Antonio María Martínez, colonel of the infantry
regiment of Zamora, became the last governor of Spanish Texas. He was
born in Andújar, Spain. He entered military service in 1785 and had a
distinguished career, winning the Cross of Northern Europe and the Cross
of Germany on European battlefields. He assumed the political and
military governorship of a troubled Texas in 1817. While Spanish troops
had defeated a series of revolts and invasions, Martínez complained that
the king's soldiers had "drained the resources of the country, and laid
their hands on everything that could sustain human life" in the process.
By the summer of 1821 the Spanish regime was faced with disaster.
Agustín de Iturbide was in possession of Mexico, and Martínez, at the
request of the Baron de Bastrop, approved Moses Austin's petition for
permission to bring 300 settlers into Texas. On July 18, 1821, Martínez
was forced to issue orders requiring the oath of allegiance to Iturbide.
After learning that José Félix Trespalacios had been appointed to
succeed him, he surrendered his office peacefully on August 17, 1822.
Martínez returned to Mexico City and died there in November 1823.
- Links to Related Handbook of Texas Online Articles
- MARTINEZ, ANTONIO MARIA
- SPANISH TEXAS
- ITURBIDE, AGUSTIN DE
- AUSTIN, MOSES
- BASTROP, BARON DE
- TRESPALACIOS, JOSE FELIX
- MEXICAN WAR OF INDEPENDENCE
- Other Texas Day by Day Articles for This Date
- Infamy at Goliad (1836)
- Littlefield inaugurates Texas Relays at Memorial Stadium (1925)
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