Fernando Pérez de Almazán, was a Spanish emissary who served as the first governor of

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...

as a politically independent province from Coahuila (1722–1727).

Early life

Fernando Perez de Almazan was born in the early eighteenth century, but his place of birth is unknown. In the Aguayo expedition he became emissary of the French commander in the city of Natchitoches (then belonging to Texas, currently within

Louisiana Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is borde ...

), when France intended to invade the area. Spanish Gov Palace SA

Career

In 1721, Fernando Perez de Almazan and Captain Gabriel Costales came to Natchitoches to meet with the commander of the French fort and explain his intention to occupy

Los Adaes Los Adaes was the capital of Tejas on the northeastern frontier of New Spain from 1729 to 1770. It included a mission, San Miguel de Cuellar de los Adaes, and a presidio, Nuestra Señora del Pilar de Los Adaes (Our Lady of the Pillar of the Adae ...

(which had been Spanish, then taken and later abandoned by the French). The expedition could take back the area and create a better fortress to protect the site from new invasions from outside French boundaries. After a discussion between the French commander and Spanish major representatives, they decided they could restore and fortify the border wherever they saw fit. They decided to establish the

presidio A presidio ( en, jail, fortification) was a fortified base established by the Spanish Empire around between 16th and 18th centuries in areas in condition of their control or influence. The presidios of Spanish Philippines in particular, were cen ...

near Natchitoches.Jorge Ignacio Rubio Mañé. - (in Spanish: The Viceroyalty, III: Expansion and Defense, Part II –). Fondo de la Cultura Económica, México. In 1722, he was appointed governor of Texas, after the former governor of Texas and Coahuila,

José de Azlor y Virto de Vera José de Azlor y Virto de Vera, second Marquis of San Miguel de Aguayo by marriage (born c. 1677 – died 9 March 1734), commonly known as the ''Marqués de Aguayo'', was the governor of the provinces of Coahuila and of the New Philippines in N ...

, proposed that Coahuila and Texas had its own governors in 1720. After assuming the position of governor, Pérez de Almazán became Los Adaes in the Texas capital. Possibly as early as 1722 the

Spanish Governor's Palace The Spanish Governor's Palace is a historic adobe from the Spanish Texas period located in Downtown San Antonio. It is the last visible trace of the 18th-century colonial Presidio San Antonio de Béxar complex, and the only remaining example in ...

was built in

San Antonio ("Cradle of Freedom") , image_map = , mapsize = 220px , map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = United States , subdivision_type1= State , subdivision_name1 = Texas , subdivision_t ...

.Spanish Governor's Palace
at the City of San Antonio Parks and Recreation In 1724,

East Texas East Texas is a broadly defined cultural, geographic, and ecological region in the eastern part of the U.S. state of Texas that comprises most of 41 counties. It is primarily divided into Northeast and Southeast Texas. Most of the region cons ...

suffered significant crop losses, which prompted Almazán to travel to San Antonio looking other supplies. Because the river into the city was difficult to navigate, he put rafts at river crossings. After collecting supplies in 1725, the governor was sick. He stayed in San Antonio and appointed Melchor de Mediavilla y Azcona as lieutenant governor. However, between 1727 and 1729, Pérez de Almazán's health worsened and he was forced to resign, making Mediavilla y Azcona the new governor of Texas. In 1729, he was in

Mexico City Mexico City ( es, link=no, Ciudad de México, ; abbr.: CDMX; Nahuatl: ''Altepetl Mexico'') is the capital city, capital and primate city, largest city of Mexico, and the List of North American cities by population, most populous city in North Amer ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Perez De Almazan, Fernando Governors of Spanish Texas 1720s in Texas