José Manrique was the Governor of New Mexico from 1808 to 1814 during the period just before the

Republic of Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

gained independence from

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

Career

Manrique's predecessor as New Mexico Governor,

Joaquín del Real Alencaster Joaquín del Real Alencaster (born around 1761) was a Spanish soldier who served as the governor of New Mexico between 1804 and 1807. During his administration, he limited the products that New Mexicans could trade, leading to a revolt against hi ...

, made himself unpopular by raising taxes and suppressing the smuggling of contraband. One source says that in 1808 Manrique started to raise a militia company in Santa Fe, which he said was for local defense. He was jailed by Alencaster. Later that year Alencaster was removed from office, and don

Alberto Maynez Alberto Maynez was a lieutenant colonel who served as Governor of Santa Fe de Nuevo México between 1807 and 1808 and between 1814 and 1816. Career Maynez joined the Spanish Army in his youth, eventually rising to the rank of lieutenant colonel ...

was made the interim Governor. Records are scanty and dates are uncertain. Maynez has been identified as acting governor from 1807-1808. He was succeeded by Manrique, who perhaps for a while was acting Governor while Alencaster remained technically the Governor. Manrique continued Maynez's policy of letting the New Mexico colonists embark on large-scale expeditions to trade with the

Plains Indians Plains Indians or Indigenous peoples of the Great Plains and Canadian Prairies are the Native American tribes and First Nation band governments who have historically lived on the Interior Plains (the Great Plains and Canadian Prairies) of N ...

. Apart from the economic benefits, this served to counterbalance U.S. influence. On 21 August 1809 Manrique was called to the

Pecos Pueblo Pecos National Historical Park is a United States National Historical Park in San Miguel and Santa Fe Counties, New Mexico. The park, operated by the National Park Service, encompasses thousands of acres of landscape infused with historical ...

to parley with

Comanche The Comanche or Nʉmʉnʉʉ ( com, Nʉmʉnʉʉ, "the people") are a Native American tribe from the Southern Plains of the present-day United States. Comanche people today belong to the federally recognized Comanche Nation, headquartered in La ...

s. Jose Manrique was concerned to prevent uprisings by the

Pueblo Indian The Puebloans or Pueblo peoples, are Native Americans in the Southwestern United States who share common agricultural, material, and religious practices. Currently 100 pueblos are actively inhabited, among which Taos, San Ildefonso, Acoma, Zun ...

s, and after 1810 supported their use of the '' Protector de Indios'' office to obtain justice, an office that had fallen out of use since around 1720 but which he revived. In March 1810 a New Mexican patrol caught a small group of traders from the United States in the north of the territory, and took them to Santa Fe. Manrique sent them down to

Chihuahua Chihuahua may refer to: Places *Chihuahua (state), a Mexican state **Chihuahua (dog), a breed of dog named after the state **Chihuahua cheese, a type of cheese originating in the state **Chihuahua City, the capital city of the state **Chihuahua Mun ...

, where they spent two years in jail. It was during Manriques governorship that the first and last election was held for a representative for New Mexico in the Spanish Cortes. The main candidates were Antonio Ortiz, Juan Rafael Ortiz and Pedro Bautista Pino, with the last being chosen to make the long journey to Cadiz. Lieutenant Colonel don José Manrique and his wife, doña Inez Tellez, are both recorded as residents of Chihuahua when they became the godparents in 1814 of Ramón Ortiz y Miera, son of Antonio Ortiz, who was later to become an influential and patriotic priest during the

Mexican–American War The Mexican–American War, also known in the United States as the Mexican War and in Mexico as the (''United States intervention in Mexico''), was an armed conflict between the United States and Mexico from 1846 to 1848. It followed the 1 ...

of 1846-1848.

References

;Citations ;Sources * * * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Manrique, Jose Colonial governors of Santa Fe de Nuevo México Date of birth missing Date of death missing