José Sisto
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José Sisto, also called José Sisto Rodrigo and José Sixto, was twice
Governor of Guam The governor of Guam ( / ) is the head of government of Guam and the commander-in-chief of the Guam National Guard, whose responsibilities also include making the annual State of the Island (formerly the State of the Territory) addresses to t ...
, first after overthrowing Francisco Martínez Portusach, and again after being legitimately placed in the position by the
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. He served as
Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many countries in the Americas **Spanish cuisine **Spanish history **Spanish culture ...
administrator of the Public Treasury in
Guam Guam ( ; ) is an island that is an Territories of the United States, organized, unincorporated territory of the United States in the Micronesia subregion of the western Pacific Ocean. Guam's capital is Hagåtña, Guam, Hagåtña, and the most ...
until the
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captured the island during the
Spanish–American War The Spanish–American War (April 21 – August 13, 1898) was fought between Restoration (Spain), Spain and the United States in 1898. It began with the sinking of the USS Maine (1889), USS ''Maine'' in Havana Harbor in Cuba, and resulted in the ...
. When Martínez was named Commissioner, Sisto quickly staged a
coup d'état A coup d'état (; ; ), or simply a coup , is typically an illegal and overt attempt by a military organization or other government elites to unseat an incumbent leadership. A self-coup is said to take place when a leader, having come to powe ...
and claimed the position as the highest ranking Spanish official on the island. He began arming native guards and commandeering ammunition, but was briefly overthrown by Venancio Roberto and other pro-American elements on December 31, 1898, but was officially put into power by officers of the
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only two days later after they decided he held a legitimate claim to the position. His second term was brief, and he officially relinquished control on February 1, 1899 after learning that the United States had obtained Guam.


Spanish government

During the last period of Spanish rule in Guam, Sisto served as the administer of the Hacienda Publica, of Public Treasury, for the Spanish government on the island. After the
Capture of Guam The Capture of Guam was a bloodless engagement between the United States and Spain during the Spanish–American War. The U.S. Navy sent a single cruiser, , to capture the island of Guam, which was under Spanish control. The Spanish garrison ...
, Sisto was one of the few Spanish officials left on the island.


Governorship


Overthrow

After the Capture of Guam by the
United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
during the
Spanish–American War The Spanish–American War (April 21 – August 13, 1898) was fought between Restoration (Spain), Spain and the United States in 1898. It began with the sinking of the USS Maine (1889), USS ''Maine'' in Havana Harbor in Cuba, and resulted in the ...
, the territorial Spanish government was deposed; eventually, Francisco Portusach Martínez, the only American citizen on the island, was named Commissioner. However, Sisto claimed the authority to rule under Spanish law and because he was the highest-ranking Spanish official left on the island. He overthrew Governor Martínez and took control of the government, while at the same time naming himself provisional governor of the
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. Upon taking control, he instituted a six dollar
tax per head A poll tax, also known as head tax or capitation, is a lump-sum tax, tax levied as a fixed sum on every liable individual (typically every adult), without reference to income or resources. ''Poll'' is an archaic term for "head" or "top of the h ...
, armed local militia, and commandeered fifteen tons of powder and ammunition. Sisto declared American rule of the island void because the 1884
Berlin Conference The Berlin Conference of 1884–1885 was a meeting of colonial powers that concluded with the signing of the General Act of Berlin,
stated that a country had to actively occupy a territory with a military force to claim ownership of a seized territory, though the United States did not take part in the conference. He formed a coalition consisting of most of the island's priests and other pro-Spanish parties. Sisto, soon ran into conflict with the native population after releasing a
leper Leprosy, also known as Hansen's disease (HD), is a long-term infection by the bacteria '' Mycobacterium leprae'' or '' Mycobacterium lepromatosis''. Infection can lead to damage of the nerves, respiratory tract, skin, and eyes. This nerve da ...
from an
Asan, Guam Asan is a community and census-designated place (CDP) along the western coast of the U.S. territory of Guam. Asan, along with Maina and Nimitz Hill Annex, are the three communities in the village of Asan-Maina. It is known for being the location ...
hospital. An outbreak of
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brought further tensions when 100 native children died from the disease. By December 1898, Sisto had emptied the treasury, mainly by paying salaries far in advance, and violence erupted in the form of riots between natives. Eventually, local district leaders, including Father José Palomo and former governor Martínez removed Sisto from office and placed Venancio Roberto in the position on December 31, 1898.


Official appointment

Roberto only held the office for two days, when Lieutenant Commander Vincendon Cottman of the USS ''Brutus'' arrived on the island. He heard arguments from both the pro-
United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
Roberto faction and Sisto, deciding that Sisto had a legitimate claim to the office and re-instated him. His second term lasted less than a month, during which the island experienced relative peace free of communication from the outside world. When news of the 1898 Treaty of Paris reached the island, Sisto acknowledged that ownership of Guam had officially been transferred to the United States, and relinquished his position on February 1, 1899. He left the island in May 1899 on the Spanish ship ''Elcano''. He was exiled to
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.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sisto, Jose Guamanian people of Spanish descent Leaders who took power by coup Leaders ousted by a coup Governors of Guam Spanish politicians Spanish people of the Spanish–American War Spanish exiles Year of birth missing Year of death missing