Francisco Tomás Morales

Francisco Tomás Morales (Agüimes Carrizal, Canary Islands, December 20, 1781, Las Palmas, Canary Islands, October 5, 1845), was a Spanish military officer, and the last of that country to hold the post of Captain General of Venezuela, reaching the rank of field marshal during the Venezuelan War of Independence.

As recounted in a series of letters distributed by the Philadelphia Gazette, in 1822 General Morales issued a decree widely interpreted by the American merchants then in Caracas, La Guaira, and Puerto Cabello as a threat. The Americans solicited the help of Captain Robert T. Spence, whose frigate, the Cyane, was in the area, to delay his departure for Africa (on piracy duty) to protect them from Morales. Spence complied for several days in October 1822, much to the relief of the Americans, at least briefly.

Morales conceded defeat after the Battle of Lake Maracaibo in July 1823. Puerto Cabello, the last Royalist stronghold in Venezuela, fell to the independence forces in November 1823.

Battles and campaigns Place Years Event Capitanía General de Venezuela 1813-1814 Campaigns under José Tomás Boves Capitanía General de Venezuela 1815 1º Campaign of Margarita Island Viceroyalty of Nueva Granada 1815 Siege of Cartagena (1815) Capitanía General de Venezuela 1816 Destruction of 1º Haitian Expedition of los Cayos in Carúpano Capitanía General de Venezuela 1817-1820 Campaigns under Pablo Morillo Capitanía General de Venezuela 1821-1822 Campaigns under Miguel de la Torre Capitanía General de Venezuela 1822-1823 Campaign of Occidente (Maracaibo)