Juan Bautista de las Casas

Juan Bautista de las Casas led a revolt against the governor of Spanish Texas in 1811 and served as head of the province for 39 days until he was deposed.

Revolt The Mexican War of Independence was launched on September 16, 1810, by Father Miguel Hidalgo, who called on people born in New Spain to overthrow the viceregal regime, which was dominated by European-born peninsulares and royalist criollos. One of his goals was to inflame the northernmost provinces, especially Spanish Texas, in the hopes that his cause might win the support of the United States.

On January 21, 1811, Las Casas, a retired militia captain from Nuevo Santander led a group of army sergeants at Presidio San Antonio de Bexar to stage a coup in San Antonio. The following morning they arrested the royalist governor of Spanish Texas, Manuel María de Salcedo, and his entire military staff. Las Casas chained Salcedo, Simón de Herrera, the governor of Nuevo Santander who was living in San Antonio, and twelve other Spanish officers and humilitiated them in front of the town. The prisoners were then transferred to Monclova in Coahuila. Revolutionary leaders in Coahuila named Las Casas interim governor of Texas.

During his captivity, Salcedo had been slowly enticing his captor, Ignacio Elizondo, with promises of a promotion and other rewards if he would renounce his revolutionary tendencies. and the men were quickly sentenced to death by firing squad.

Imprisonment and death Casas was sent as a prisoner to Monclova for four months. Loyalists in Coahuila quickly judged, convicted, and executed the prisoners captured in San Antonio. but his head was shipped to San Antonio and displayed on a pole in the military plaza. Salcedo was restored as governor. But with Salcedo still in Chihuahua, Zambrano administered the province. Among his accomplishments during this time was to inaugurate the first primary school in San Antonio.

Footnotes