Stories: Some Episodes from Venezuelan History (English)
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Some Episodes of History As written by Andres Bello
In the First Book Printed in Venezuela (1810)
By Georg Fendt
Of Kanagawa University, Japan
Venezuelan history is full of interesting episodes. Some interesting episodes are well described in the first book ever printed in the country (Calendario Manual y Guia Universal de Forasteros en Venezuela para el Año de 1810) which includes a summary of Venezuelan history written by Andres Bello, one of the most prominent persons Venezuelan history.
This review, made by Bello, begins describing how Columbus arrives to Venezuela in his third voyage when he was looking for the equator. The marine conditions drove him between the Trinidad Island and what is now Venezuelan territory, being in this last one where Colon was the first European to tread in the continental territory.
After Colon, many explorers (Alonso de Ojeda, Cristóbal Guerra, and others) came mostly looking for pearls. Guerra's new fortune induced many other explorers from Spain to the "New Andalucía" as he called the east part of the coast.
From Santo Domingo Island some missionaries came, but were victims of the revenge of the Indians, infuriated by the Spaniards covetousness. In 1523 Jayme Castellon founded the city called Cumaná. In the west part of the country Juan de Ampues founded Coro.
Carlos V from Spain was forced to compensate his debts with the Welsers (from Ausgburg), giving them a concession that allowed them to explore the southern part of the country. Ambrosio de Alfinger and his second Sailler were the first ones representing the Welsers, but they did it with plundering and extermination. The Indians killed Alfinger in 1531, being his successor Juan Aleman. In 1533 Jorge Spira succeeded Aleman, and for five years devastated the country, until he died in 1540, being the first person to report the existence of El Dorado, place that many expeditions would look for. The contract with the Welsers lasted for 18 years, until Carlos V again put the area under his control. As a consequence of the previous experience, the Indians forcefully resisted the influx of the Spaniards.
From 1530 several Spaniards were in charge to conquer and colonize the eastern part of the country, but were not successful. Also other colonizing expeditions had not luck in other parts of the Venezuelan territory. Step by step the Spaniards founded other cities like Borburata, Nirgua, and Barquisimeto. Some of the new cities were relocated, and refunded as a consequence of the continuous attacks made by the Indians.
Bello goes on with detailed explanations on the foundation of new cities and conquers of territories. Spaniards had frequently problems between them, especially after discovering gold in some places. One small town (San Francisco) was founded in the place were Caracas now is, but the Mariches, Teques and Taramaynas Indians forced them out of the region. A lot of effort was required to combat Lope de Aguirre, who was exterminating and devastating the places he found in his way, but was finally killed by Paredes (who founded Trujillo).
Some episodes denote the brutality of some conquerors, for example Alonso Cobos (governor of Cumaná) killed Francisco Faxardo. Faxardo accepted an invitation to see him, but was made prisoner and was hanged in the stocks he was kept in, helping Cobos with his own hands to do it.
Don Pedro Ponce de Leon was designated to govern the valley of the Caracas Indians, and Diego Losada was selected to conquer this territory. In 1567 this expedition left El Tocuyo, and in the Mariara valley was formed by 150 men (20 on horses), 800 assistant Indians, 200 pieces of baggage, and abundant livestock. In the valleys they could hear the snails shells the Indians used as instrument to give the alarm in the neighboring mountains. The noise dispersed the livestock, and when the Spaniards tried to gather it, the Indians attacked, but the Spaniards could resist. Later some of the Spaniards fell in traps made of birds placed by the Indians as close to the camp. The Arbacos Indians attacked again, this time making burn the hills around the Spaniards while the attack, leaving no way to escape. Again the expedition could survive. The Spaniards also had to confront Guaycapuro and his 8000 Indians, including Teques, Tarmas and Mariches Indians. The Spaniards also tried to conquer the Indians without using the force, but they discovered it did not work either. After fighting the Mariches and Taramaynas, they could founded a city named "Santiago de Leon de Caracas".
At the end of 1567 in Caracas its first council was designated with Lope de Benavides, Bartolome' de Almo, Martin Fernandez de Antequera, and Sancho del Vilar. They selected Gonzalo de Osorio and Francisco Infante as first mayors. For three or four years Guaycapuro leaded an insurrection against the new city, until he was killed in combat. The city of Caravalleda was rebuild and was used as port for the commercial activities with Spain.
From 1531 the Spaniards also tried to conquer the southern part of the province of Cumaná. Diego de Ordaz made one of the most important expeditions when he arrived to Uriapari, then Caroao, where the Indians made them believe they could find riches by going further. Looking for gold they went upstream being the first ones to explore the Orinoco river, arriving to the Meta river, but had to return to Cumaná where he was made prisoner. He was sent to Spain but Matienzo poisoned him in the journey.
After the cities were founded there were many problems with demarcations, and many times the justice was not the conclusion of the problems.
The first event in the XVIIth century was an expedition by men from England and Holland, who were commanded by Gualtero Reylli. A force of 500 men attacked the Guayana, and without finding major resistance took the city, and explored the territory, going back to Trinidad after that.
But one of the most interesting episodes in Venezuelan history happened in the last years of the XVIIth century in Caracas. The city was still recovering of the famine originated by a worms plague that devastated the seeds, when was attacked by the pirate Drake, while the governor Don Diego de Osorio was in Maracaibo. Drake disembarked with 500 men in Guaymacuto. A Spaniard who betrayed the country trying to save his life guided him. Drake arrived to Caracas, using an almost unknown way, finding the city without the protection of its residents, who where waiting at the principal points of the main road, under the commandment of the mayors Garci Gonzales and Francisco de Rebolledo. Drake found no other resistance that the one of an old man, Alonso de Ledesma, who made his servants, help him mount a horse, and with a lance confronted Drake. Drake admiring this commanded his pirates to respect the old man, but Ledesma did not give up, forcing the pirates to kill him, against Drake's desire. The pirates buried Ledesma with all the honors. Drake took the city and stayed there for eight days, until the residents forced him out.
It is interesting to read the list of the first Governors Caracas had, and the list of first conquerors and first colonizers, as written by Bello.
Governors of the Province of Caracas- Ambrosio Alfinguer 1528
- Jorge de Spira 1533
- Juan Perez de Tolosa 1548
- Lic. Villacinda 1554
- Pablo Collado 1562
- D. Alonso de Manzanedo 1564
- D. Pedro Ponce de Leon 1565
- Diego de Mazariegos 1572
- D. Juan de Pimentel 1576
- D. Luis de Roxas 1583
- D. Domingo de Osorio 1587
- Gonzalo de Piña Lidueña 1579
- Sancho de Alquiza 1601
- D. Francisco de La Hoz Berri'o 1616
- D. Franc. Nuñez Melian 1632
- D. Ruí de Fuenmayor 1632
- D. Marcos Xelder 1644
- D. Pedro de Leon Villarruel 1649
- D. Mart. de Robles Villafañate 1654
- D. Ped. de Porras Toledo 1660
- Almirant D. Felix Garcia Gonzalez de Leon 1664
- D. Fern. de Villegas 1666
- D. Franc. Davila Orejon 1673
- D. Franc. de Alverro 1677
- D. Diego Melo Maldonado 1682
- Marquis del Casal 1688
- Field Master D. Franc. de Berrotaran 1693
- Field Master D. Nicol. Ponte 1699
- Marquis del Valle de Santiago 1705
- D. Fernando de Roxas 1706
- Marquis de la Regalia 1716
- D. Franc. Portales, and D. Lope Carrillo, until 1730
- D. Sebastian Garcia de la Torre 1733
- Count de Torrealta 1742
- D. Luis de Castellanos 1749
- Bayl. F.D. Julian de Arriaga 1752
- D. Felipe Ricardos, General Lieut. of the Royal Armies 1760
- D. Felipe Ramírez Esteños 1765
- D. José Solano 1771
- Marquis de la Torre 1772
- D. Jose C. de Aguero 1777
- D. Luis de Unzaga 1784
- D. Juan Guillelmi 1785
- D. Pedro Carbonell 1799
- D. Manuel de Guevara Vasconcelos 1807
First Conquerors and First Colonizers- Jayme Castellón, founded Cumaná.
- Juan de Ampues, founded Coro.
- Juan Quaresma de Melo, Mart. de Arteaga, Virgilio Garci'a, established first town hall in Coro.
- Juan de Carvajal, Dam. del Barri'o, Estevan Mateos, y Juan de Antillano, established the second town hall in El Tocuyo.
- Diego de Zerpa, stablished Cumaná town hall.
- Alonso Perez de Tolosa, Pedro Alvarez, Franc. Madrid, Alonso Pacheco, and Juan de Escalante, the third town hall in Borburata.
- Juan de Villegas, Diego de Losada, Dam. de Barrio, and Pedro Suarez del Castillo, the fourth town hall in Barquisimeto.
- Alonso Diaz, founded Valencia.
- Francisco Faxardo.
- Diego Garcia de Paredes, founded Truxillo and defeated Aguirre.
- Francisco Ruiz.
- Juan Rodriguez Suarez, founded Merida.
- Sancho Brizeño, first representative of the province.
- Pedro Alonso Galeas, Pedro Bravo, Luis Narvaez.
- Diego Losada, founded Caracas.
- Rodrigo Ponce, Francisco Infante, Juan de Salas, Garci Gonzalez de Silva, Julian de Mendoza.
- Alonso Pacheco, founded Maracaybo.
- Cristobal Cobos, Gaspar Pinto.
- Juan de Salamanca, founded Carora.
- Gabriel de Avila, Francisco Calderón, Sancho Garcia.
- Sebastian Diaz, founded San Sebastian de los Reyes.
- Simon de Bolivar, second representative of the province.
- Juan Fernandez de Leon, founded Guanare.
- Alonso de Ledesma.
In the first book printed in Venezuela, the Venezuelan history summary written by Bello also includes a detailed description of other episodes of the Venezuelan history, including commerce and other activities developed in the country, and many other lists with historical information.
For more information about these and other episodes, please consult the following bibliography:
Library of Congress (USA):- 62-43256: Calendario manual y guia universal de forasteros en Venezuela para el año 1819. Caracas, Academia Nacional de la Historia, 1959. 155 p. facsims. 23 cm. LC CALL NUMBER: F2322 .C3
- 53-1965: El Primer libro impreso en Venezuela, Caracas, Ministerio de Educacion, Direccion de Cultura y Bellas Artes, 1952. 100 p., facsim. : 64 p. facsim. 22 cm. LC CALL NUMBER: F2322 .P7
- 48-2270: Grases, Pedro, 1909- El "Resumen de la historia de Venezuela" de Andres Bello. Caracas, Tipografia americana, 1946. 219, [1] p. 23 cm. LC CALL NUMBER: F2322.B33 G7
Kanagawa University Library (Yokohama Japan): - A.261-23 El Primer libro impreso en Venezuela, Caracas, Ministerio de Educacion, Direccion de Cultura y Bellas Artes, 1952.
For more information about this essay, please send e-mail to its author,
Georg Fendt (gfendt@cckangawa-u.ac.jp)
Kanagawa University
More information about Kanagawa University click here.
Thanks to Matt Hirst for making this information available to the web master 05-24-2002. |
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