Antonio María Martínez Explained

Antonio María Martínez
Order:38th Governor of the Spanish Colony of Texas
Term Start:March 27, 1817
Term End:August 17, 1822
Predecessor:Manuel Pardo
Successor:José Félix Trespalacios
Birth Date:Unknown
Birth Place:Andújar, province of Jaén, Spain
Death Date:1823
Death Place:Mexico City, Mexico
Profession:Military and Governor of Texas (1817 and 21)

Antonio María Martínez (died 1823) was a colonel in the infantry regiment of Zamora and the last governor of Spanish Texas.

History

He was born in Andújar, province of Jaén, Spain. He entered military service on July 7, 1785, and had a distinguished career, winning the Cross of Northern Europe and the Cross of Germany on European battlefields. He assumed the political and military governorship of Spanish Texas on March 27, 1817.

By the summer of 1821, the Spanish regime was faced with disaster. Agustín de Iturbide was in possession of Mexico, and Martínez, at the request of the Baron de Bastrop, approved Moses Austin's petition for permission to bring 300 settlers into Texas. On July 18, 1821, Martínez was forced to issue orders requiring the oath of allegiance to Iturbide. After learning that José Félix Trespalacios had been appointed to succeed him, he surrendered his office peacefully on August 17, 1822.

Martínez returned to Mexico City and died there in November 1823.

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