The Courts of Cadiz, in Totonicapan: An uncommon alliance in an uncommon year (1813)

• Main Author: Aaron POLLACK
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Ediciones Universidad de Salamanca 2011-04-01
• Series: Studia Historica: Historia Contemporánea
• Subjects: Indígenas guatemaltecos; Independencia de Guatemala; Cortes de Cádiz; élites ladino-españolas
• Online Access: http://revistas.usal.es/index.php/0213-2087/article/view/7927

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: ";Garamond-Light";,";serif";; mso-bidi-font-family: Garamond-Light; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;" lang="EN-US">In the Indian town of San Miguel Totonicapan, District Capital of the </span><em><span style="font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: ";Garamond-LightItalic";,";serif";; mso-bidi-font-family: Garamond-LightItalic; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;" lang="EN-US">Alcaldía Mayor </span></em><span style="font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: ";Garamond-Light";,";serif";; mso-bidi-font-family: Garamond-Light; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;" lang="EN-US">of Totonicapán in the Kingdom of Guatemala, in 1813 some Indian </span><em><span style="font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: ";Garamond-LightItalic";,";serif";; mso-bidi-font-family: Garamond-LightItalic; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;" lang="EN-US">principales </span></em><span style="font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: ";Garamond-Light";,";serif";; mso-bidi-font-family: Garamond-Light; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;" lang="EN-US">along with the commoners of the town developed an alliance with the </span><em><span style="font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: ";Garamond-LightItalic";,";serif";; mso-bidi-font-family: Garamond-LightItalic; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;" lang="EN-US">Alcalde Mayor</span></em><span style="font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: ";Garamond-Light";,";serif";; mso-bidi-font-family: Garamond-Light; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;" lang="EN-US">, Narciso Mallol to collectively struggle against the Political Chief of the Kingdom, José de Bustamante, the Archbishop of Guatemala, Ramón Casaus y Torres, the Spanish and ladino elite of the neighboring city of Quetzaltenango¡ as well as the Spanish and ladino elite, other </span><em><span style="font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: ";Garamond-LightItalic";,";serif";; mso-bidi-font-family: Garamond-LightItalic; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;" lang="EN-US">principales </span></em><span style="font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: ";Garamond-Light";,";serif";; mso-bidi-font-family: Garamond-Light; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;" lang="EN-US">and the </span><em><span style="font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: ";Garamond-LightItalic";,";serif";; mso-bidi-font-family: Garamond-LightItalic; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;" lang="EN-US">sui generis</span></em><span style="font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: ";Garamond-Light";,";serif";; mso-bidi-font-family: Garamond-Light; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;" lang="EN-US"> caciques of the town. Confrontations appeared for a number of reasons, among them initiatives promoted by the Courts of Cadiz such as the elimination of rations and personal services provided to the priests and the creation of unified constitutional municipal governments, as well as insurrectional movements in other parts of the Kingdom and in New Spain; and regional conflicts shaded by the caste system and class relations then present in Los Altos.</span></p>