Province of Margarita was a province of the Spanish Empire created in 1510, being the first to be established within the territory of present-day Venezuela, covering the entire surface of Margarita Island and its adjacent islands.

History

In 1498, the island was encountered by Christopher Columbus during his third voyage. Later, on 18 March 1525, Emperor Charles V erected the Province or Governorship of Margarita, granting it as property for two lifetimes to Marcelo Villalobos. When he died on 24 June 1526,Hermann González, Manuel, and Alberto Donis Ríos (op. cit., p. 56). he was succeeded by his daughter Aldonza Villalobos Manrique according to the royal capitulation of 13 June 1527,Hernández Garvi, José Luis (op. cit., p. s/d). but since she was a minor, her mother Isabel Manrique assumed the government of the island.

Isabel Manrique took care of the settlement task by bringing groups of colonists to settle permanently, and since she could not handle all administrative tasks, she appointed Pedro de Villárdiga as lieutenant governor of Margarita.

Aldonza Villalobos Manrique married at the age of 16 and went on to govern the island for 33 years until her death in 1575. She had appointed her son-in-law Juan Sarmiento as interim governor, who that same year handed over the interim post to colonial governor Miguel Maza Lizana, who held it for six years. After three interim governors, the title of governor passed in 1583 to the great-grandson of the first island owner: Juan Sarmiento de Villandrando.

Columbus baptized the island with the name La Asunción, as it was discovered on the religious feast day of the Virgin of that name. The following year, in 1499, Pedro Alonso Niño and Cristóbal Guerra renamed it "La Margarita" due to the abundance of pearls found in the region; other hypotheses suggest that the name "Margarita" refers to Queen Margaret of Austria.

Margarita depended on the Royal Audiencia of Santo Domingo until 1739, when it was annexed to the Viceroyalty of New Granada, along with the other Venezuelan provinces, until 1777, when King Charles III created the Captaincy General of Venezuela. On 5 July 1811, the Act of Independence of Venezuela was signed, in which representatives from Margarita were among the seven of the ten provinces belonging to the Captaincy General of Venezuela that signed the declaration of independence from the Spanish Crown and promulgated the Republic of Venezuela. In 1819, Venezuela joined New Granada and Quito to form the Republic of Colombia. In 1830, Venezuela separated from Colombia, and with the emergence of the Republic of Venezuela, Margarita was one of its 13 original provinces. In 1864, when the country was divided into 20 states and a Federal District, Margarita took the name of State of Nueva Esparta.

Margarita Island launched its cry of independence on 4 May 1810, in a movement led by Juan Bautista Arismendi; that day Margarita joined the independence movement proclaimed in Caracas on 19 April of the same year. A year later, on 5 July 1811, the provinces of Barcelona, Barinas, Caracas, Cumaná, Margarita, Mérida, and Trujillo declared themselves free and independent and signed the Act of Independence, thus forming the First Republic of Venezuela. Later, the Guayana Province joined them.

Territorial division

In 1835, the Province of Margarita was divided into the cantons of La Asunción (composed of the parishes of Paraguachí, Pampatar, Los Robles, El Valle, and Porlamar) and Norte (composed of the parishes of Tacarigua, Juangriego, San Juan, Pedro González, and Sabana Grande).

In 1856, the Province of Margarita was divided into the cantons of Norte (composed of the parishes of Norte, Juangriego, Tacarigua, Pedro González, Los Hatos, Pedregales, San Juan, and the islands of Tortuga, Blanquilla, Testigos, and Aves de Barlovento), with its capital in Santa Ana del Norte, and Sur (composed of the parishes of Asunción, Pampatar, Porlamar, Paraguachí, Espíritu Santo, Robles, and Sabana Grande), with its capital in La Asunción.

Divisions The Province was named for its most important part, Isla Margarita.

Capital: Asunción.

Cantons: Asunción Canton Norte Canton (seat: Santa Ana del Norte).

Governors A partial list of governors: Term Governor Notes and sources1595 Francisco Gutiérrez Flores1619-1626 Andrés Rodríguez Villegas Governor and captain-general1626-1630 Garcia Álvarez de Figueroa 1630-1638 Juan de Eulate Governor from 1630 to 1638 before retiring to Spain.1638-1642 Juan Luis de Camarena Governor from 18 February 1638 until 1642. Died in office.1643-1649 Francisco de Santillán y Argote Governor from 13 April 1643 to 23 March 1649. Fernando de Mendoza Mate de LunaFollowed Santillán y Argote1668-1671 Martin de Tellerfa 1671-1676 Francisco Mejía y Alarcón Appointed governor of Margarita in January 1672.1676-1681 Juan Muñoz Gadea Appointed governor on 25 November 1676. 1681-1683 Juan Fermín de Huidobro 1683-1685 Juan Muñoz Gadea Second term1686-1688 Martín Cabeza de Vaca 1688-1690 Sancho de Zapata de Mendoza 1692-1699 José Leoz y Echalaz 1699-1706 Diego Suinaga y Orbea Appointed governor in 16991713-1718 Diego Antonio de Molina Miñano Nombrado Gobernador y Capitán General 23 August 1712, tomó posesión ele 11 October 1713. Cesó en enel cargo October 1718.1718-1723 José Arias Fue Gobernador y Capitán General del 26 Junio 1717 a 2 octubre 1723.Documentación del Archivo General de Indias, CONTRATACIÓN, 5469, Nº 2, R54 y 5474, N.2, R.31724- Juan de Vera y Fajardo Nombrado Gobernador y Capitán General el 1 June 17241746-1750 José Longar y Cobián 1750-1756 Joaquín Moreno de Mendoza 1757-1764 Alonso de Rio y Castro 1764-1776 José de Matos y Rabel 1776-1785 Félix Francisco Bejarano 1785-1792 Miguel González Dávila 1793-1796 Juan de Dios Valdés de Yarza

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