Nicolás del Campo
Encyclopedia
Nicolás Francisco Cristóbal del Campo, Marquis of Loreto (March 12, 1725 — February 17, 1803) was a Spanish
politician
and soldier
who occupied several posts in the Spanish American colonies, mainly in the River Plate
area.
to Josefa Arcadia Rodríguez and Nicolás Ignacio del Campo y Cuesta, First Marquis of Loreto. His father was of Flemish
descent, and his original family name, van der Velde, was hispanicized to del Campo.
Del Campo was a member of the Seville Economic Society of Friends of the Country
, and later joined the Spanish Army
. He rose to the rank of Brigadier General
and participated in the Spanish invasion of Portugal (1762)
and the Great Siege of Gibraltar
(1779).
The Marquis of Loreto was appointed Viceroy of the Río de la Plata
, and served from March 7, 1784, to December 4, 1789; he succeeded Juan José de Vértiz y Salcedo
after the latter's resignation.
As with other viceroys, he was a professional military officer but did not have experience in politics in Spanish America before arriving in Buenos Aires
. He became an honest and capable administrator, and in 1785 initiated the improvement and expansion of the Real Audiencia de Buenos Aires created in 1783 by his predecessor. He established the subdivisions on Intendancies
in the River Plate, instituting eight Intendancies, and a new system of relations between the mayors and the viceroy. Four intendancies were in Upper Peru
(La Paz
, Potosí
, Cochabamba
, Charcas
, and Paraguay
). The other three comprised Buenos Aires and the region south to Patagonia
; Córdoba
; and Salta
, including the present Argentine Northwest
.
He fomented the economy in many levels, promoting agriculture
and cattle raising, looking for new sources of good quality salt
s at low cost to facilitate the salting of meat for export. He improved port
infrastructure, fought contraband
and introduced new policies of pacific co-existence and commerce with the natives. He also granted bereavement benefit
s for widows and orphans of Navy
personnel; the 1785 edict created the first pension system
in what today is Argentina.
Virrey Loreto Street, in the Belgrano
ward of Buenos Aires
is named in his honor.
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
and soldier
Soldier
A soldier is a member of the land component of national armed forces; whereas a soldier hired for service in a foreign army would be termed a mercenary...
who occupied several posts in the Spanish American colonies, mainly in the River Plate
Río de la Plata
The Río de la Plata —sometimes rendered River Plate in British English and the Commonwealth, and occasionally rendered [La] Plata River in other English-speaking countries—is the river and estuary formed by the confluence of the Uruguay River and the Paraná River on the border between Argentina and...
area.
Biography
He was born in SevilleSeville
Seville is the artistic, historic, cultural, and financial capital of southern Spain. It is the capital of the autonomous community of Andalusia and of the province of Seville. It is situated on the plain of the River Guadalquivir, with an average elevation of above sea level...
to Josefa Arcadia Rodríguez and Nicolás Ignacio del Campo y Cuesta, First Marquis of Loreto. His father was of Flemish
Flanders
Flanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp...
descent, and his original family name, van der Velde, was hispanicized to del Campo.
Del Campo was a member of the Seville Economic Society of Friends of the Country
Sociedad Económica de los Amigos del País
The Sociedades Económicas de Amigos del País were private associations established in various cities throughout Enlightenment Spain, and to a lesser degree in some of her colonies .-History:The Sociedades Económicas were founded as part of a movement to...
, and later joined the Spanish Army
Spanish Army
The Spanish Army is the terrestrial army of the Spanish Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is one of the oldest active armies - dating back to the 15th century.-Introduction:...
. He rose to the rank of Brigadier General
Brigadier General
Brigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000...
and participated in the Spanish invasion of Portugal (1762)
Spanish invasion of Portugal (1762)
The Spanish invasion of Portugal, between 9 May and 24 November 1762, was the principal military campaign of the Spanish–Portuguese War, 1761–1763, which in turn was part of the larger Seven Years' War...
and the Great Siege of Gibraltar
Great Siege of Gibraltar
The Great Siege of Gibraltar was an unsuccessful attempt by Spain and France to capture Gibraltar from the British during the American War of Independence. This was the largest action fought during the war in terms of numbers, particularly the Grand Assault of 18 September 1782...
(1779).
The Marquis of Loreto was appointed Viceroy of the Río de la Plata
Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata
The Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata, , was the last and most short-lived Viceroyalty of the Spanish Empire in America.The Viceroyalty was established in 1776 out of several former Viceroyalty of Perú dependencies that mainly extended over the Río de la Plata basin, roughly the present day...
, and served from March 7, 1784, to December 4, 1789; he succeeded Juan José de Vértiz y Salcedo
Juan José de Vértiz y Salcedo
Juan José de Vértiz y Salcedo was a Spanish colonial politician born in New Spain, and Viceroy of the Río de la Plata.-Biography:...
after the latter's resignation.
As with other viceroys, he was a professional military officer but did not have experience in politics in Spanish America before arriving in Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
. He became an honest and capable administrator, and in 1785 initiated the improvement and expansion of the Real Audiencia de Buenos Aires created in 1783 by his predecessor. He established the subdivisions on Intendancies
Intendant
The title of intendant has been used in several countries through history. Traditionally, it refers to the holder of a public administrative office...
in the River Plate, instituting eight Intendancies, and a new system of relations between the mayors and the viceroy. Four intendancies were in Upper Peru
Upper Peru
Upper Peru was the region in the Viceroyalty of Peru, and after 1776, the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata, comprising the governorships of Potosí, La Paz, Cochabamba, Los Chiquitos, Moxos and Charcas...
(La Paz
La Paz
Nuestra Señora de La Paz is the administrative capital of Bolivia, as well as the departmental capital of the La Paz Department, and the second largest city in the country after Santa Cruz de la Sierra...
, Potosí
Potosí
Potosí is a city and the capital of the department of Potosí in Bolivia. It is one of the highest cities in the world by elevation at a nominal . and it was the location of the Spanish colonial mint, now the National Mint of Bolivia...
, Cochabamba
Cochabamba
Cochabamba is a city in central Bolivia, located in a valley bearing the same name in the Andes mountain range. It is the capital of the Cochabamba Department and is the fourth largest city in Bolivia with an urban population of 608,276 and a metropolitan population of more than 1,000,000 people...
, Charcas
Charcas
Charcas may refer to:* Charcas Province, a province in Potosí Department, Bolivia* Real Audiencia of Charcas, one of six political units of the Viceroyalty of Peru* Charcas, a historical name of Sucre, capital of Bolivia...
, and Paraguay
Paraguay
Paraguay , officially the Republic of Paraguay , is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to the east and northeast, and Bolivia to the northwest. Paraguay lies on both banks of the Paraguay River, which runs through the center of the...
). The other three comprised Buenos Aires and the region south to Patagonia
Patagonia
Patagonia is a region located in Argentina and Chile, integrating the southernmost section of the Andes mountains to the southwest towards the Pacific ocean and from the east of the cordillera to the valleys it follows south through Colorado River towards Carmen de Patagones in the Atlantic Ocean...
; Córdoba
Córdoba, Argentina
Córdoba is a city located near the geographical center of Argentina, in the foothills of the Sierras Chicas on the Suquía River, about northwest of Buenos Aires. It is the capital of Córdoba Province. Córdoba is the second-largest city in Argentina after the federal capital Buenos Aires, with...
; and Salta
Salta
Salta is a city in northwestern Argentina and the capital city of the Salta Province. Along with its metropolitan area, it has a population of 464,678 inhabitants as of the , making it Argentina's eighth largest city.-Overview:...
, including the present Argentine Northwest
Argentine Northwest
The Argentine Northwest is a region of Argentina composed by the provinces of Catamarca, Jujuy, Salta, Santiago del Estero and Tucumán.-Geography:The region had 5 different biomes:* Sub-Andean humid Sierras of the east...
.
He fomented the economy in many levels, promoting agriculture
Agriculture in Argentina
Agriculture is one of the bases of Argentina's economy.Argentine agriculture is relatively capital intensive, today providing about 7% of all employment, and, even during its period of dominance around 1900, accounting for no more than a third of all labor. Having accounted for nearly 20% of GDP as...
and cattle raising, looking for new sources of good quality salt
Salt
In chemistry, salts are ionic compounds that result from the neutralization reaction of an acid and a base. They are composed of cations and anions so that the product is electrically neutral...
s at low cost to facilitate the salting of meat for export. He improved port
Port of Buenos Aires
The Port of Buenos Aires is the principal maritime port in Argentina. Operated by the Administración General de Puertos , a State enterprise, it is the leading transshipment point for the foreign trade of Argentina....
infrastructure, fought contraband
Contraband
The word contraband, reported in English since 1529, from Medieval French contrebande "a smuggling," denotes any item which, relating to its nature, is illegal to be possessed or sold....
and introduced new policies of pacific co-existence and commerce with the natives. He also granted bereavement benefit
Bereavement benefit
- United Kingdom :Bereavement benefit replaced Widow's benefit in the United Kingdom in April 2001. It is a social security benefit that is designed to support people who have recently lost their spouse, and need some financial support to help them get back on their feet...
s for widows and orphans of Navy
Spanish Armada
This article refers to the Battle of Gravelines, for the modern navy of Spain, see Spanish NavyThe Spanish Armada was the Spanish fleet that sailed against England under the command of the Duke of Medina Sidonia in 1588, with the intention of overthrowing Elizabeth I of England to stop English...
personnel; the 1785 edict created the first pension system
Pension system
-Pension systems in various countries:*ANSES *Superannuation in Australia*Social Security *Canada Pension Plan*Chile pension system*Indian pension system*KiwiSaver *Social security *UK Pension Provision...
in what today is Argentina.
Virrey Loreto Street, in the Belgrano
Belgrano, Buenos Aires
Belgrano is a leafy, northern barrio or neighborhood of the city of Buenos Aires, Argentina.- Location :The barrio of Palermo is to the southeast; Nuñez is to the northwest; Coghlan, Villa Urquiza, Villa Ortúzar and Colegiales are to the southwest....
ward of Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
is named in his honor.