Organizational History
The Marianas that form a part of Micronesia consist of fourteen single islands and a group of three small islands. They are, from north to south: Pájaros, Maug (3), Asunción, Agrihan, Pagan, Alamagan, Guguan, Sarigan, Anatahan, Medinilla, Saipan, Tinian, Aguijan, Rota, and Guam. These high, volcanic islands were peopled originally by the same wave of migration from Indonesia that settled the rest of Micronesia.
Guam, Rota, and possibly Saipan and Tinian were discovered by Ferdinand Magellan in 1521, and named “Islas de los Ladrones” [Thieves Island] for the thieving proclivities of the inhabitants. Later they were called “Islas de las Velas Latina’s” [Islands of Lateen Sails.] During the next hundred years Spanish galleons plying between Mexico and the Philippines frequently stopped in the Marianas to take on food and water. The islands were formally claimed for Spain in 1564 by Admiral Miguel López de Legaspi, and were rechristened “Marianas” in honor of Queen María Ana, widow of Philip IV of Spain. A Jesuit mission was established on Guam in 1668 led by Diego Luis de Sanvítores, and after a trying period of wars owing to the cultural clash between friars, soldiers, and natives, Antonio de Sarávia was sent to the islands as royal governor in 1681. A fort was built and a garrison of between twenty and eighty men was henceforth stationed on Guam. A royal order of June 1668 required the Acapulco galleons to put in at Guam.
Colonial government began to take shape formally in 1696. The Marianas were subordinate to the Viceroy of Mexico until 1821 when Mexico became independent, and after that to the Captain General of the Philippines. A code of laws similar to the one in the Philippines was adopted in the Marianas. The insular authorities consisted of a crown-appointed governor, his aide, a judge of the court of first instance, a treasurer and auditor, captains of the port, and military personnel. At the local level there were three elected officials in each town, a gobernadorcillo (petty governor), teniente de barrio (deputy), and alguacil (local police). They were elected by barangays (councils of citizens). There was also a justice of the peace. The Spaniards maintained the isolated archipelago which began costing the crown 34,000 pesos a year. They built forts, roads, bridges, schools, and ports, and taught the natives how to read and write. They also made efforts to instruct them in Christianity.
The Marianas were never a source of wealth for Spain. There were no precious metals, spices, or particularly fertile lands on these barren islands. Agaña, the capital of Guam, had a large prison and was used for prisoners from the Philippines and the Caroline Islands. The ports of Guam, Saipan, and Rota were visited by passing ships. The islands had great strategic value, but they were not self-supporting; foodstuffs, clothing and other supplies were provided first by Mexico and later on by the Administration in Manila. Severe typhoons swept the archipelago periodically destroying crops, wooden houses, and often taking human lives.
Spanish rule lasted until 1898 when Guam was captured by the United States during the Spanish-American War. From this point on, the history of Guam (the largest and most important island) diverges from that of the rest of the Marianas. Guam remains an American territory to this date. Germany purchased the other Marianas from Spain in 1899. The Japanese took military possession of these islands in 1914. They were under a League of Nations mandate from 1922 to World War II. The United States has been administering these islands for the United Nations as part of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands since 1947.
The following list of governors of Guam up to the year 1898 is taken from the records of the island:
June 16, 1668 | D. Juan de Santa Cruz |
May 2, 1672 | D. Juan de Santiago |
June 16, 1674 | D. Damian de Esplana |
Governors | Dates |
---|---|
D. Francisco de Irisarri | June 10, 1676 |
D. Juan Antonio de Salas | June 21, 1678 |
D. José Quiroga | June 5, 1680 |