Casas Revolt in San Antonio
- When
- 1811
- Where
- Presidio San Antonio de Bexar; San Antonio
- Episodes
- 3
In January 1811, Juan Bautista de las Casas led a revolt against Spanish authority in San Antonio, Texas. He imprisoned Governor Salcedo and established a new government, serving as head of the province for 39 days. His arbitrary rule led to a counterinsurgency, resulting in his execution in August 1811.
Episodes
- Coup at Presidio San Antonio de Bexar
Las Casas led army sergeants to stage a coup in San Antonio in January 1811, initiating the revolt against Spanish authority.
- Imprisonment of Spanish Officials
Las Casas chained and humiliated Governor Salcedo and other officers in front of the town.
- Counterinsurgency and Execution
Zambrano led a counterinsurgency against Las Casas, who was later executed by firing squad.
Background and detail
Background. San Antonio was the capital and largest settlement of Spanish Texas, established as a mission and presidio complex in 1718. The region experienced political upheaval during the Mexican War of Independence, which began in 1810. In January 1811, revolutionaries led by Juan Bautista de las Casas overthrew and imprisoned Governor Salcedo, establishing a new government in Texas.
The Revolt. On January 21, 1811, Las Casas, a retired militia captain, led army sergeants at Presidio San Antonio de Bexar to stage a coup. He chained Governor Salcedo, Simón de Herrera, and twelve other Spanish officers, humiliating them in front of the town. Revolutionary leaders in Coahuila named Las Casas interim governor of Texas.
Aftermath. Las Casas's arbitrary rule disenchanted the army, leading to a counterinsurgency led by Juan Manuel Zambrano. On April 26, 1811, a tribunal sentenced the revolutionaries to death. Las Casas was shot in the back and beheaded on August 3, 1811, ending his 39-day tenure as head of the province.
People involved
- Juan Bautista de las Casas · Revolt leader and interim governor
- Manuel María de Salcedo · Governor of Spanish Texas
- Simón de Herrera · Governor of Nuevo Santander
- Juan Manuel Zambrano · Subdeacon and counterinsurgency leader
Sources
- Juan Bautista de las Casas Wikipedia, revision of 2026-03-29
- Spanish Texas Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-22
Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.