Francisco Portusach Martínez
Encyclopedia
Francisco Portusach Martínez (1864–1919) was a Spanish
merchant
and whaler
who was briefly the Governor of Guam, before he was deposed. In the American media of the time, he was often referred to as Francisco Portusach or Frank Portusach.
Portusach was born in Barcelona, Spain. His father was a wealthy merchant and Portusach spent his childhood on Spanish
merchant ships in the Philippines
and other Spanish territories. After the death of his father, he fell out of favor with his elder brother and moved to Chicago, Illinois in 1885 and became an United States citizen in 1888. Soon after, he moved to Tacoma, Washington
and then to San Francisco, California
where he met and married his American wife. Together, they moved to Guam
, then a Spanish colonial territory.
On June 20, 1898, during the Spanish-American War
, the United States
captured Guam
. The existing Spanish garrison, including Governor Juan Marina, were taken as prisoners of war
to Manila
. The existing Spanish citizens of the island were also disarmed. Captain Henry Glass
, the commander of the battle appointed Portusach as the acting-Governor of Guam, to serve until a formal military garrison could be sent. Portusach's only qualification for the position was that he was the only American citizen living on the island.
With Glass and the United States Navy
departed, Portusach was unable to solidify his position as Governor and he was quickly overthrown by José Sisto
, a Filipino
and the island Treasurer
under Spanish rule. (This perhaps should have been expected: Portusach had no experience in government and was vastly outnumbered.) Sisto, too, would shortly be overthrown by the native Chamorro population. In January 1899, the USS Brutus arrived and reinstated Sisto – not Portusach – as Governor. (The territory would not see any political stability until Richard Phillips Leary arrived as the first formal military Governor in August 1899.)
In 1917, he wrote History of the Capture of Guam by the United States Man-of-War 'Charleston' and Its Transports..
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...
merchant
Merchant
A merchant is a businessperson who trades in commodities that were produced by others, in order to earn a profit.Merchants can be one of two types:# A wholesale merchant operates in the chain between producer and retail merchant...
and whaler
Whaler
A whaler is a specialized ship, designed for whaling, the catching and/or processing of whales. The former included the whale catcher, a steam or diesel-driven vessel with a harpoon gun mounted at its bows. The latter included such vessels as the sail or steam-driven whaleship of the 16th to early...
who was briefly the Governor of Guam, before he was deposed. In the American media of the time, he was often referred to as Francisco Portusach or Frank Portusach.
Portusach was born in Barcelona, Spain. His father was a wealthy merchant and Portusach spent his childhood on Spanish
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...
merchant ships in the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
and other Spanish territories. After the death of his father, he fell out of favor with his elder brother and moved to Chicago, Illinois in 1885 and became an United States citizen in 1888. Soon after, he moved to Tacoma, Washington
Tacoma, Washington
Tacoma is a mid-sized urban port city and the county seat of Pierce County, Washington, United States. The city is on Washington's Puget Sound, southwest of Seattle, northeast of the state capital, Olympia, and northwest of Mount Rainier National Park. The population was 198,397, according to...
and then to San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
where he met and married his American wife. Together, they moved to Guam
Guam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...
, then a Spanish colonial territory.
On June 20, 1898, during the Spanish-American War
Spanish-American War
The Spanish–American War was a conflict in 1898 between Spain and the United States, effectively the result of American intervention in the ongoing Cuban War of Independence...
, the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
captured Guam
Capture of Guam
The Capture of Guam was a bloodless event between the United States and the Kingdom of Spain during the Spanish-American War. The U.S. Navy sent a single cruiser, the , to capture the island of Guam, then under Spanish control. However, the Spanish garrison on the island had no knowledge of the war...
. The existing Spanish garrison, including Governor Juan Marina, were taken as prisoners of war
Prisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
to Manila
Manila
Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...
. The existing Spanish citizens of the island were also disarmed. Captain Henry Glass
Henry Glass
Henry Glass was a Rear Admiral in the United States Navy, best remembered for his role in the bloodless capture of Guam in the Spanish-American War...
, the commander of the battle appointed Portusach as the acting-Governor of Guam, to serve until a formal military garrison could be sent. Portusach's only qualification for the position was that he was the only American citizen living on the island.
With Glass and the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
departed, Portusach was unable to solidify his position as Governor and he was quickly overthrown by José Sisto
José Sisto
José Sisto, also called José Sisto Rodrigo and José Sixto, was twice Governor of Guam, first after overthrowing Francisco Portusach Martínez, and again after being legitimately placed in the position by the United States government. He served as Spanish administrator of the Public Treasury in Guam...
, a Filipino
Filipino people
The Filipino people or Filipinos are an Austronesian ethnic group native to the islands of the Philippines. There are about 92 million Filipinos in the Philippines, and about 11 million living outside the Philippines ....
and the island Treasurer
Treasurer
A treasurer is the person responsible for running the treasury of an organization. The adjective for a treasurer is normally "tresorial". The adjective "treasurial" normally means pertaining to a treasury, rather than the treasurer.-Government:...
under Spanish rule. (This perhaps should have been expected: Portusach had no experience in government and was vastly outnumbered.) Sisto, too, would shortly be overthrown by the native Chamorro population. In January 1899, the USS Brutus arrived and reinstated Sisto – not Portusach – as Governor. (The territory would not see any political stability until Richard Phillips Leary arrived as the first formal military Governor in August 1899.)
In 1917, he wrote History of the Capture of Guam by the United States Man-of-War 'Charleston' and Its Transports..