GUAM WHEN THEY SIGNED THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE

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GUAM IN 1776

POPULATION : 3,500 (Estimate; includes Luta)

GOVERNOR : Felipe de Cerain

VILLAGES :

HAGÅTÑA (Capital) Population : 1,924 Priest : Fr. Andrés Blásquez de San José, OAR* *Order of Augustinian Recollects Outlying Villages of Hagåtña Mongmong Sinajaña Asan Tepungan Aputguan

HÅGAT Population : 316 Priest : Fr. Antonio Sánchez de la Concepción, OAR

HUMÅTAK (frequently the residence of the Governor) Population : 560 Priest : Fr. Pedro Torres del Pilar, OAR

MALESSO' Population : unknown Priest : covered by priest of another village

INALÅHAN Population : 240 Priest : Fr. Cristóbal Ibáñez de San Onofre, OAR

PÅGO Population : unknown Priest : covered by priest of Hagåtña

LUTA Population : 325 Priest : Fr. Tomás Cazaraville de Santa Rita, OAR

DAILY LIFE : Guam was small in population, with the Hagåtña people mainly being Spaniards/Latin Americans and Filipino (Pampanga mainly) descendants mixed with Chamorro blood.  The more fully Chamorro-blooded people lived in the outlying villages of Hagåtña and in the southern villages.

Life was poor, to the point that Governor Cerain, in order to relieve the material misery of the people, allowed them to trade with the Acapulco galleon that stopped by Humåtak around May once a year, although many times the galleon did not stop at all at Guam. Young men leaving Guam for good on the galleons was a concern.

So, our ancestors did a little farming and fishing to survive.  Life revolved around the church, and there was some tension between the Spanish governor and the missionaries even then.  Disease was always a fear.  Roads were non-existent for the most part, as people had to go from village to village (in the south) by boat.

In Hagåtña, the formerly Jesuit school, the Colegio de San Juan de Letrán, was still in operation, with ranch lands to support it besides the royal subsidy, but the Colegio did have its problems.  The Augustinian Recollects were the missionaries, having replaced the Jesuits in 1769 when the Spanish King expelled them from the Empire for political reasons.

LIFE WAS HARD! MAKKAT!