May Revolution
The May Revolution was a direct reaction to Spain's Peninsular War. In 1808, King Ferdinand VII of Spain abdicated in favor of Napoleon, who granted the throne to his brother, Joseph Bonaparte. A Supreme Central Junta led resistance to Joseph's government and the French occupation of Spain, but eventually suffered a series of reversals that resulted in the Spanish loss of the northern half of the country. On February 1, 1810, French troops took Seville and gained control of most of Andalusia. The Supreme Junta retreated to Cadiz and dissolved itself, and the Council of Regency of Spain and the Indies replaced it. News of these events arrived in Buenos Aires on May 18, brought by British ships.
Teodoro Sánchez de Bustamante
Sánchez de Bustamante took part in the 1809 uprising in Chuquisaca that pre-dated the 1810 May Revolution in Buenos Aires. The leader of the revolutionaries, Coronel Arenales, leader of the revolutionaries, named him captain in the "Compañía de Practicantes". The uprising was suppressed by Mariscal Nieto and the leaders captured and sent to Callao, but Sánchez de Bustamante managed to flee to Jujuy. He travelled to Buenos Aires soon after the May Revolution and met his friend Mariano Moreno. Moreno named him as attorney of the "Audiencia", a position which he held until 1811, before returning to his hometown as general assistant of the city's "Cabildo" and courts.