In 1798, in the context of the war between Spain and Great Britain, a Royal Order established the formation of provincial militias. Although recruitment was supposed to be voluntary, vacant places were filled through a lottery system (‘quintas’), which aroused popular opposition. For this reason, on December 14, 1800, a crowd gathered near the residence of the intendant in charge of recruiting the militias, Jorge Palacios de Urdániz, who escaped to Madrid disguised as a monk. After later returning to Valencia, he resumed the recruitment despite general opposition, supported by the guilds and municipal authorities. In August 1801, various protests and confrontations took place, demanding the abolition of the militias. On September 3, Charles IV signed a Royal Decree by which he extinguished the provincial militias at the request of several commissions, especially the one presided over by the count of Cervelló.