Antonio Nariño facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Antonio Nariño
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Oil painting by Ricardo Acevedo Bernal.
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| Vice President of the Republic of Colombia | |
| In office April 4, 1821 – June 6, 1821 |
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| President | Simón Bolívar |
| Governor President of the State of Cundinamarca | |
| In office September 19, 1813 – May 14, 1814 |
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| Preceded by | Manuel Benito de Castro |
| Succeeded by | Manuel de Bernardo Álvarez del Casal |
| Governor President of the State of Cundinamarca and Viceregent of the King's Person | |
| In office September 21, 1811 – August 19, 1812 |
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| Monarch | Ferdinand VII |
| Preceded by | Jorge Tadeo Lozano |
| Succeeded by | Manuel Benito de Castro |
| In office September 12, 1812 – September 19, 1813 |
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| Preceded by | Manuel Benito de Castro |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Antonio de la Santísima Concepción Nariño y Álvarez
April 9, 1765 Bogotá, Viceroyalty of New Granada |
| Died | December 13, 1823 (aged 58) Villa de Leyva, Cundinamarca, Colombia |
| Nationality | Neogranadine |
| Political party | Centralist |
| Spouse | Magdalena Ortega y Mesa |
Antonio Nariño (born April 9, 1765, in Bogotá, Colombia – died December 13, 1823, in Villa de Leyva, Colombia) was an important thinker and leader who helped inspire the independence movement in New Granada (which is now Colombia). He was also one of the first political and military leaders of the new nation.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Antonio Nariño was born into a well-known family. His father, Vicente Nariño y Vásquez, was from Spain and worked as a royal accountant. His mother, Catalina Álvarez, was the sister of a royal lawyer. Antonio grew up surrounded by many books.
He likely studied at the Colegio Mayor de San Bartolomé, a famous school in Bogotá. In 1785, he married Magdalena Ortega y Mesa, and they had six children. Nariño became a merchant and was very active in politics from a young age. In 1789, he was made a mayor of Santafé (the old name for Bogotá) and also a treasurer. By 1793, he had his own printing press, which would later cause him trouble.
Ideas for Independence
Nariño was very interested in new ideas. He admired the political changes happening during the French Revolution and the American Revolution. He even had a picture of Benjamin Franklin, an American founding father, in his library.
Nariño often hosted secret meetings at his home in Bogotá, which he called "The Sanctuary." At these meetings, young people discussed the need for independence from Spain and how to achieve it. Nariño was a strong voice in these discussions and was respected by his friends.
Translating the Declaration of Rights
In 1794, Nariño got a copy of the "Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen." This important document from France talked about people's basic rights. Nariño translated it from French into Spanish and printed many copies using his own press. He shared these pamphlets with his friends who also believed in independence.
These pamphlets spread across the continent and stirred up new political ideas. The Spanish government soon found out and burned any copies they found. Nariño was arrested on August 29, 1794. Many of his friends from "The Sanctuary" were also arrested. He was sentenced to ten years in prison in Africa and was banned from South America. All his property was taken away.
Escape and Return
Nariño managed to escape in Cádiz, Spain, and then went to Paris, France, in 1795. There, he studied the French Revolution even more. This made him believe that a strong, centralized government was the best way to run a country.
After France, Nariño went to England to ask for help, but he didn't get any. So, he decided to return to Santafé. He traveled in disguise, but eventually, he had to surrender to the authorities on July 19, 1797. While in prison, he became sick with tuberculosis. He was finally released in 1803 because of his health.
Second Imprisonment and Release
By 1809, people in the Spanish colonies were restless because of the Napoleonic invasion of Spain. Many started meeting secretly to plan for independence. When rumors of a possible uprising spread, the Spanish viceroy decided to stop it. Nariño was arrested again.
He was moved to a prison in Cartagena de Indias. He briefly escaped but was caught again on December 20, 1809. Nariño stayed in prison in Cartagena until June 1810, when the city declared its independence. After his release, he waited a few months before returning to his family. In December 1810, Nariño came back to Santafé and became deeply involved in creating a new state, free from Spain.
The "Foolish Motherland" Period
After different areas of New Granada formed their own local governments (called Juntas), big disagreements arose. People couldn't decide if the new country should be a single state with a strong central government or if the provinces should be independent states working together.
The provinces, especially Cartagena, wanted a federal system where they had equal rights. They didn't want to be controlled by the capital, Santafé, just like they had been controlled by Spain. However, the province of Cundinamarca, where Santafé was located, was the richest and most populated. Its leaders thought they should take over the power of the old Spanish government and feared losing influence with a federal system.
Nariño's Role in the Divisions
Nariño returned to Santafé just in time to help organize the Congress of the United Provinces of New Granada. He was appointed secretary. This congress had problems from the start because only a few provinces sent delegates, and they argued about many things. Nariño wanted the Congress to stay permanently in Santafé, but the other provinces didn't agree. The Congress broke up after only a little over a month.
While provinces were forming their own governments, Santafé's leaders called for a special meeting for their province. In March 1811, Cundinamarca created its own constitution, forming the Free and Independent State of Cundinamarca. This constitution was similar to the Constitution of the United States. It declared Cundinamarca a Catholic and constitutional monarchy under the absent King Ferdinand VII of Spain (it only declared full independence in August 1813).
Nariño, who had recently lost his wife, became mayor of Santafé on August 30, 1811. He strongly believed in a central government. He started a newspaper called La Bagatela (meaning "The Trifle") on July 14, 1811. In his newspaper, Nariño sharply criticized the president, Jorge Tadeo Lozano, saying he was indecisive. Nariño's strong criticisms led to a protest in the city on September 19, 1811. Because of this, President Lozano and his vice president had to resign. The legislature, fearing more protests, elected Nariño as president and gave him more power.
Meanwhile, the "Congress of the United Provinces" started meeting again. Despite Cundinamarca's objections, the Congress agreed on the Act of Federation of the United Provinces of New Granada on November 27, 1811. This act gave a lot of freedom to each province and made the president very weak. This made the differences between centralist and federalist ideas even stronger.
Nariño and his supporters strongly opposed federalism and the Congress. They believed that Cundinamarca's power would allow it to unite New Granada. Nariño tried to change Cundinamarca's constitution to be more centralist and tried to take over nearby provinces, but he wasn't very successful. However, Nariño's constant attacks pushed the members of the Congress to leave Santafé. They moved first to Leyva and then to Tunja. This period of fighting and disunity among the provinces is often called "the Foolish Mortherland."
Civil War and Dictatorship
Soon, Cundinamarca was in a civil war against other provinces, especially Tunja, where the Congress had settled. Nariño ordered General Antonio Baraya to defeat the federalist leaders in Tunja. But Baraya switched sides and supported the federalist forces. Many important leaders like Santander joined him. Baraya and his rebels declared Nariño a tyrant and pledged loyalty to the Congress.
Nariño used this situation to ask for special powers from Cundinamarca's legislature, which allowed him to become a dictator. On November 26, 1812, Nariño left with his army to fight Tunja. On December 2, 1812, his army faced a federalist army in the Battle of Ventaquemada and was badly defeated, having to retreat to Santafé.
After this defeat, Nariño resigned, but since no one else could lead, he was put back in charge as dictator. Nariño then prepared to defend Santafé, which was surrounded by the Congress's army on December 24, 1812. However, on January 9, 1813, in the Battle of San Victorino, Nariño's troops won a complete victory. In June 1813, he was made dictator for life, and the next month, the Republic of Cundinamarca finally declared full independence from Spain.
Southern Military Campaign
In July 1813, General Nariño started a military campaign against the Spanish and royalist forces in the south of the country. His goal was to reach Pasto and eventually Quito. Nariño's army, called the 'Army of the South,' had between 1,500 and 2,000 men. They managed to capture Popayán in January 1814 after winning several battles against the royalists.
After stopping to organize the city and his forces, he continued towards Pasto. Some historians believe that if he had chased the royalist army right away instead of stopping, he might have captured Pasto more easily.
However, constant attacks from royalist guerrillas, the difficult land, and delays in getting more troops and weapons weakened his army's spirit. On May 10, 1814, in the Battle of the Ejidos of Pasto, the royalist army attacked Nariño's forces. Nariño was wounded, and a false rumor spread that he had died. Most of his soldiers scattered, with only about 400 returning to Popayán.
Nariño sent his officers back to Popayán while he tried to encourage his few remaining troops. He was left almost alone on the battlefield and tried to hide in the mountains. But on May 14, royalist scouts found him, hungry and tired. He surrendered, hoping to negotiate a peace agreement. He was taken to Pasto in May 1814, and then sent to a royal prison in Cádiz, Spain, arriving in March 1816. Nariño remained a prisoner in Cádiz for four years.
Later Years and Legacy
Nariño was freed from prison in 1821. This was after a revolt in Spain and after Colombia had won its independence from Spain in the Battle of Boyacá.
Nariño was one of the candidates for president of Gran Colombia in 1821. He lost to Simón Bolívar by a large number of votes. He also lost the election for vice president to Francisco de Paula Santander. Santander and others had won battles, while Nariño had not, which affected his popularity. This was also the year a special assembly met in Cúcuta to write a constitution for the new country.
Nariño returned to Santafé (now called Bogotá) in 1821. He was politically defeated and in poor health after many years of struggles and imprisonment. He was given a military role, but it had no real power. He had lost the popularity he once had in the city.
He started a new newspaper called "Los Toros de Fucha" (The Bulls from Fucha) to speak out against Santander's government. However, Santander was a strong leader, and Nariño was questioned by him instead of regaining power. His opponents didn't want him in power because of his background from Cundinamarca. They accused him of misusing public money and other things, but Nariño defended himself.
Tired and sick with tuberculosis, he decided to leave public life and move to Villa de Leyva. Antonio Nariño died there on December 3, 1823. He became known as a national hero of Colombia.
How He Is Remembered
Even though he played a smaller role in the actual independence war, Nariño is widely recognized as a key thinker who inspired the idea of independence. He is mentioned in the last part of the Colombian national anthem. At the base of his statue in Bogotá, there is a quote from him: "I have loved my country; only History will say what this love has been."
The presidential palace of Colombia, called Casa de Nariño or Palacio de Nariño, was built where he was born and is named in his honor.
The department of Nariño in Colombia was also named after him.
Nariño's face has appeared on the $10 and $100 Colombian peso banknotes.
Images for kids
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Oil painting by Ricardo Acevedo Bernal.
See also
In Spanish: Antonio Nariño para niños
