José Miguel Pey de Andrade facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
José Miguel Pey
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"First President of Colombia"
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| Vice President of the Supreme Governing Junta | |
| In office July 20, 1810 – July 25, 1810 |
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| President | Antonio José Amar y Borbón |
| President of the Supreme Governing Junta | |
| In office July 25, 1810 – April 1, 1811 |
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| Preceded by | Antonio José Amar y Borbón |
| Succeeded by | Jorge Tadeo Lozano |
| President of the United Provinces of the New Granada* | |
| In office March 28, 1815 – July 28, 1815 |
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| Preceded by | Triumvirate José María del Castillo y Rada, Joaquín Camacho |
| Succeeded by | Camilo Torres Tenorio |
| Member of the Executive Presidium of the Republic of Colombia• | |
| In office April 30, 1831 – May 5, 1831 |
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| Preceded by | Rafael Urdaneta |
| Succeeded by | Domingo Caycedo |
| Personal details | |
| Born | March 11, 1763 Bogotá, Cundinamarca |
| Died | August 17, 1838 Bogotá, Cundinamarca |
| Political party | Centralist |
| Spouse | Juana Hipólita Bastidas |
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José Miguel Pey y García de Andrade (born March 11, 1763 – died August 17, 1838) was an important leader in Colombia's fight for independence from Spain. He was a soldier and a politician. Many people see him as the first vice president and first president of Colombia. He believed in a strong central government.
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Early Life and Career
José Miguel Pey was born in Santa Fe de Bogotá (now Bogotá) in 1763. His family was well-known and respected. His father, Juan Francisco Pey, held a very important position in the government. José Miguel studied law at the Colegio Mayor de San Bartolomé and became a lawyer in 1787.
In January 1810, José Miguel Pey became the alcalde (like a mayor) of Bogotá. This was during the time when Antonio José Amar y Borbón was the Viceroy (the king's representative) of New Granada. Around this time, many people in the region started protesting against Spanish rule. These protests soon reached Bogotá.
The Cry of Independence
José Miguel Pey was still the alcalde when the famous "Cry of Independence" happened on July 20, 1810. This event is also known as the Florero de Llorente (Llorente Flower Vase incident). On that day, a group of local leaders, called Criollos, accused a Spanish merchant, José Gonzalez Llorente, of being unfair. This caused riots to break out across the city.
As the alcalde, Pey tried to calm the angry crowds. He suggested protecting Llorente, but this made the people even angrier. They saw it as proof that Llorente was guilty, which made the protests grow stronger.
Forming a New Government
Later that day, a special meeting was held to decide the city's future. This meeting included both revolutionaries and those loyal to Spain. They decided to create a "Supreme Governing Committee" (called a Junta Suprema). Viceroy Amar y Borbón was named president, and Pey was chosen as vice president.
Viceroy Amar y Borbón was sworn in early the next day. However, he refused to lead the new committee. Because of this, José Miguel Pey took over as president. This made him the first Criollo (a person of Spanish descent born in the Americas) to hold such a high position in the government of New Granada. This new committee then approved the Act of Independence, and Pey was one of the people who signed it.
Leading the Junta
On July 25, 1810, Viceroy Amar y Borbón was removed from the Supreme Junta. José Miguel Pey then officially became the president. The next day, the Junta recognized King Ferdinand VII of Spain. However, they did not recognize the Spanish government that was ruling in the king's place.
Pey led the government carefully. He remained loyal to the Spanish royal family but also supported the idea of regional independence. He had a tough job trying to keep peace between the different groups in the committee and the city. Some people wanted to arrest the Viceroy and his wife. Pey was pressured to do this on August 13, 1810, even though he didn't want to. Soon after, he secretly helped the Viceroy move from Bogotá to Cartagena de Indias, where he could escape to Havana.
In March 1811, a new constitution was created for the province of Bogotá, which was called Cundinamarca. A meeting of all the provinces of New Granada was also called. On April 1, Jorge Tadeo Lozano was elected as the new president of this congress. This marked the end of José Miguel Pey's time as the main leader of New Granada. The congress later formed the United Provinces of New Granada in November, but Cundinamarca chose not to join.
Later, after forces led by Simón Bolívar took control of Cundinamarca, Pey was made governor of the province on December 20, 1814.
Other Important Roles
José Miguel Pey continued to serve in important government roles.
The Triumvirate
On March 28, 1815, a special three-person leadership group, called an Executive Triumvirate, was created for the United Provinces of the New Granada. José Manuel Restrepo was chosen as a member but did not take the position. So, José Miguel Pey was appointed in his place. He served in this role until July 28 of the same year.
The Presidium
On April 30, 1831, the president of Gran Colombia, Rafael Urdaneta, resigned. Congress then created a three-member "Executive Presidium." This group took over the powers of the presidency. José Miguel Pey was one of these three members. He was also given the powers of the secretary of war. This Presidium ended on May 5, 1831, when the vice president, Domingo Caycedo, took power.
José Miguel Pey was married to Juana Hipólita Bastidas. He passed away on August 17, 1838, in Bogotá, at the age of 75.
See also
In Spanish: José Miguel Pey para niños
- Antonio José Amar y Borbón
- Pey family
