José de Oviedo y Baños facts for kids
José de Oviedo y Baños was an important military officer and historian. He lived from 1671 to 1738. He is famous for writing a very important book about the history of Venezuela. His work is still considered one of the best books about the Spanish Empire's Venezuela Province from that time.
Who Was José de Oviedo y Baños?
José de Oviedo y Baños was born in 1671. He passed away in Caracas, Venezuela, on November 20, 1738.
When he was 18 years old, he joined the military in Caracas. In 1690, he became a Knight of the Order of Santiago. This was a special group of knights. He stayed in the army for many years. By 1728, he had become a Lieutenant general. This is a very high rank in the military. He retired from the army in 1730.
His Famous Book
José de Oviedo y Baños wrote a very important book. It is called Historia de la conquista y población de la Provincia de Venezuela. This means "History of the conquest and settlement of Venezuela."
The book tells the story of how Venezuela was explored and settled. It covers the history of the region. He did a lot of research for his book. He looked at old records from the Spanish Empire. Some of these records went all the way back to the time of Christopher Columbus. His book was published in Madrid, Spain, in 1723.
