José María Campo Serrano facts for kids

Quick facts for kids José María Campo
President of Colombia Interim
In office 7 August 1886 – 5 January 1887
Preceded by	Office created*
Succeeded by	Eliseo Payán
President of the United States of Colombia Interim
In office 1 April 1886 – 5 August 1886
Preceded by	Rafael Núñez
Succeeded by	Office abolished*
19th President of the Sovereign State of Antioquia
In office 12 March 1885 – 21 September 1885
Preceded by	Luciano Restrepo Escobar
Succeeded by	Marceliano Vélez Barreneche
17th President of the Sovereign State of Magdalena
In office 1879–1884
Preceded by	Luis Antonio Robles Suárez
Succeeded by	M.S. Ramón
12th President of the Sovereign State of Magdalena
In office 1871–1874
Preceded by	Manuel Abello
Succeeded by	José Ignacio Diaz Granados
Governor of Panama
In office January 1900 – June 1900
Preceded by	Facundo Mutis Durán
Succeeded by	Alejandro Orillac
Personal details
Born	(1832-09-08)8 September 1832 Santa Marta, Magdalena, Republic of New Granada
Died	24 February 1915(1915-02-24) (aged 82) Santa Marta, Magdalena, Colombia
Nationality	Colombian
Political party	Conservative
Spouse	Rosa Riascos García
Alma mater	Seminario Conciliar de Santa Marta
Occupation	Lawyer
See Rafael Núñez, last President of the United States of Colombia.

José María Campo Serrano (born September 8, 1832 – died February 24, 1915) was a Colombian lawyer, general, and important statesman. He became President of Colombia in a special way, after the previous president resigned and the vice president was removed from office.

One of his most important actions was approving the Colombian Constitution of 1886. This new constitution changed the country's name from the United States of Colombia to the Republic of Colombia. José María Campo was from Santa Marta on the coast. During his career, he also served as president of the Sovereign State of Magdalena and Antioquia, and as Governor of Panama. He held many important jobs in different government ministries.

Early Life and Education

José María Campo was born on September 8, 1832, in Santa Marta, in what was then called the Republic of New Granada. He was the first child of Andrés del Campo and María Josefa Serrano. His brother, Juan Campo Serrano, also signed the 1886 constitution.

José María studied at the Seminario Conciliar de Santa Marta. Later, he went to the Colegio Provincial Santander, where he studied Law and Philosophy. He was married to Rosa Riascos García.

Political Career

José María Campo started his political journey in his home state of Magdalena. He held many different roles there. He was a member of Magdalena's legislative assembly, a Prosecutor General, and represented Magdalena in the Chamber of Representatives and the Senate of Colombia. He was also elected President of the Sovereign State of Magdalena twice: first from 1871 to 1874, and again from 1879 to 1884.

During his time as president of Magdalena, he focused on building and expanding railways. His goal was to help trade and industry grow and connect the region to the port. In 1881, work began on a railroad to link Santa Marta with El Banco.

Serving in Antioquia

During the Colombian Civil War of 1885, José María Campo became the Civil and Military Chief of the Sovereign State of Antioquia. He held this position from March 14 to September 21, 1885.

His main goal in Antioquia was to stop the civil unrest and reduce political opposition. He also continued his interest in railways. On August 18, 1885, he made agreements with private companies to improve and expand Antioquia's railway system. After his time in Antioquia, General Campo went to Bogotá to represent the Constituent Assembly.

Important Ministries

General Campo was an active member in the governments of several presidents, serving in their Council of Ministers.

His first ministerial job was in 1882, during the presidency of Francisco Javier Zaldúa. He became the Minister of Public Instruction, in charge of national education. He held this same position again in 1884 under President Ezequiel Hurtado.

Under President Rafael Núñez, he worked in two ministries. He was the Minister of War, where he had to deal with the Civil War of 1885. He also served as Minister of Finance. His last ministerial role was as Minister of Government during the presidency of Miguel Antonio Caro.

Presidency (1886–1887)

On December 9, 1885, the Constituent Assembly chose Rafael Núñez as president, Eliseo Payán as vice president, and José María Campo as the designate (someone who can take over if the president and vice president can't serve).

José María Campo became president in an unusual way. On March 30, 1886, President Núñez resigned because of poor health. The Vice President, Eliseo Payán, was supposed to take over, but many people in Congress didn't like him. So, on May 4, Congress removed Payán from his position.

With no vice president and the president having resigned, José María Campo, as the designate, was next in line. On April 1, 1886, he was sworn in as the Acting President of the United States of Colombia.

Key Policies as President

The Train of the Savanna, a project supported by President Campo.

During his short time as president, Campo focused on projects that helped local areas. Some of his administration's projects included contracts to install and build public lighting and potable water services in Bogotá.

He also continued to support rail transportation. In 1887, the Train of the Savanna began operating. This train connected Bogotá with nearby cities like Facatativá and Zipaquirá, and it is still in service today.

One important decision Campo made as president was about the Quinta de San Pedro Alejandrino. This was the house where the famous liberator Simón Bolívar died. The private owners wanted to sell it to the government for a very high price. In 1886, President Campo issued an executive order to take control of the property. He then placed it under the care of the Department of Magdalena to manage it.

Even though he was allowed to, Campo chose not to live in the Palacio de San Carlos, which was the Presidential Palace at the time. He preferred to stay in his own home.

The Constitution of 1886

The Constituent Assembly, which was called by Rafael Núñez in 1885 to create a new constitution, finished its work on August 4, 1886. The very next day, President Campo and his Council of Ministers approved the new constitution. This made it official and changed the country's name to the Republic of Colombia. Because of this, José María Campo became its first president.

After the Presidency

José María Campo, the first president of the newly formed Republic of Colombia, stepped down on January 6, 1887. He handed over power to Eliseo Payán, who then became acting president because Núñez was still absent.

Serving in Panama

José María Campo was called back into politics and military service to go to Panama. At that time, Liberal rebels were fighting the Conservative government in Panama during the Thousand Days War. Because of his strong political and military experience, he was named Governor of the Department of Panama in January 1900. He replaced the previous governor, Facundo Mutis Durán.

Campo arrived with determination, bringing more soldiers to the region from different parts of the country. The war was becoming more focused on Panama and the Caribbean Region. He used the railways strategically to move troops and secure areas.

However, the war became more difficult. General Campo had to leave for Barranquilla to buy weapons and bring more soldiers. He passed the governorship to Alejandro Orillac as acting governor. Even though General Campo's departure led to an increase in rebel activity, the war finally ended in 1902. This war eventually led to the separation of Panama from Colombia.

Death and Legacy

José María Campo died at his home in Santa Marta on February 24, 1915, at the age of 82.

Many people consider him the most important person from Santa Marta in history. His most lasting achievement was the Constitution of 1886. This constitution was the country's main law for almost 105 years, until it was replaced by the Constitution of 1991.

See also

In Spanish: José María Campo Serrano para niños

• Colombian Constitution of 1886
• Thousand Days War
• United States of Colombia