José María Montealegre facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
José María Montealegre
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| President of Costa Rica | |
| In office 14 August 1859 – 8 May 1863 |
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| Preceded by | Juan Rafael Mora |
| Succeeded by | Jesús Jiménez Zamora |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 19 March 1815 San José, Costa Rica |
| Died | 26 September 1887 (aged 72) San Jose, California, US |
| Spouse | Ana Maria Rosa Mora Porras |
José María Montealegre Fernández (born March 19, 1815 – died September 26, 1887) was an important leader in Costa Rica. He served as the country's President from 1859 to 1863. He was known for bringing a new constitution and for a peaceful transfer of power.
Contents
Early Life and Education
José María Montealegre was born in San José, Costa Rica. His family was very wealthy and owned large coffee farms. This allowed him to get a special education.
He was sent to Aberdeen, a city in Scotland, to study medicine. He became a surgeon there. He was actually the first person from Costa Rica to study medicine in Europe!
Family Life
Montealegre married twice during his life. His first wife was Ana Maria Mora. She was the sister of a previous Costa Rican President, Juan Rafael Mora. Later, he married Sofía Matilde Joy Redman, who was from London.
Becoming President
Montealegre became President after a big change in government. He took power after a military coup d'état (a sudden takeover of the government) against President Juan Rafael Mora.
New Constitution and Election
Soon after becoming president, Montealegre called for a special meeting. This meeting was to create a new set of rules for the country, called the Constitution of 1859.
Under this new constitution, he was officially elected by the people. He served a three-year term as president. When his term ended in 1863, he peacefully gave up his power to Jesús Jiménez Zamora. This was a very democratic act for the time.
Later Life and Legacy
After his presidency, Montealegre faced some political challenges. His brother-in-law, Bruno Carranza, was removed from power by another leader named Tomás Guardia. Because of this, Montealegre decided to leave Costa Rica.
In 1872, he sailed with his family to San Francisco, in the United States. He passed away in San Jose, California. His remains were buried there for many years. However, in 1978, his remains were brought back to Costa Rica.
His sister was named Gerónima Montealegre. A famous actress, Madeleine Stowe, is also a distant relative of his.
See also
In Spanish: José María Montealegre Fernández para niños
