José Miguel Infante facts for kids

Quick facts for kids José Miguel Infante
President of Government Junta
In office August 23, 1813 – January 11, 1814
Preceded by	Francisco Antonio Pérez
Succeeded by	Agustín Eyzaguirre
Personal details
Born	José Miguel Infante y Rojas March 1778 Santiago, Captaincy General of Chile
Died	April 9, 1844(1844-04-09) (aged 66) Santiago, Chile

José Miguel Infante y Rojas (born March 1778 – died April 9, 1844) was an important Chilean leader and political figure. He worked as a deputy and minister many times. He was also the main person behind the Federalist movement in Chile. This movement wanted to divide the country into smaller states, like the United States.

Early Life and Learning

José Miguel Infante was born in Santiago. His parents were Agustín Infante y Prado and Rosa Rojas. He studied law at the College of San Carlos and became a lawyer in 1806. From a young age, he loved to study political ideas and read old, classic books.

His uncle, José Antonio de Rojas, helped him by letting him use his huge library. This library was the biggest in Chile at that time. There, José Miguel read books by French and English thinkers from the Age of Enlightenment. These were thinkers who believed in using reason and science to improve society. Some of these books were even banned by the Church! He also liked the ideas of Voltaire and other encyclopedists. He became one of Chile's top thinkers of his time. When the idea of revolution started, he was very excited about it.

Becoming a Political Leader

In 1810, José Miguel became a city council member in Santiago. This year was a difficult time for the Spanish empire. The King, Ferdinand VII, was held prisoner in France. In Chile, the Spanish governor had to quit because he was not good at his job. A new governor, Mateo de Toro y Zambrano, took over.

José Miguel's smart ideas helped him suggest forming a new government. This new government would help shape Chile's future. So, the new governor called a meeting of important citizens on September 18, 1810. They decided to form the Government Junta of the Kingdom of Chile. José Miguel was a very active member of this new group.

Working for Independence

In the very first meeting, José Miguel asked for a big meeting of the people. He wanted them to declare Chile's independence. Even though many people disagreed, he got his way. The meeting that happened on July 4, 1811, was mostly thanks to him. He was also chosen to be a member of this first National Congress for Santiago. He became its first secretary.

In 1813 and 1814, he was part of the Government Juntas that led the country. When José Miguel Carrera, the first president of the independent government, became the army leader, José Miguel Infante was chosen to lead the Government Junta. During his time, the junta created the national flag. They also started the National Institute of Science and many primary schools across the country.

Exile and Return

In 1814, he went to Buenos Aires to work with their revolutionary government. But after a big defeat for Chile at the disaster of Rancagua, he had to stay there for a while. He could only come back to Chile after the battle of Chacabuco in 1817. That same year, Bernardo O'Higgins, the Supreme Director, made him the secretary of the treasury. He made many good changes. But he didn't agree with O'Higgins, so he soon left the job.

On January 28, 1823, José Miguel and other citizens held a public meeting. They spoke up for the country's freedom. Because of this, O'Higgins resigned. After O'Higgins left, Infante became a member of the Government Junta that took power. Later that year, General Ramon Freire became Supreme Director. He offered José Miguel a job in the Superior Court. José Miguel first said no, but then accepted.

His most important action was ending slavery in Chile. He was very proud of this. He wanted his tombstone to say only: "The author of the law of abolition."

Leading the Senate

After this, his political path changed. He was chosen as a Senator for Santiago. He became the vice-president and then the president of the Senate. In 1824, when General Freire went to fight the Spanish in Chiloe, he set up a group to govern. José Miguel became the president of this group. He was also the temporary Supreme Director from November 1825 to March 1826. During this time, he sent Bishop Zorrilla away because the bishop was causing trouble.

The Federalist Idea

The Constitution of 1823, which was made after O'Higgins resigned, didn't last long. It was canceled in 1826 to decide how the country should be governed. José Miguel Infante admired the United States. In 1826, as a senator, he suggested that Chile should become a federal republic. This meant dividing the country into smaller states, each with its own government, but united under one national government.

Since his ideas were not popular, he started a newspaper in 1827 called "El Valdiviano Federal." He wrote all the main articles for this paper until he died. He was very skilled politically. He managed to get laws passed that would create a federal system without needing a special assembly.

This way, Chile was divided into 8 provinces. Each province would have its own assembly and a leader chosen by the people. This was a big step towards giving power to local areas. However, this new system had many problems from the start. It was hard to set up fully, especially with deciding borders and capitals. The main reason it failed was that Chile had always had a strong central government.

Most of the rich families also wanted a strong central government. So, this experiment didn't last long. The congress ended in June 1827. President Francisco Antonio Pinto stopped the federalist plan in 1828. That same year, a new constitution was approved. José Miguel, sticking to his beliefs, refused to accept it. After the Chilean Civil War of 1829, he was elected to congress again in 1830.

Later Years

After his federalist idea failed, his group became smaller. He was elected as a deputy for Curicó. However, he often spoke against the government. Because of this, he was removed from his position. They said his election was not done correctly.

After this, he stopped being active in politics. But he kept writing in his newspaper, defending his ideas until he died. In 1843, the government recognized his great work. They offered him a job as the first judge of the supreme court and a member of the law school at the Universidad de Chile. But he said no to both offers. Also in 1843, at 65 years old, he married for the first time to Rosa Munita. He died the next year, on April 9, 1844, in Santiago.

See also

In Spanish: José Miguel Infante para niños