Juan Mackenna facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Juan Mackenna
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| Born | 26 October 1771 Monaghan, Co. Monaghan, Kingdom of Ireland |
| Died | 21 November 1814 (aged 43) Buenos Aires, United Provinces of the Río de la Plata |
| Allegiance |  Spain Republic of Chile |
| Battles/wars | Siege of Ceuta
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Juan Mackenna (born October 26, 1771 – died November 21, 1814) was an important military officer. He was born in Ireland but became a hero in Chile during its fight for independence. Many people believe he created the first group of military engineers for the Chilean Army.
Contents
Early Life and Education
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Juan Mackenna was born as John MacKenna in Monaghan, Co. Monaghan, Ireland. His family was well-known. His mother's uncle, Count Alejandro O'Reilly, took a special interest in young John.
Count O'Reilly helped John move to Spain. There, John studied at the Royal School of Mathematics in Barcelona. He also trained to become a military engineer at the Royal Military Academy from 1785 to 1791.
Starting a Military Career
In 1787, John joined the Irish Brigade of the Spanish army. He fought in Ceuta, a city in northern Africa, and was promoted to Second Lieutenant.
He continued his studies in Barcelona in 1791. The next year, he became a Lieutenant in the Royal Regiment of Engineers. During the War of the Pyrenees against France, Juan Mackenna fought bravely. He even met José de San Martín, who would later become a famous leader in South America. For his brave actions in defending the Plaza de Rozas, he became a captain in 1795.
Moving to Chile
In October 1796, Juan Mackenna left Spain for South America. He traveled through Buenos Aires and Mendoza before crossing the Andes mountains to reach Chile. He then went to Lima, the capital of Peru.
In Lima, he met Ambrosio O'Higgins, another Irishman. O'Higgins was the Viceroy of Peru, a very high-ranking official. O'Higgins made Mackenna the Governor of Osorno, a town in southern Chile. Mackenna was put in charge of rebuilding the town.
Rebuilding Osorno
As governor, Juan Mackenna did a great job. He convinced families from Castro, on Chiloé Island, to move to Osorno and help build a new community. He built important buildings like a storehouse and two mills. He also built a road connecting Osorno to what is now Puerto Montt.
Mackenna's success made some people jealous. The captain-general of Chile, Gabriel de Avilés, worried that Mackenna and O'Higgins might try to create an Irish colony in Osorno. Even though both men were loyal to Spain, Mackenna was friends with O'Higgins' son, Bernardo O'Higgins, who would later lead Chile's independence movement.
When Ambrosio O'Higgins died in 1801, Avilés became the new viceroy of Peru. It took him eight years to remove Juan Mackenna from his position in Osorno.
Joining the Fight for Independence
In 1809, Juan Mackenna married Josefina Vicuña y Larraín. She was an eighteen-year-old Chilean woman from a family that supported the idea of independence. They had three children together.
After Chile declared its independence in 1810, Mackenna joined the side fighting for freedom, known as the Patriots. The new Chilean government asked him to create a plan to defend the country. He also helped prepare the new Chilean Army and trained its first military engineers.
Key Role in the War
In 1811, Mackenna was appointed governor of Valparaíso, an important port city. However, he had political disagreements with José Miguel Carrera and his brothers. Because of these feuds, Mackenna was removed from his post and even taken prisoner for a short time.
He was a strong supporter of Bernardo O'Higgins. O'Higgins chose Mackenna as one of the main officers to fight the Spanish army. Mackenna achieved his greatest military success in 1814 at the Battle of Membrillar. In this battle, he helped stop the Spanish forces, which was a big victory for the Patriots.
As a reward, Bernardo O'Higgins made him commandant-general. But after a coup d'état (when a group illegally takes power) led by Luis Carrera, Mackenna was sent away to Argentina in 1814. Juan Mackenna died in Buenos Aires later that year, after a serious conflict with Luis Carrera.
Remembering Juan Mackenna
A special statue (a bust) of General Mackenna was given to the Monaghan County Museum in Ireland on August 5, 2004. This gift was from one of his direct descendants. During the ceremony, speakers honored General Mackenna as one of the greatest people from Co. Monaghan who had left Ireland. His descendant, Senor Ferrada, spoke about his family's deep connection to the area, saying, "In this city of Monaghan, very near to Willville House, the tombs of my ancestors are in the old cemetery. There, my own blood is interred in the sacred earth."
Family Connections
Juan Mackenna was the great-grandfather of the famous Chilean composer Carmela Mackenna.
See also
In Spanish: Juan Mackenna para niños
