Juana Manuela Gorriti facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Juana Manuela Gorriti
First Lady of Bolivia
In role 6 December 1848 – 15 August 1855
President	Manuel Isidoro Belzu
Preceded by	Mercedes Coll
Succeeded by	Edelmira Belzu
Personal details
Born	Juana Manuela Gorriti Zuviría 15 June 1818 Rosario de la Frontera, United Provinces of the Rio de la Plata
Died	6 November 1892(1892-11-06) (aged 74) Buenos Aires, Argentina
Spouse	Manuel Isidoro Belzu
Children	Edelmira Belzu Mercedes Belzu de Dorado
Parents	José Ignacio Gorriti Feleciana Zuviría
Occupation	Writer

Juana Manuela Gorriti (born June 15, 1818 – died November 6, 1892) was an important Argentine writer. She had strong connections to Bolivia and Peru through her life and work. She was also the First Lady of Bolivia from 1848 to 1855.

Juana Manuela Gorriti is known as one of Argentina's first novelists. Her book La quena (published in 1845) showed her early talent. In her writings, she spoke out against poverty, unfair rulers, and the way women were treated. She believed in a future where people would be free and equal. Her ideas about women's rights inspired many people, both women and men.

Juana Manuela Gorriti's Early Life

Juana Manuela Gorriti was born on June 15, 1818. Her birthplace was Rosario de la Frontera in the province of Salta, Argentina. She came from a rich, well-known family. When she was eight, she went to a convent school.

Her parents were José Ignacio Gorriti and Feleciana Zuviria. Her father was a politician and a soldier. He signed the Argentine Declaration of Independence in 1816. Her family supported the Unitarians. This was a political group that was against the conservative leader Juan Manuel de Rosas. In 1831, when Juana was thirteen, her family had to leave Argentina. They were forced into exile by a powerful leader named Facundo Quiroga.

Life in Bolivia and Marriage

Gorriti's family settled in Tarija, Bolivia. There, she met Manuel Isidro Belzú, who was a captain in the Bolivian Army. They got married when she was fifteen. They had three daughters together.

As Belzú's military career grew, their marriage became difficult. He left her in 1842 after nine years. Juana Manuela Gorriti did not get her divorce papers until 14 years later. This was after Belzú passed away. She later returned to Argentina. She died in Buenos Aires on November 6, 1892, at 74 years old.

Hosting Important Gatherings

When Juana Manuela Gorriti lived in Lima, Peru, she became a well-known journalist. She started hosting regular gatherings called tertulias. These were like social clubs where educated people met. Many famous writers and thinkers attended these events. They included Ricardo Palma, Manuel González Prada, Mercedes Cabello de Carbonera, and Clorinda Matto de Turner.

At these tertulias, people discussed literature and how society could improve. Gorriti was very passionate about these topics. She included them in her own writing. By hosting these gatherings, she gave women writers a special place to meet and share ideas. Many women who attended later wrote more about these important subjects.

Advocating for Women's Rights

Juana Manuela Gorriti was a strong supporter of women's rights. She believed in equality for women even before the word "feminist" was widely used. Her dedication to women's rights was clear in her journals and stories.

Through her writing, she encouraged women to get an education. She wanted them to speak up and not be afraid to challenge old social rules. She inspired women to take on new roles, similar to those in Europe and North America.

First Lady of Bolivia

Juana Manuela Gorriti's husband, Manuel Isidoro Belzú, became the president of Bolivia in 1848. He was president for seven years, until 1855. During this time, Juana Manuela Gorriti served as the First Lady of Bolivia.

Belzú later retired from the presidency. He supported his son-in-law, Jorge Córdova, to become the next president. Belzú passed away in 1865.

A Heroic Nurse

In 1866, the Spanish Navy attacked ports in Peru and Chile. This included the port of Lima, where Gorriti was living. During this time, she bravely worked as a battlefield nurse. She helped save injured Peruvian soldiers.

Gorriti risked her life to help the wounded. She was even involved in evacuating people when the Spanish surrendered at Callao. Because of her heroic actions, she was seen as a Peruvian freedom fighter. The Peruvian government gave her a special military honor called the Second Star of May. She wrote about these events in many articles and short stories. These were later collected in the Album of Lima, a publication she co-founded.

Returning to Argentina

In 1878, Juana Manuela Gorriti moved back to Argentina. Even after facing many challenges in her life, she was still admired. People saw her as an amazing woman who brought pride to her country.

She was a mother to two daughters, Edelmira Belzu and Mercedes Belzu de Dorado. Sadly, her daughter Mercedes became sick in Peru in 1879. Gorriti could not go to her because of a war between Chile and Peru. Mercedes passed away later that year.

Gorriti also started a newspaper called The Argentina Dawn. In this newspaper, she published many articles about women's rights and education. When she passed away, people in Argentina remembered her as a famous and important journalist.

Her Literary Works

Juana Manuela Gorriti's writing career truly blossomed in Peru. Even though she arrived there without much money, she quickly made a name for herself. She founded an all-girls school in Bolivia, where she taught and wrote.

Gorriti wrote several short novels and many short stories. One of her novels was El Pozo de Yocci (The Yocci Well). This story combined love, ghosts, and a bit of horror. It was set during a difficult time in Argentina's history. Another novel was La oasis de la vida (The Oasis of Life), written in the 1880s.

Her last major work was La tierra natal (The Native Land), published in 1889. This book describes her journey back to places she had lived in northern Argentina. It also shares her memories of the people and events from her life. Two of her most famous short stories are La hija del mazorquero and El lucero de manantial. These stories often had a strong message against unfair rulers.

Gorriti also helped start the newspaper The Dawn of Argentina (La Alborada del Plata). Her stories are well-written and show the writing styles of 19th-century South America.

See also

In Spanish: Juana Manuela Gorriti para niños