Julio Vizcarrondo facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Julio Vizcarrondo Coronado
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Julio Vizcarrondo Coronado
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| Born | December 9, 1829 |
| Died | 1889 |
| Nationality | Puerto Rican |
| Occupation | Journalist, Political activist |
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Vizcarrondo Coronado was founder of the Protestant movement in the Iberian Peninsula in the 19th century
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Julio Vizcarrondo Coronado (born December 9, 1829 – died 1889) was an important Puerto Rican leader. He was a journalist, a politician, and a religious leader. He worked hard to end slavery in Puerto Rico. He also helped start the Protestant movement in Spain and Portugal during the 1800s.
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Early Life in Puerto Rico
Julio Vizcarrondo was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico. His parents were Dr. Jose Bonifacio Vizcarrondo y Ortiz de Zarate and María Josefa Coronado y Martínez. His family owned a large farm called a Hacienda, and they had slaves working there.
Julio went to school in San Juan. Later, he studied in Madrid, Spain, and Paris, France.
Becoming a Journalist
When Julio returned to Puerto Rico, he started writing for a local newspaper. He shared his ideas about freedom and how much he was against slavery. The Spanish government did not like his writings. The governor of Puerto Rico, Juan de la Pezuela y Cevallos, sent him away to the United States.
Life in Exile and Return
In 1850, Vizcarrondo arrived in New York City. He joined a group called the "International Conference of Paris against Slavery." He became the secretary for their main committee. In New York, he met and married Henriette Brewster y Cornell. He also became a Protestant, like his wife.
In 1854, Vizcarrondo came back to Puerto Rico. He kept writing articles and sharing his ideas. He freed his own slaves and became a strong supporter of Black slaves' rights. He often went to court to report slave owners who treated their slaves badly. This made him many enemies. Vizcarrondo also spoke out against how the Spanish government treated Puerto Ricans and the island.
In 1857, he started his own newspaper called El Mercurio (The Mercury). He also created "La Casa de la Caridad de San Ildefonso." This was a school that offered free education to children from poor families. His wife was the principal of this school.
In 1863, he was chosen to help move the remains of Juan Ponce de León. Ponce de León was an important historical figure. His remains were moved from the Church of San José to the Cathedral of San Juan Bautista. Vizcarrondo continued to make enemies because of the liberal ideas he wrote about in his newspaper.
Vizcarrondo wrote several books for his school. These books covered subjects like math, history, and geography. In 1866, he wrote a spelling book called El Silabario Puertorriqueño (The Puerto Rican Primary Textbook). This book was approved as a textbook and used in schools across the island. He also published Elementos de Historia y Geografía de Puerto Rico (The Elements of History and Geography of Puerto Rico), which also became a textbook.
Working in Madrid
In 1863, Vizcarrondo moved to Madrid, Spain. There, he joined other Puerto Ricans and Cubans who also wanted to end slavery. While he was there, Spain faced a serious illness called cholera.
Vizcarrondo and his friends started an organization called "Sociedad de Amigos de los Pobres" (The Society of the Friends of the Poor). This group helped people who were very sick or poor because of the cholera outbreak. He even opened his own house as a temporary hospital. The Spanish government gave him a medal for his brave actions during this time. Later, he helped start the "Hospital del Niño Jesus," a children's hospital.
Vizcarrondo is also known for helping to start the Protestant movement in Spain and Portugal in the 1800s. He was the president of the Central Committee of the Spanish Evangelical Union. He tried to open a Protestant church in Madrid, but it didn't work at first. However, on January 24, 1869, he convinced the mayor of Madrid to allow Protestants to hold their religious services in public.
Political Career
Vizcarrondo joined the Spanish Republican Party. He helped plan the Liberal Revolution as the secretary of the revolutionary committee in Madrid. When the government found out about his role, he was sent away to France. He returned to Spain soon after the revolution succeeded.
He was again given a position in the revolutionary committee of Madrid. He also helped restart the Sociedad Abolicionista (Abolitionist Society). In 1873, Vizcarrondo, along with Ramon Baldorioty de Castro, Luis Padial, and the Minister of Overseas Affairs, Segismundo Moret, proposed a plan to end slavery in Puerto Rico and Cuba. On March 22, 1873, the Spanish Government approved this plan. It became known as the Moret Law, which officially ended slavery in Puerto Rico.
Later Years and Legacy
On May 1, 1880, Vizcarrondo and Rafael María de Labra founded the Sociedad Nacional Democrática (National Democratic Society). This political party aimed to gain more self-rule for both Puerto Rico and Cuba.
In 1886, he was elected to represent the district of Ponce in the Cortes in Madrid. This was like being a member of parliament. He held this position until he died in 1889. In the Spanish Parliament, Vizcarrondo suggested that Puerto Rico should have a similar level of self-government as Canada did at that time.
In 1887, he took part in a big campaign against the Spanish governor of Puerto Rico, Romualdo Palacio González. This campaign led to the governor being replaced. Julio Vizcarrondo Coronado passed away in 1889 in Madrid.
The government of Puerto Rico has honored Vizcarrondo's memory. Schools in the towns of Carolina and Cayey are named after him.
See also
In Spanish: Julio Vizcarrondo para niños
