Manuel de Bernardo Álvarez del Casal facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Manuel de Bernardo Álvarez del Casal
Governor President of the State of Cundinamarca
In office May 14, 1814 – December 12, 1814*
Preceded by	Antonio Nariño
Succeeded by	Camilo Torres Tenorio
Personal details
Born	May 21, 1743 Santafé de Bogotá, Colombia
Died	September 10, 1816 Santafé de Bogotá, Colombia
Political party	Centralist
Spouse	Josefa del Casal y Freiría
Deposed by the Federalists.

Manuel de Bernardo Álvarez del Casal (born May 21, 1743, in Bogotá; died September 10, 1816, in Bogotá) was an important leader in New Granada. This region is now Colombia. He lived during the time when people were fighting for independence from Spain.

Manuel Álvarez held several key jobs in the new government that was forming. He was also the uncle of Antonio Nariño, who is known as a very early leader of the independence movement. In 1814, Manuel Álvarez served as the president of the State of Cundinamarca, which was a rebel government.

Early Life and Family Connections

Manuel Álvarez was born into an important family in Bogotá. His father, Bernardo Álvarez, was a lawyer who worked for the Spanish government. He moved to Bogotá with his family in 1736.

Manuel's sister, Catalina, married Vicente Nariño. Their son, Antonio Nariño, later became a famous figure in Colombia's fight for freedom. This made Manuel Álvarez Antonio Nariño's uncle.

Manuel studied law and other subjects at the Colegio de San Bartolomé from 1762 to 1768. After finishing his studies, he became a professor. He was also allowed to practice law.

In 1768, he married Josefa Lozano de Peralta. Her family was one of the richest and most powerful in the capital city. This marriage connected Manuel Álvarez to many other important families in the colony.

For many years, Manuel Álvarez worked for the Spanish government in Bogotá. He was an accountant in different departments. From 1789, he was also a member of the city council of Bogotá. In the 1790s, his father-in-law and his nephew, Antonio Nariño, were arrested by the Spanish. Nariño was arrested for translating a book called Rights of Man.

The Start of Independence

In 1810, a major event happened in Bogotá called the "Cry of Independence." This was when people started to openly declare their desire for freedom from Spain. Manuel Álvarez was part of the city council at this time. He signed the Declaration of Independence.

He also joined the Supreme Governing Junta, which was a new ruling group. On July 26, he signed a document that stopped recognizing the Spanish government. He was put in charge of the treasury for the Junta. He also started editing a newspaper called Aviso al Público (Warning to the Public).

Manuel Álvarez used his position in the Junta and his newspaper to push for his nephew, Antonio Nariño, to be set free. Nariño was still a prisoner in Cartagena. Despite many people being against it, Nariño was released. He returned to Bogotá on December 8, 1810.

Forming a New Government

The new government in Bogotá, the Junta, mainly controlled the capital city. However, another group started to form in Tunja. This group, led by Camilo Torres Tenorio, wanted a different system of government. They wanted a "federal" system, where different regions had more power. The Bogotá group, including Álvarez, wanted a "centralist" system, where the main government had more control.

To solve these differences, a meeting called the Supreme Congress was called on November 6, 1810. Delegates from six provinces attended. Manuel Álvarez represented Bogotá and was chosen as the president of this Congress.

The Congress met on December 22. Álvarez suggested that his nephew, Nariño, become the secretary. However, the Congress struggled to agree on a form of government. Soon, a new meeting was held to create a constitution. This led to the creation of the State of Cundinamarca. Manuel Álvarez's brother-in-law, Jorge Tadeo Lozano, became its first president.

Leading Cundinamarca

Manuel Álvarez and Antonio Nariño worked together to support the centralist system. They wanted Lozano to resign. They used a newspaper called La Bagatela to share their ideas. Lozano did resign, and Nariño became president. Soon after, Nariño became a very strong leader, almost like a dictator, from September 1811 to August 1813.

However, Nariño could not get all parts of the region to agree with his centralist ideas. Tunja and the federalists remained strongly against him. In October 1812, a federalist congress met. Manuel Álvarez was one of the delegates from Cundinamarca. He strongly defended his nephew's centralist views. Because of this, the congress ordered both delegates from Cundinamarca to be put in prison.

Meanwhile, two generals who were supposed to arrest Nariño's opponents instead joined the federalists. They attacked Bogotá on January 9, 1813, but the attack was stopped. On July 16, 1813, the congress, with Álvarez still as president, declared Cundinamarca completely independent from Spain. They said it was only under the rule of God and its people.

During this time, a Spanish army led by Juan Sámano invaded the territory from the south. Nariño stepped down as the strong leader to personally lead the fight against the Spanish. He left his uncle, Manuel Álvarez, in charge of the government. This was from May 14, 1814, to December 12, 1814. Nariño left the capital hoping to capture other Spanish-held cities. However, he was defeated and taken prisoner.

The federalists then launched another attack on Cundinamarca. This time, they had help from a Venezuelan leader named Simón Bolívar. Manuel Álvarez refused to give in to the United Provinces (the federalist group) or make a deal with Bolívar. Bolívar attacked Bogotá, and the city fell on December 11, 1814. Álvarez handed over power. He only asked for safety for those who had supported the Spanish government. After this, he left public life.

Arrest and Death

On May 26, 1816, the Spanish army, led by Pablo Morillo, took back control of Bogotá. Morillo set up a special court to judge the people who had fought for independence. Manuel Álvarez and other members of his family were arrested. They were tried and sentenced to death.

Manuel Álvarez was executed on September 10, 1816. This happened in Parque de Santander in Bogotá.

Images for kids

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  Manuel de Bernardo Álvarez

See also

In Spanish: Manuel de Bernardo Álvarez para niños