Ramón de Santillán facts for kids
Ramón de Santillán González (born August 30, 1791 – died October 19, 1863) was an important Spanish leader. He worked as the Minister of Finance, which means he was in charge of the country's money. He was also the very first leader, or Governor, of the Bank of Spain.
Contents
Santillán's Life Story
Santillán was born in a town called Lerma in Spain. His family was not very rich. In 1805, he started studying law at the University of Valladolid. But his studies were stopped by a big war called the Peninsular War.
In 1809, he joined the army as a corporal. He fought for Spain's freedom. He quickly became a lieutenant and then a captain by 1812. He stayed in the Spanish Army until 1824. He had to leave the army because he supported a liberal government that was no longer in power.
However, in 1825, he started working for the Ministry of Finance. In the 1830s, he held important jobs under Juan Álvarez Mendizábal. He became the Minister of Finance from April to July 1840. This was during the time Queen Isabella II was a child, and her mother, Maria Christina of the Two Sicilies, was ruling for her.
Even after he was no longer minister, he kept working at the Ministry. He worked with other finance ministers from different political groups.
Helping with Spain's Money System
Ramón de Santillán helped a lot with a big tax change in Spain in 1845. This change is often linked to another person, Alejandro Mon y Menéndez, but Santillán was a very close helper.
He was chosen to be a senator for life in 1845. He also served as Minister of Finance again for a short time in 1847. During this time, he made big improvements to Spain's banking system. In 1849, he helped join two important banks, the Bank of San Fernando and the Bank of Isabella II, into one. He became the first leader of this new, combined bank. It was first called the Bank of San Fernando.
In 1854, Santillán was removed from his job because he would not agree to some demands from the government. But in 1856, the Bank of San Fernando changed its name to the Bank of Spain. Santillán was then named its first Governor. He stayed in this important job until he died in Madrid in 1863.
Santillán's Beliefs
Santillán's ideas were part of the Spanish liberal movement of his time. He was generally a conservative liberal. This means he believed in freedom but also in keeping some traditional ways. He was more aligned with the Moderate Party than the Progressives. However, he was not a strong member of any one party. In the 1850s, he joined the Liberal Union. This group tried to find a middle path between the two main political groups.
Santillán's Legacy
Ramón de Santillán's picture appeared on Spanish money twice. He was on the 25 pesetas banknote in 1884. He was also on the 1000 pesetas banknote in 1949.
His Writings
- Memoria Histórica sobre los Bancos Nacionales de San Carlos, Español de San Fernando, Isabel II, Nuevo de San Fernando y de España (1858) - This book was re-released by the Bank of Spain in 1982.
- Memorias (1860)
See also
In Spanish: Ramón de Santillán para niños
