Simón Bolívar facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
El Libertador
Simón Bolívar
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Portrait by José Toro Moreno, 1922
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| 1st President of Colombia | |
| In office 16 February 1819 – 27 April 1830 |
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| Preceded by | Office established |
| Succeeded by | Domingo Caycedo |
| 6th President of Peru | |
| In office 10 February 1824 – 27 January 1827 |
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| 1st President of Bolivia | |
| In office 6 August 1825 – 29 December 1825 |
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| Preceded by | Office established |
| Succeeded by | Antonio José de Sucre |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 24 July 1783 Caracas, Captaincy General of Venezuela, Spanish Empire |
| Died | 17 December 1830 (aged 47) Santa Marta, Gran Colombia (now Colombia) |
| Cause of death | Tuberculosis |
| Resting place | National Pantheon of Venezuela |
| Nationality |
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| Spouse | |
| Domestic partner | Manuela Sáenz |
| Signature |  |
Simón Bolívar (born July 24, 1783 – died December 17, 1830) was a Venezuelan military and political leader. He helped lead the countries of Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Panama, and Bolivia to become free from the Spanish Empire. People often call him El Libertador, which means the Liberator of America.
Simón Bolívar was born in Caracas, Venezuela, into a rich family. He lost both his parents before he was ten years old. Bolívar studied abroad in Spain, which was common for wealthy young men at that time. In Madrid, he learned about new ideas from the Age of Enlightenment. He also met his future wife, María Teresa Rodríguez del Toro y Alaysa.
After returning to Venezuela, María Teresa sadly died from yellow fever in 1803. From 1803 to 1805, Bolívar traveled around Europe. In Rome, he made a promise to end Spanish rule in the Americas. In 1807, he returned to Venezuela and started talking to other wealthy people about gaining independence. When Spain's power weakened because of Napoleon's war, Bolívar became a strong fighter for freedom in the Spanish American wars of independence.
Simón Bolívar's Early Life
Simón Bolívar was born on July 24, 1783, in Caracas, Venezuela. He was the youngest of four children. His family, the Bolívars, was one of the richest and most respected families in the Spanish Americas. They owned a lot of land across Venezuela.
Simón's childhood was both special and sad. His father, Juan Vicente, died when Simón was only three years old. His mother, María de la Concepción, died when he was nine. The children were raised separately, often by enslaved people. Simón was raised by a woman named Hipólita, whom he saw as a mother figure.
Simón's Education and First Trip to Europe
As a child, Bolívar was very energetic and sometimes hard to control. He didn't like his uncle Carlos, who became his guardian and cared more about Simón's inheritance than his education. Simón ran away from his uncle's home in 1795 to live with his older sister. However, a Spanish court decided he had to return to his uncle.
Later, Simón was taught by Simón Rodríguez, Andrés Bello, and other smart Venezuelans. In 1797, Rodríguez had to leave Venezuela because he was involved in a plot for independence. Bolívar then joined a special army group. When he became an officer, his uncles sent him to Madrid, Spain.
In 1799, Bolívar sailed to Spain. He arrived in Madrid in May 1799 and lived with a government official named Gerónimo Enrique de Uztáriz y Tovar, who gave him a good education. During this time, Bolívar met María Teresa Rodríguez del Toro y Alaysa, a wealthy woman from Caracas. They got engaged in August 1800.
Return to Venezuela and Second Trip to Europe
Bolívar and María Teresa got married in Madrid on May 26, 1802. They sailed back to Venezuela and settled in Caracas. Sadly, María Teresa became sick with yellow fever and died on January 22, 1803. Bolívar was heartbroken and later said he would never marry again.
By July 1803, Bolívar decided to leave Venezuela for Europe. He traveled to Spain and then to Paris, France, in March 1804. In Paris, he met other South Americans who wanted independence. He also met famous scientists like Alexander von Humboldt.
In April 1805, Bolívar went on a trip to Italy with his old teacher, Simón Rodríguez. In Rome, on August 18, 1805, Bolívar made a famous promise. He swore that he would not rest until he had freed the Americas from Spanish rule.
Simón Bolívar's Fight for Freedom
By 1807, Bolívar was back in Venezuela. He started meeting with other wealthy Venezuelans to talk about independence from Spain. In 1808, Napoleon invaded Spain and put his brother on the throne. This news reached Venezuela and made many people want to form their own government.
On April 19, 1810, the people of Caracas removed the Spanish governor and created their own government, the Supreme Junta of Caracas. Bolívar became a diplomat for this new government. He traveled to Great Britain to ask for support. While there, he convinced Francisco de Miranda, another Venezuelan revolutionary, to return to Venezuela.
Venezuela's First Republic: 1811–1812
In 1811, a congress in Caracas declared Venezuela's independence on July 5. This created the First Republic of Venezuela. However, the new republic faced many challenges. Some Venezuelans remained loyal to Spain, and there were conflicts with other provinces.
Bolívar joined the fight against the Spanish loyalists. In March 1812, a powerful earthquake hit Venezuela, destroying Caracas. Many people believed this was a punishment for declaring independence. Spanish forces, led by Juan Domingo de Monteverde, then took over western Venezuela. Bolívar was put in charge of the city of Puerto Cabello, but it fell to the loyalists.
Believing the republic was lost, Miranda decided to surrender. Bolívar and other officers arrested Miranda, accusing him of treason. Miranda was then taken by the Spanish and died in prison years later.
Fighting in New Granada and Venezuela: 1812–1815
Bolívar escaped to Curaçao and then to Cartagena in New Granada (modern-day Colombia). In December 1812, he wrote the Cartagena Manifesto. In it, he explained why the Venezuelan republic failed and called for New Granada to help him invade Venezuela.
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Bolívar launched an attack that secured control of the Magdalena River. In February 1813, he captured the city of Cúcuta. In May, he began the Admirable Campaign to invade Venezuela. He issued the Decree of War to the Death, ordering that all Spaniards not helping his forces be killed. Within six months, Bolívar reached Caracas and drove out the Spanish. On October 14, he was named "The Liberator" (El Libertador).
On January 2, 1814, Bolívar became the leader of the Second Republic of Venezuela. However, this republic was also weak. It faced attacks from Spanish forces and armies led by José Tomás Boves, a Spanish warlord. Boves's forces overwhelmed the republic, taking Caracas in July 1814.
Bolívar was forced to flee Venezuela. He went to Cartagena in New Granada, where he was given command of New Granada's armies. He captured Bogotá in December 1814. However, he soon faced conflict with other Republican leaders. In May 1815, Bolívar resigned his command and sailed to Jamaica.
Exile and Return: 1815–1819
In Jamaica, Bolívar wrote the Jamaica Letter, explaining his ideas for the future of the Americas. In December 1815, he narrowly escaped an assassination attempt. He then went to Haiti, where he met President Alexandre Pétion. Bolívar promised to free all enslaved people in the areas he controlled. Pétion then gave him money and military supplies.
Bolívar returned to Venezuela in March 1816. He declared that all enslaved people were free. He tried to unite the scattered Republican leaders. In January 1817, he announced his return and called for a new congress for a Third Republic of Venezuela. He worked to unite leaders like José Antonio Páez under his command.
In July 1817, Bolívar's forces captured Angostura (now Ciudad Bolívar). This city became the temporary capital. Bolívar began to create formal political and military structures for the republic. He also dealt with internal conflicts, including the execution of General Manuel Piar for rebellion.
Gran Colombia and Later Years
The Congress of Angostura met in February 1819. Bolívar gave a speech, suggesting a strong central government and equality for all races. He was elected president. In May, Bolívar decided to invade New Granada. He led his army on a difficult journey across the Andes mountains.
On August 7, 1819, Bolívar's forces won a major victory at the Battle of Boyacá. Three days later, he entered Bogotá, the capital of New Granada. Spanish officials had already fled. Bolívar wanted to unite New Granada and Venezuela into a "greater republic of Colombia".
On December 17, 1819, the congress created the Republic of Colombia, which included Venezuela, New Granada, and Ecuador. Bolívar was elected president. He continued to fight against Spanish forces. In June 1821, Bolívar and Páez won a decisive victory at the Battle of Carabobo, ending Spanish rule in Venezuela. Bolívar entered Caracas in triumph.
Liberating Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia: 1821–1826
After freeing Venezuela, Bolívar turned his attention south to Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia. Ecuador was still under Spanish control, and Peru was also fighting for independence. In May 1822, Bolívar's general, Antonio José de Sucre, won the Battle of Pichincha, freeing Quito, Ecuador.
Bolívar then met with Argentine general José de San Martín in Guayaquil. San Martín had already liberated Chile and parts of Peru. They discussed the future of the region, but couldn't agree. San Martín later resigned and left South America.
In 1823, the Peruvian congress asked Bolívar to lead their forces. He sent Sucre to help, and then went to Peru himself. In February 1824, the Peruvian congress named Bolívar dictator of Peru. He gathered an army and defeated the Spanish at the Battle of Junín in August.
In December 1824, Sucre won another major victory at the Battle of Ayacucho, which led to the surrender of all Spanish forces in Peru. In 1825, a region called Upper Peru declared itself a new nation, Bolivia, named after Bolívar. They asked him to write their constitution. Bolívar appointed Sucre to govern Bolivia.
Bolívar's Final Years: 1826–1830
In 1826, Bolívar resigned from his offices in Colombia and Peru, but his resignations were not accepted. He returned to Colombia, where he found many complaints against his vice president, Francisco de Paula Santander. Bolívar and Santander had a growing disagreement.
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In February 1827, Bolívar again offered to resign as President of Colombia, but it was rejected. In September 1828, a group tried to attack Bolívar and overthrow his government. His partner, Manuela Sáenz, helped him escape. Santander was exiled from Colombia, though Bolívar pardoned him.
Bolívar faced more challenges, including revolts and a war with Peru. In 1829, some people in his government secretly planned to make a European prince the King of Colombia after Bolívar's death. This plan was very unpopular. Venezuela also voted to leave Colombia.
On January 20, 1830, a new congress met. Bolívar submitted his resignation from the presidency. On April 27, the congress finally accepted his resignation.
Death and Burial
Bolívar decided to go into exile. He had lost most of his money during his career. He sold his remaining belongings and left Bogotá on May 8, 1830. He traveled to Cartagena, waiting for a ship to take him to England.
In July, Bolívar learned that his friend and general, Sucre, had been killed. His health was getting worse. At the invitation of a Spanish landowner, Bolívar moved to a country house called the Quinta de San Pedro Alejandrino near Santa Marta. There, on December 17, 1830, at the age of 47, Simón Bolívar died from tuberculosis.
Bolívar was buried in the Santa Marta Cathedral. In 1842, his remains were moved to Caracas, Venezuela, and placed in its cathedral. In 1876, his remains were moved again to the National Pantheon of Venezuela in Caracas. The house where he was born and the Quinta where he died are now museums.
In 2008, the Venezuelan government started an investigation into Bolívar's death. They exhumed his remains in 2010. The findings suggested he died from a fungal infection, possibly made worse by arsenic.
Simón Bolívar's Beliefs
Bolívar believed in republican ideas and freedom. His ideas were shaped by ancient Greek and Roman thinkers and the Age of Enlightenment. His teacher, Simón Rodríguez, who studied the philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau, also greatly influenced him. Bolívar admired the British government and wanted British help for Latin American independence.
Bolívar wanted to create a group of Latin American republics with strong leaders and constitutions similar to Britain's. He believed that a government should fit the people and region it served. He thought that a perfect government like the United States' was not right for Spanish America because of the effects of Spanish rule. Later in his life, Bolívar became sad and frustrated, feeling that his efforts for revolution had been wasted.
Simón Bolívar's Legacy
In Venezuela, Bolívar's image and writings have been used by many governments as part of their political messages. Bolívar disliked strong political parties, which sometimes led to military leaders taking control in Venezuela. His legacy has been used by different leaders, including Hugo Chávez and his "Bolivarian Revolution."
Memory and Memorials
Many things are named after Simón Bolívar. The nations of Bolivia and the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela are named after him. Their money, the Bolivian boliviano and the Venezuelan bolívar, also carry his name. Most cities in Colombia and Venezuela have a main square called Plaza Bolívar. His birthday, July 24, is a public holiday in Venezuela and Bolivia. There are also monuments to Bolívar in Spain, especially in the Basque Country, where his family came from.
Simón Bolívar Day
Simón Bolívar Day celebrates his birthday, July 24, 1783. On this day, several Latin American countries remember the birth of Simón Bolívar. It is a national holiday in Venezuela.
See also
In Spanish: Simón Bolívar para niños
