Francisco de Miranda
Francisco de Miranda (Caracas, Venezuela, March 28, 1750 - Cádiz, España, July 14, 1816), South American revolutionary, whose own plan for the independence of the Spanish American colonies failed, but who is regarded as a forerunner of Bolívar and other more effective american independency fighters.
He took part in military operations in the three continents: Africa, Europe and America, and played an important role in some of the great historical events of the time.
In the American Revolutionary War, he commanded Spanish troops aiding American patriots in Florida and Mississippi.
Later, in the French Revolution, he served as French Revolutionary general.
His greatest contribution is probably in the independence struggle for the liberation of the colonies in Spanish America.
Miranda envisioned an independent empire consisting of all the territories which had been under Spanish and Portuguese rule, stretching from the Mississippi River to Cape Horn. The empire would be under the leadership of a hereditary emperor called "Inca" and would have a legislature of two houses.
He conceived the name "Colombia" for this empire, after his discoverer, Christopher Columbus.
With British help, he made a failed invasion attempt of Venezuela at Coro) in 1806. Among the volunteers who served under him in this revolt was David G. Burnet, an American who would later serve as interim president of the Republic of Texas after its declaration of independence from Mexico in 1836.
After Venezuela achieved de facto indepenence on April 19, 1810, Simon Bolívar persuaded Miranda to return to Venezuela, where he was made a general in the revolutionary army. When the country formally declared independence on July 5, 1811, he assumed dictatorial powers.
The Spanish forces counterattacked, and Miranda, fearing a brutal and hopeless defeat, signed an armistice with them in July 1812. Bolivar and other revolutionaries believed his surrender was treason and thwarted Miranda's attempt to escape; they allowed him to be handed over to the Spanish Royalists and he died in his prison in Cadiz.
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Referenced By
Andres Bello | Andrés Bello | Bello | Bernard O'Higgins | Bernardo O'Higgins | David G. Burnet | Gran Colombia | Greater Colombia | Lautaro | Logia Lautaro | Miranda | Miranda (disambiguation) | Republic of Gran Colombia | Revolutionary | Simon Bolivar | Simon Bolivár | Simon Bolívar | Simón Bolivar | Simón Bolívar | Simón de Bolívar
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