Important people in Argentine History: José de San Martín
Considered “The Father of the Land” José de San Martin, who had a tenacious will for independence, pushed for the sovereignty of the South American continent. He was the liberator of Argentina, Chile, Peru, and saw South America as a unique and sovereign Nation. He rejected positions and honors, and he obsessively dedicated his life working for the liberation of the people. Thanks to his audacity and courage, he crossed the Andes in the early 19th century...
José Francisco de San Martín was born in Yapeyú, today the province of Corrientes, on February 25, 1778. The family moved to Buenos Aires in 1781 where he began his studies, but in 1784 he moved to Spain when his father was transferred to Malaga.
Although he was admitted to the Seminario de Nobles de Madrid, he chose to enter as a cadet in the Murcia regimen in 1789. He fought against the Berber pirates in the Melilla campaign, against the French in the Rosellon War, in the Ampurdan War, in the Oranges War against Portugal, and in the battle of Bailen, during the Spanish War of Independence. It was during this war that he was named Captain.
In 1812, San Martín returned to Buenos Aires where the Government entrusted him to create a squadron of “granaderos” on horse. He later became the leader of this squadron.
In September of that year, he married María de los Remedios de Escalada and the next year he defeated the Spanish in San Lorenzo. He was named commander of the Ejército del Norte (Northern Army), but his health problems forced him to retire and convalesce in the Sierras of Cordoba.
In 1814 he was named Governor of Cuyo and offered refuge to many patriots after their defeat that same year in Rancagua. With the support of the new Supreme Director, Carlos de Alvear, he dedicated himself to organizing an army of refugees. At the same time, on July 9, 1816, the Congress of Tucumán declared the independence of the Provincias Unidas del Río de la Plata (United Provinces of the Rio de la Plata). The Supreme Director Juan Martín de Pueyrredón was named Commander of the Ejército de los Andes (Army of the Andes), and in 1817 he initiated his biggest plan, which was to cross the Andes from Mendoza, where he was governor, to Chile. He defeated the Spanish in Chacabuco on February 12th, then two days later he entered Santiago and he named Bernardo O'Higgins Supreme Director.
San Martín returned to Buenos Aires in order to negotiate creating a squadron in the Pacific while refusing to use his troops in any confrontations between Argentines. He then returned to Chile in 1817, even though his health had worsened.
The Spanish’s reaction did not delay San Martin. He was defeated in Cancha Rayada in 1818 with the Spanish on the verge of recuperating Santiago. But with his victory in Maipú he assured the independence of Chile. He then returned to Buenos Aires, where the reality was a true civil war between the central power and the provinces that delayed his plans until 1820, the year that the campaign in Peru began. With the support of a fleet that was sent by Lord Cochrane of Scotland, the patriots won control of the entire pacific coast, from the stretch of Magellan to Peru, ending close to the Spanish troops. He negotiated peace with the Viceroy Joaquín de la Pezuela and shortly after he signed the Punchauca Pact with the new Viceroy, the liberal José de la Serna and Hinojosa, in 1821, affirming the independence of Peru. It also established a regency of three members. He sent representatives to Spain to offer the throne to a prince of the Spanish royal family, but the Spanish officials did not accept the agreement. San Martín invaded Lima in July 1821 and proclaimed independence for the country July 28, 1821.
He was then named protector of Peru. He summoned a Constituent Congress that overcame the existing disagreements between the different leaders, and then set out for Guayaquil to have a meeting with Simon Bolivar. The Guayaquil debate took place on July 26, 1822 between the two most important “caudillos” of the American independence. In this meeting they discussed the general situation of the continent, the future regime of Peru, and the situation of Guayaquil: whether it would stay independent, or be incorporated into Perú or Greater Colombia. In the end, the latter occured.
It became apparent that San Martín supported the monarchy in Peru, but as he did not have the support of the bourgeoisie, who had brought him to power, he decided to summon a Congress and renounce his command on September 1822, leaving the country’s affairs in Bolivar’s hands.
He passed through Chile and Mendoza in 1823, and later went back to Buenos Aires due to the death of his wife. He then went to Europe in 1824 in weak health, spending some time in Great Britain and France until he settled in Brussels.
In 1827 San Martín offered his services to the Argentine authorities in the war with Brazil, and in 1829 he volunteered to mediate the internal dissents between the Unitarians and the Federalists. In order to do that he went to Buenos Aires, although he never did get off the ship, returning to Europe. He then lived in France until his death on August 17, 1850.
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