August 20 – Happy Birthday to the Liberator of Chile

nPostednon August 20, 2014

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nChilenis in South America, and back in the day, it was a colony of Spain.

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nSonI expected the “Liberator of Chile” to have a Spanish name. Ornmaybe a Mapuche or other indigenous name. n

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nButnO’Higgins? Surely that’s an Irish name!

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nBernardonO’Higgins, born on this date in 1778, had both Spanish and Irishnancestry, but he was born and raised in Chile. His father—whonsupported him financially but never actually met him—ended upnrising in his own career until he became Viceroy of Peru. Viceroy O’Higgins sent Bernardo to Lima, Peru, at age 15 and to London, England, atnage 17—so that he could become well educated.

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nThenyoung O’Higgins became educated, all right. He learned about thenAmerican ideas of independence, and he met a Venezuelan patriot whontalked of independence from Spain. The French Revolution occurred while O’Higgins was still there in Europe, and since O’Higgins wasndelayed in coming back to Chile, he traveled to Spain.

nWith all this hubbub about independence, it was only natural that O’Higgins began to dream of independence from Spain for Chile, too.

nO’Higgins learned ofnhis father’s death in 1801. His father had left him a large chunk ofnland, so O’Higgins returned to Chile and became a gentleman farmer.

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nWhennNapoleon took control of Spain, in 1808, all of the Spanish coloniesnbecame embroiled in disagreements about whether to support the newnFrench king of Spain, or to support the old Spanish king, or to fightnfor independence. O’Higgins joined with other leaders to fightnagainst the French-dominated Spanish government. n

nO’Higginsnlacked the military training of several other rebel leaders, and henhad ill health. He was definitely not in charge of the rebel forcesnfrom the get-go. However, he was so brave—even reckless—that henended up gaining command of the army. He was an inspirationalncommander, urging his soldiers into battle with words such as, “Lads! Live with honor, or die with glory! He who is brave, follow me!”

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Thenroyalist forces won some of the key battles, and O’Higgins and othernrebels retreated to Argentina to lay low for a few years. TherenO’Higgins met Jose de San Martin, an Argentinean general. San Martin accompanied O’Higgins when he returned to Chile in 1817 to defeat the royalists. San Martin wasnoffered the position of power in the new, independent nation ofnChile, but he declined. After all, there were other colonies in SouthnAmerica that had not yet shaken off Spanish rule! The position wasnoffered to O’Higgins, and he accepted—and he received the titlenSupreme Director, and all the powers of a dictator!

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nO’Higginsnwas a pretty good leader. He established markets, courts, colleges,nlibraries, hospitals, and cemeteries. He began improvements innfarming practices and reforms in the military, establishing anmilitary academy and a navy. But this dictator wanted “too muchndemocracy.” He wanted to establish elections and to abolish titlesnof nobility, and he ended up angering all the powerful forces of thennation: the nobility, of course, and the church, and later even thenbusiness people. So O’Higgins left power and Chile and moved to Limanwith his family.

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