Biography of Bernardo O'Higgins, Liberator of Chile. The capital of the region is Rancagua. O'Higgins, left in power by San Martín, proved to be an authoritarian ruler. The junta was soon overthrown by José Miguel Carrera, a charismatic young Chilean aristocrat who had distinguished himself in the Spanish army in Europe before deciding to join the rebel cause. Bernardo O'Higgins (August 20, 1778–October 24, 1842) was a Chilean landowner, general, president, and one of the leaders of its struggle for independence. The defeat could have been avoided had Luís Carrera's army returned, but it did not—under orders from José Miguel. Picarquín, Chile was the site of the 19th World Scout Jamboree, held in December 1998 and January 1999, which brought together 31,000 Scouts and Guides from all over the world. He hand-picked a Senate and the 1822 Constitution allowed representatives to be elected to a toothless legislative body. (2020, August 28). View Videos or join the Libertador General Bernardo O'Higgins Region discussion. He was in many ways as unlike Simón Bolivar as it is possible to be: Bolívar had much more in common with the dashing, confident José Miguel Carrera. By 1822, hostility to O'Higgins had reached a crucial point. He returned to Chile and took possession of his inheritance, and for a few years he lived quietly in obscurity. O'Higgins was his choice as the man to lead Chile's liberation. Forced to retreat northward before the Spaniards, O'Higgins made a heroic stand at Rancagua and then withdrew with the remnants of the patriot army across the Andes into Argentina. This struck me as odd. Bernardo O’Higgins, South American revolutionary leader and first Chilean head of state (“supreme director,” 1817–23), who commanded the military forces that won independence from Spain. Bernardo O’Higgins (1778–1842) So great was the cultural influence of the Irish in Chile that a man of Irish decent became the leader of the Chilean independence movement. José Miguel, O'Higgins' greatest enemy, spent the years from 1817 to 1821 in southern Argentina with a small army, raiding towns in the name of gathering funds and weapons for liberation. Minster, Christopher. When it became apparent that the actions of Chile would lead to war, he raised two cavalry regiments and an infantry militia, mostly recruited from families who worked his lands. He remembered only too well the costly feuding between himself and the Carreras and how a lack of unity had almost cost Chile its independence. O'Higgins, Bernardo (bĕrnär`thō ōē`gēns), 1778–1842, South American revolutionary and ruler (1817–23) of Chile; illegitimate son of Ambrosio O'Higgins.He was chosen in 1813 to replace José Miguel Carrera Carrera, José Miguel, 1785–1821, Chilean revolutionist. He went out in dramatic fashion, baring his chest to the assembled politicians and leaders who had turned against him and inviting them to take their bloody revenge. Realizing that the choice now lay between continuing to rule by force as a dictator or to resign office, O'Higgins chose the latter course and left for exile in Peru (1823). By September 1818, most Spanish and royalist forces had retreated to try to defend Peru, the last Spanish stronghold on the continent. For background see Simon Collier, Ideas and Politics of Chilean Independence, 1808-1833 (1968). His mother Isabel Riquelme was the daughter of a prominent local, and he was raised with her family. In September 1814, Spanish General Mariano Osorio was moving a large force of royalists into position to take Santiago and end the rebellion. Although he was the second Supreme Director of Chile (1817–1823), he is considered one of Chile 's founding fathers. On February 12, 1818, Chile was proclaimed an independent republic under O'Higgins' leadership. Since 1974 it has comprised the provinces of Cachapoal, Cardenal Caro, and Colchagua. Bernardo was the illegitimate child of Ambrosio O'Higgins, a Spanish officer born in Ireland who immigrated to South America and rose through the ranks of the Spanish bureaucracy, eventually reaching the high post of Viceroy of Peru. Baron O'Higgins. Intending to go into exile in Ireland, O'Higgins made a stop in Peru, where he was warmly welcomed and given a large estate. He lived there quietly with his mother and half sister, on the estate given him in recognition of his services for the liberation of Peru, until his death in 1842. Bernardo O'Higgins was born in Chillán, the illegitimate son of Isabel Riquelme, daughter of a Chilean landowner. It has three provinces. War Hero Born in Chile #2. 1600 C.E. San Martín believed that all of the lands to the south would be vulnerable as long as Peru remained a royalist stronghold. Along with José de San Martín, he is credited with liberating Chile from Spanish rule. Libertador General Bernardo Ohiggins has 27 identified mines listed in The Diggings™. Their harsh brutality only caused the people of Chile to long for independence. Like Simón Bolívar's epic 1819 crossing of the Andes, this expedition was very harsh. The patriots could not completely dislodge the royalists. They laid siege to the city in July of 1813, in the middle of the harsh Chilean winter. Appointed ‘supreme director’ of Chile, he declared independence in 1818 but resigned in 1823. The siege was a disaster for the rebels. Carrera fled the battlefield, but O'Higgins remained despite a bullet wound in his leg. Minster, Christopher. This prevented unnecessary bloodshed among rebel forces, even if it did mean repeatedly allowing the hot-headed Carrera back into power. Many of Carrera's soldiers, suffering in the cold without food, deserted. Even his time as dictator of Chile, for which he has been criticized for clinging too tightly to power, is viewed by many historians as more beneficial than not. San Martín turned his attention to Peru, leaving O'Higgins in charge of Chile as a virtual dictator. He had angered the elite by taking away their noble titles and, in some cases, their lands. The Bishop of Santiago, the royalist-leaning Santiago Rodríguez Zorrilla, was exiled to Mendoza. Although O'Higgins and the rebels fought very bravely, the result was predictable. Bernardo O'Higgins, who was the great hero of Chilean independence, lived in Richmond where he had part of his education. Bernardo O'Higgins. He believed that Chile needed a strong leader to implement change and control simmering royalist sentiment. O’Higgins, in full Libertador General Bernardo O’Higgins, región, central Chile, bordered by Argentina to the east and facing the Pacific Ocean on the west. First Name Bernardo #10. Bernardo might well have lived his life as a farmer and local politician if it were not for the great tide of independence that was building in South America. Bernardo O’Higgins ruled Chile as supreme director from 1817 to 1823. In July 1811, Rozas stepped down and was replaced by a moderate junta. He made many improvements to the military, establishing different branches of service, including a Navy to be led by the Scotsman Lord Thomas Cochrane. Juan Martínez de Rozas was president and O'Higgins supported him, but Rozas was accused of corruption and criticized for sending valuable troops and resources to Argentina to help the independence movement there. Although he had no formal military training, O'Higgins took charge of the ragged rebel army and fought the Spanish from 1810 to 1818, when Chile achieved its independence. His remains lie in a monument called "The Altar of the Fatherland." Travelers are voting Grey Glacier, Bruggen Glacier and Tyndall Glacier as the best of 7 glaciers in Bernardo O'Higgins National Park. Bernardo O’Higgins : biography August 20, 1778 – October 24, 1842 Bernardo O’Higgins Riquelme (1778–1842) was a Chilean independence leader who, together with José de San Martín, freed Chile from Spanish rule in the Chilean War of Independence. General José María de la Cruz claimed that O'Higgins' peaceful departure from power avoided a good deal of bloodshed and said, "O'Higgins was greater in those hours than he had been in the most glorious days of his life.". For the next 6 years O'Higgins was engaged in campaigns to clear the Spaniards out of Chile and in efforts to build up an expeditionary force and fleet for the invasion of Peru. It was named after the nation’s first president, Bernardo O’Higgins. As a result of growing opposition and rival factions within his government, he was removed from office in 1823. Bernardo was ingenious and dignified, not particularly ambitious nor an especially dazzling general or strategist. The VI Region of O'Higgins (Spanish: VI Región del Libertador General Bernardo O'Higgins) is one of the fifteen regions of Chile. After a couple of years in Spain, where he lived in poverty and the disfavor of his father (who, however, relented on his deathbed and left him an estate near Concepción), he returned to Chile in 1802. Today, he is revered as the liberator of Chile and the father of the nation. Definition and Examples, Biography of Simon Bolivar, 'Liberator of South America', How Latin America Gained Independence from Spain, Chile's Independence Day: September 18, 1810, Biography of Antonio Maceo, Hero of Cuban Independence, The Complete Story of Venezuela's Revolution for Independence, Biography of Francisco de Miranda, Venezuelan Leader, The Federal Republic of Central America (1823-1840), Simón Bolívar's epic 1819 crossing of the Andes. In the 1818 Chilean War of Independence, O’Higgins Riquelme and José de San Martín freed Chile from Spanish rule. His finance minister José Antonio Rodríguez Aldea was revealed to be corrupt, using the office for personal gain. The Chilean soldier and statesman Bernardo O'Higgins (1778-1842) became a leading figure in the movement for emancipation from Spain and the first head of an independent Chilean Republic. ThoughtCo, Aug. 28, 2020, thoughtco.com/bernardo-ohiggins-2136599. O'Higgins, Bernardo (1778–1842) South American revolutionary leader and ruler of Chile. Not long after Chillán, Carrera, O'Higgins, and their men were ambushed at a site called El Roble. Born in 1778 #7. He is a former head writer at VIVA Travel Guides. During his final years, O'Higgins acted as an unofficial ambassador from Chile to Peru, although he never did return to Chile. His father was the Irish-born Ambrosio O'Higgins, later viceroy of Peru. There he joined the forces under the command of Gen. José de San Martín, returning to Chile with him in 1817 to win the battle of Chacabuco and to become the first head (director supremo) of an independent Chile. Therefore, he raised an army. There are probably only a few reasons to be in this town. No other Chilean commanded the respect that O'Higgins did (with the possible exception of the Carrera brothers, whom San Martín did not trust). Argentina's independence leader, José de San Martín, supported O'Higgins, and the Carrera brothers were arrested. Carrera was more dashing, outspoken, and charismatic, while O'Higgins was more circumspect, brave, and pragmatic. Bernardo OHiggins. Our members favorite in Magallanes is Marinelli Glacier and … Rider (s):Bernardo O'Higgins (1778–1842) was a Chilean independence leader who, together with José de San Martin, freed Chile from Spanish rule in the Chilean … He meddled in the politics of both countries, and he was on the verge of being unwelcome in Peru when he was invited back to Chile in 1842. O’Higgins was born on … The illegitimate son of a noble Irish emigreé, O’Higgins became the Chilean republic’s first supreme director. The devastating loss at Rancagua meant that Santiago would have to be abandoned: There was no way to keep the Spanish army out of the Chilean capital. He was brave, honest, forgiving, and dedicated to the cause of liberty. Although he devoted his life to the overthrow of the Spanish rule which his father had served with such distinction, he revered his father's memory and strove to continue many of the viceroy's reforms. By 1788 Don Ambrosio, as Bernardo's father was known, had been appointed Governor-General of Chile. He then assumed the name of O'Higgins and made his home with his mother and half sister Rosita. O'Higgins further alienated the church by allowing Protestantism into the new nation and by reserving the right to meddle in church appointments. The Chilean soldier and statesman Bernardo O'Higgins (1778-1842) became a leading figure in the movement for emancipation from Spain and the first head of an independent Chilean Republic. Kids Encyclopedia Facts Bernardo O'Higgins Riquelme (1778–1842) was a Chilean independence leader. Illegitimate son of Ambrose O'Higgins, the Irish Viceroy of Spanish Peru, Bernardo lived his childhood in neglect and poverty before inheriting a large estate. There is a voluminous literature in Spanish on O'Higgins by Chilean historians and a full study in English by Stephen Clissold, Bernardo O'Higgins and the Independence of Chile (1969). He is revered as the Liberator of his country. Bernardo O'Higgins was born in Chillán, the illegitimate son of Isabel Riquelme, daughter of a Chilean landowner. The Chilean village of Villa O’Higgins was named in his honor. This power dynamic would not last, however. All Rights Reserved. It is composed of three stripes with the colors of the Chilean flag, it is sewn by hand … Slavery was abolished in 1823, long before most other Latin American countries. For practical reasons I have chosen one of them (the one in Arica) as the original one and the others … Continue reading "O’Higgins, Bernardo" It is named in honour of Bernardo O'Higgins Riquelme, one of the founding fathers of Chile. He went into exile in Peruin 1823, dying there in 1842. Not openly acknowledged by his father, Bernardo was brought up by foster parents in Chile, then educated at the San Carlos College, Lima, and finally sent to England, where he became imbued with liberal ideas and converted to Francisco de Miranda's projects for the independence of the Spanish colonies. Puerto Natales is a town in Chile, the gateway to Trekking in Torres del Paine or Bernardo O'Higgins National Parks.It offers good infrastructure, especially a few trekking shops (although you'd do better to get your gear in Punta Arenas) and not-so-cheap supermarkets.. ThoughtCo uses cookies to provide you with a great user experience. O'Higgins and Carrera would have a tempestuous, complicated relationship for the duration of the struggle. It is located in the commune of Mostazal, in the northern portion of the Libertador General Bernardo O'Higgins Region. Meanwhile, the victorious Spanish in Chile were punishing the civilian population for their support of the rebellion. There is a ceremony at the bust attended by the Chilean ambassador and other diplomatic luminaries every year. photographers unknown It is unclear which of the five statues of Bernardo O’Higgins by the sculptor José Caroca Laflor that I found in Chile (in Arica, Chillan, Iquique, Talca and Temuco) is the original one. Seeing that cities were prepared to rise against him in arms, O'Higgins agreed to step down on January 28, 1823. Bernardo O'Higgins and the Lautaro logia Lautaro logia in Chile Initiation It was imposed in Santiago, Chile after the triumph of the patriots in the Chacabuco battle. When San Martín defeated the Spanish last-gasp attack at the Battle of Maipu on April 5, 1818, the rebel victory was complete. The second major town is San Fernando. O'Higgins was born on August 20, 1778 to an Irish father and a Spanish mother. Carrera was forced to lift the siege on August 10, admitting that he could not take the city. ThoughtCo. As he had no training, he learned how to use weapons from veteran soldiers. Bernardo left for Peru to attend college, later travelling to … Instead, all present cheered for him and escorted him to his home. Many of his liberal policies, seen as radical at the time, are respected today. Print Collector / Contributor / Getty Images. During the wars of liberation, he was often open to compromise when more stubborn leaders like Carrera were not. His valor and patriotism, and his decision to surrender power rather than use it dictatorially, have assured him the foremost place in his country's history. Get Bust of Bernardo O'Higgins Houston essential facts below. The Spanish were defeated in The Battle of the Andes by Argentine liberator José de San Martín and a man with a very unusual name – Bernardo O’Higgins. A city is named after him, as well as several Chilean navy ships, countless streets, and a military base. Ambrosio formally recognized his son in 1801 on his deathbed, and Bernardo suddenly found himself the owner of a prosperous estate in Chile. O'Higgins, always modest, argued against the move, saying that a change of high command was a bad idea, but the junta had decided: O'Higgins would lead the army. Understand []. During the early years of the struggle, O'Higgins was generally subordinate to Carrera and dutifully followed his orders as best he could. Leading citizens who had repeatedly supported the royalist cause saw their lands taken away if they had left Chile and they were heavily taxed if they remained. He did not make it home, as he died of heart trouble while en route on October 24, 1842. O'Higgins had always been a somewhat simple man and a reluctant general, hero, and president, and he happily settled into his life as a landowner. Copyright © 2020 LoveToKnow. When O'Higgins returned, the general population was ready. Like many heroes, most of O'Higgins' failings have been forgotten and his successes are exaggerated and celebrated in Chile.