Bernardo O'Higgins
Bernardo O'Higgins Riquelme (
August 20,
1778 –
October 24,
1842),
South American Independentist leader and first Chilean head of state (
Supreme Director, 1817–23), commanded the military forces that won independence from
Spain.
O'Higgins was born in
Chillán,
Chile. As noted in his certificate of
baptism, he was the illegitimate son of
Ambrosio O'Higgins, Marquis of Osorno, a Spanish officer from
County Sligo in
Ireland, who became governor of Chile and later
viceroy of
Peru. His mother was
Isabel Riquelme, a prominent Chillán lady. O'Higgins spent his early years with his mother's family in Central-south Chile. He had a distant relationship with his father, who supported him financially and was concerned with his education, but never knew him. Spanish government officials in
America were forbidden to marry locals .
As Ambrose O'Higgins became
Viceroy of Peru, young Bernardo was sent to
London to complete his studies. There, Bernardo became acquainted with American-independist ideas: he knew
Venezuelan
Francisco de Miranda and joined the
Logia Lautaro.
In
1810, he joined the nationalist rebels fighting for independence from
Spain. In
1814, his Chilean rebels were defeated by the Spanish and retreated into the
Andes. In
1817, O'Higgins went back on the offensive with the aid of Argentine General
José de San Martín. On
February 12,
1817 he led a
cavalry charge that won the
Battle of Chacabuco. He became the first leader of independent Chile, and was granted dictatorial powers as Supreme Director on
February 16,
1817. On
February 12,
1818, Chile was proclaimed an independent republic.
His six-year rule saw the founding of the Military Academy and the approval of the new (and current)
Chilean flag. However, his more
radical and
liberal reforms (such as the establishment of
democracy and abolishment of
nobility titles) were resisted by the powerful
conservative large-land owners. During his government he founded the cities of
La Unión and
Vicuña. From his later
exile in
Peru he promoted the Chilean expansion southward, concluding in the foundation of
Punta Arenas in
1845. Also, his government was involvedin the murder of adversary independist leaders
José Miguel Carrera, his brothers
Juan José and
Luis in
Argentina, and Carreras' friend and guerrilla leader
Manuel Rodríguez. He was deposed by a conservative coup on
January 28,
1823.
During his government, he also assisted
José de San Martín to organize the Expedition and an Army and Navy to support the Independence of Peru. He also organized the
Chilean Army and the first
Chilean Navy, under the command of Lord
Thomas Cochrane, 10th Earl of Dundonald and
Manuel Blanco Encalada.
After his
deposal, O'Higgins spent the rest of his life in exile, and died in
Lima,
Perú in
1842.
After his death, his remains were repatriated to Chile in
1869; moved in 1979 from the Military School to a place of honor in the Altar de la Patria's
mausoleum in front of the
Palacio de La Moneda government palace; and then back again temporarily to the Military School in
2004 for a year, during transformation of the
Altar de la Patria into the new
Plaza de la Ciudadanía (Citizens' Square).
There is a statue of O'Higgins in
Richmond upon Thames, in south-west London in a square named after him, O'Higgins Square, and a
blue plaque was erected in his honour at Clarence House in Richmond, the house at 2 The Vineyard in which he lived while studying in London.There is also a plaque in his honor in
Merrion Square in
Dublin and in the
Garavogue River Walkway in
Sligo,
Ireland and a sculpture at Central station on Elizibeth St in
Sydney,
Australia.
*
History of Chile*
José Miguel Carrera*
Simón Bolívar*
José de San Martín*
Benito Juárez*
José Martí*
Francisco de Miranda*
ΦΙΑ (Phi Iota Alpha), a United States university fraternity that takes Bernardo O'Higgins as one of its "five pillars".
