Francisco Miranda Biography and Career
Sebastian Francisco de Miranda was a Venezuelan patriot, general, and traveller, considered a “precursor” to the “liberators” of Simon Bolívar. He was born on March 28, 1750 and dies on July 14, 1816. He was a flamboyant, romantic figure. Miranda led one of the most fascinating lives in the history.
Francisco Miranda was a friend of Americans such as James Madison and Thomas Jefferson. He also served as a general in the French Revolution and was a lover of Catherine the Great of Russia. Although he did not live to see South America freed from Spanish rule but his contribution in the freedom was unforgettable.
Short biography of Francisco Miranda
Francisco de Miranda was born on March 28, 1750, in the upper class of Caracas in present-day Venezuela. His father, Sebastian de Mirando Ravelo, was an immigrant from Caracas in the Canary Islands, who established several businesses including a garment factory and a bakery.
There he met and married Francisca Antonia Rodríguez de Espinosa, who was from a wealthy Creole family. Francisco had everything he could ask for and received a first-rate education, first from Jesuit priests and later at the Academy of Santa Rosa.
Career
In the year 1762, he enrolled at the Royal and Pontifical University of Caracas and undertook formal studies in rhetoric, mathematics, Latin and Catholic catechism.
During his youth, Francisco Miranda was in an uncomfortable position: because he was born in Venezuela, he was not accepted by Spaniards and those children born in Spain. However, the Creoles were unkind to him because they were jealous of his family’s great wealth. This sparring from both sides left an impression on Francisco that would never fade.
Francisco de Miranda is a complex historical figure. He was one of the greatest adventurers ever to escape from the bedroom of Catherine the Great to the American Revolution to escape revolutionary France in a disguise. His life looks like a script of Hollywood movie. Throughout his life, he was devoted to South American independence and worked very hard to achieve that goal.
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Random biography facts about Francisco Miranda
Francisco Miranda left Venezuela at age 20 and travelled the world, but by the time he wanted to liberate his homeland 30 years later, his provincial countrymen had hardly heard of him. His lone attempt to attack Mukti failed miserably. When he got his chance to lead his country, he made arrangements so unfavourable to his fellow rebels that none other than Simon Bolivar handed them over to the Spanish.
As the republic crumbled, Miranda made terms with the Spanish commander Domingo Monteverde for an armistice. In the port of La Guerra, Miranda attempted to flee Venezuela before the arrival of royalist forces. Simon Bolívar and others, enraged by Miranda’s actions, arrested him and handed him over to the Spaniards. Miranda was sent to Spanish prison, and there he remained until his death on July 14, 1816.