Online Encyclopedia

FRANCESCO MIRANDA (c. 1754-1816)

Online Encyclopedia
Originally appearing in Volume V18, Page 574 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
Spread the word: del.icio.us del.icio.us it!

FRANCESCO MIRANDA (c. 1754-1816)  ,
See also:
Spanish-
See also:
American soldier and adventurer, was born at
See also:
Caracas,
See also:
Venezuela, about 1754 . He entered the army, and served with the French in the American War of Independence . The success of that war inspired him with a belief that the independence of Spanish
See also:
America would increase its prosperity . He began to scheme a revolution, but was discovered and had only just time to escape to the
See also:
United States . Thence he went to England, where he was introduced to Pitt, but chiefly lived with the leading members of the opposition—Fox, Sheridan and Romilly . Finding no help, he travelled through Austria and
See also:
Turkey to Russia, where he was warmly received, but was dismissed with rich presents, at the demand of the Spanish ambassador, backed up by France . The
See also:
news of the dispute between England and Spain about
See also:
Nootka Sound in 1790 recalled him to England, where he saw a good
See also:
deal of Pitt, but the peaceful arrangement of the dispute again destroyed his hopes . In
See also:
April 1792 he went to Paris/ with introductions to Petion and the leading Girondists, hoping for aid in South America . France had too much to do to help others; but Miranda's friends sent him to the front as general of brigade . He distinguished himself under Dumouriez, was entrusted in
See also:
February 1793 with the siege of Maestricht, and commanded the
See also:
left wing of the French army at the disastrous
See also:
battle of
See also:
Neerwinden . Although he had given
See also:
notice of Dumouriez's treachery, he was put on his trial on the 12th of May, unanimously acquitted, but again imprisoned, and not released till after the 9th Thermidor . He was sentenced to be deported after the struggle of Vendemiaire, yet he continued in Paris till the coup d'etat of Fructidor caused him to take
See also:
refuge in England .

He now found Pitt and Dundas ready to listen, but, as neither of them would or could give him substantial help, he went to the United States, where

President Adams only gave him
See also:
fair words . Addington might have done something for him but for the peace of
See also:
Amiens in 1802 . Though in no way amnestied, he returned to Paris, but was expelled by the First Consul, who was eager to be on good terms with Spain . Disappointed in England and the United States, he decided to make an attempt at his own expense . Aided by two American citizens, Colonel W . S . Smith and Mr S . G .
See also:
Ogden, he equipped the " Leander," in 18o6, and with the help of the
See also:
English
See also:
admiral
See also:
Sir A . Cochrane made a landing near Caracas, and proclaimed the Colombian republic . He had some success, but a false report of peace between France and England caused the English admiral to withdraw his support . At last, in 181o, the events in Spain which brought about the
See also:
Peninsular War had divided the authorities in Spanish America, some of whom declared for Joseph
See also:
Bonaparte, others for Ferdinand VII., others for Charles IV., and Miranda again landed, and got a large party together who declared a republic both in Venezuela and New Granada or
See also:
Colombia .

But Miranda's desire—that all the South American colonies should

form a federal republic—awoke the selfishness of provincial administrations, and the cause was believed to be hateful to heaven owing to a
See also:
great
See also:
earthquake on the 26th of March 1812 . The count of
See also:
Monte Verde, the Bourbon governor, had little difficulty in defeating Miranda, and on the 26th of
See also:
July the general capitulated on condition that he should be deported to the United States . The condition was not observed; Miranda was moved from
See also:
dungeon to dungeon, and died on the 14th of July 1816 at Cadiz . There are allusions to Miranda's early
See also:
life in nearly all
See also:
memoirs of the time, but they are not generally very accurate . For his trial see Buchez et Roux, Histoire arlementaire,
See also:
xxvii . 26-70 . For his later life see J . Biggs,
See also:
History of Miranda's Attempt in South America (
See also:
London, 18o9); and Veggasi, Revolution de la Colombia . Prof_ William S . Robertson has recently devoted considerable research in the Spanish archives and elsewhere to Miranda, his monograph on F. de M. and the revolutionizing of Spanish America being awarded a prize of the American
See also:
Historical Association in 1908 . See also Marques de Rojas, El General Miranda (Paris, 1884), and his Miranda dans la revolution francaise (Caracas, 1889) ; and R . Becerra, Ensayo historico documentado de la vida de Don F. de M .

(Caracas, 1896) .

End of Article: FRANCESCO MIRANDA (c. 1754-1816)
[back]
MIGUEL MIRAMON (1832-1867)
[next]
MIRANDE

Additional information and Comments

There are no comments yet for this article.
» Add information or comments to this article.
Please link directly to this article:
Highlight the code below, right click and select "copy." Paste it into a website, email, or other HTML document.