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FRANCESCO MIRANDA (c. 1754-1816)

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Originally appearing in Volume V18, Page 574 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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FRANCESCO See also:MIRANDA (c. 1754-1816)  , See also:Spanish-See also:American soldier and adventurer, was See also:born at See also:Caracas, See also:Venezuela, about 1754 . He entered the See also:army, and served with the See also:French in the American See also:War of See also: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 See also:scheme a revolution, but was discovered and had only just See also:time to See also:escape to the See also:United States . Thence he went to See also:England, where he was introduced to See also:Pitt, but chiefly lived with the leading members of the opposition—See also:Fox, See also:Sheridan and See also:Romilly . Finding no help, he travelled through See also:Austria and See also:Turkey to See also:Russia, where he was warmly received, but was dismissed with See also:rich presents, at the demand of the Spanish See also:ambassador, backed up by See also:France . The See also:news of the dispute between England and See also:Spain about See also:Nootka See also:Sound in 1790 recalled him to England, where he saw a See also: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 See also:Paris/ with introductions to Petion and the leading See also:Girondists, hoping for aid in See also:South America . France had too much to do to help others; but See also:Miranda's See also:friends sent him to the front as See also:general of See also:brigade . He distinguished himself under See also:Dumouriez, was entrusted in See also:February 1793 with the See also: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 See also: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 See also:

President See also:Adams only gave him See also:fair words . Addington might have done something for him but for the See also:peace of See also:Amiens in 1802 . Though in no way amnestied, he returned to Paris, but was expelled by the First See also:Consul, who was eager to be on good terms with Spain . Disappointed in England and the United States, he decided to make an See also:attempt at his own expense . Aided by two American citizens, See also:Colonel W . S . See also: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 See also:republic . He had some success, but a false See also: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 See also:Joseph See also:Bonaparte, others for See also:Ferdinand VII., others for See also:Charles IV., and Miranda again landed, and got a large party together who declared a republic both in Venezuela and New See also:Granada or See also:Colombia .

But Miranda's See also:

desire—that all the South American colonies should See also:form a federal republic—awoke the selfishness of provincial administrations, and the cause was believed to be hateful to See also:heaven owing to a See also:great See also:earthquake on the 26th of See also:March 1812 . The See also:count of See also:Monte Verde, the See also:Bourbon See also:governor, had little difficulty in defeating Miranda, and on the 26th of See also:July the general capitulated on See also: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 See also:Cadiz . There are allusions to Miranda's See also:early See also:life in nearly all See also:memoirs of the time, but they are not generally very accurate . For his trial see See also: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_ See also:William S . See also:Robertson has recently devoted considerable See also:research in the Spanish archives and elsewhere to Miranda, his monograph on F. de M. and the revolutionizing of Spanish America being awarded a See also: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 . See also:Becerra, Ensayo historico documentado de la See also:vida de See also:Don F. de M .

(Caracas, 1896) .

End of Article: FRANCESCO MIRANDA (c. 1754-1816)
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