braanstarks:


History Meme:

[1/7 Independence Heroes]: Francisco de Miranda.

Sebasti&aacute;n Francisco de Miranda Rodr&iacute;guez (March 28, 1750 &ndash; July 14, 1816), commonly known as Francisco de Miranda (Spanish pronunciation: [fɾanˈsisko &eth;e miˈɾanda]), was a Venezuelan revolutionary. Although his own plans for the independence of the Spanish American colonies failed, he is regarded as a forerunner of Sim&oacute;n Bol&iacute;var, who during the Spanish American wars of independence successfully liberated a vast portion of South America. Miranda led a romantic and adventurous life. An idealist, he developed a visionary plan to liberate and unify all of Spanish America but his own military initiatives on behalf of an independent Spanish America ended in 1812. He was handed over to his enemies and four years later, in 1816, died in a Spanish prison. Within fourteen years of his death, however, most of Spanish America was independent. 
Daniel Florence O&rsquo;Leary, aide-de-camp to Sim&oacute;n Bol&iacute;var, said of Miranda&rsquo;s death: &ldquo;Miranda was a man of the eighteenth century whose genius lay in raising the consciousness and confidence of his fellow Americans. Although he prided himself on being a soldier, his greatest battles were fought with his pen &lsquo;&rdquo;, Napoleon Bonaparte said &ldquo;That man&rsquo;s chest burns with the sacred fire of love of freedom&rdquo;. (x)




