El Libertator
El Libertador: Simón Bolívar
Simón José Antonio de la Santísima Trinidad Bolívar was born to don Juan Vicente Bolívar y Ponte and doña Maria de la Concepción Palacios y Blanco in the City of Caracas, the Capital of the Spanish Colony of Venezuela on July 24, 1783. Born as an aristocrat, he received an excellent education by learning from his many tutors, the most notable of which being one Simon Rodriguez. Growing up, he learned of the popular works of Enlightenment Europe as well as that of Ancient Greece and Rome.
At the age of 9, both of his parents died and he was left in the care of his uncle: don Carlos Palacios; a popular Venezuelan Republican. When he turned 15, Don Carlos sent Simón to Spain to pursue higher education. In 1799, after a short trip back to Venezuela, he sailed back to Spain only stopping in Mexico City; there meeting the Viceroy of New Spain, King Ferdinand's representative in the Americas. The Viceroy was both impressed with teenage Bolívar's intellect and his extreme confidence on behalf of Spanish American independence.
Bolívar and his good friend Esteban Escobar arrived in Madrid again in June of 1799 where they stayed with his uncle, Esteban Palacios. Quickly after getting settled in the Capital City of Spain, Bolívar met a young lady named Maria Teresa Rodriguez del Toro y Adaysa who he ended up marrying 3 years later in 1802. Shortly after returning to Venezuela in 1803, Teresa died of a yellow fever. Bolívar was greatly affected by her death and swore he would never marry again and he never did. Depressed and angry, he went back to Spain in 1804 with his long time friend and mentor Simon Rodriguez.
During his time in Europe, he witnessed the coronation of Napoleon as Emperor of France in Paris and later as King of Italy in Milan. Previously, Bolívar had been an ardent supporter of Napoleon but now he felt that Bonaparte had betrayed the Republican ideals...
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