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Birth
Simón José Antonio de la Santísma Trinidad Bolívar y Palacios was born on July 24th 1783 in Caracas, New Granada which is now Venezuela. He was born into a very wealthy family who made their money by mining the copper and gold rich mines that the family owned in Venezuela. -
Young Life
Young Bolivar then moved to Spain in 1799 shortly after the death of his parents. Then in Spain, he continued the education that had begun in Venezuela with tutors that his parents hired for him. During that period of time, he married his wife María Teresa Rodríguez del Toro y Alaysa in 1802. As they both came back to Venezuela to visit, Maria Teresa died at a young age because of the yellow fever. -
Man on a Mission
After the death of Maria Teresa, Bolivar returned to Europe and kept company with Napoleon. When Napoleon named his son Joseph Bonaparte as the ruler of Spain and all of it’s colonies, which consisted of Venezuela, he joined the resistance movement. The movement which was based in Caracas, gained it’s own independence in 1810. Then Bolivar traveled to Britain on a diplomatic mission. The fight to gain control of Caracas and most of Venezuela continued back home. -
The Earthquake
On March 26th, a massive earthquake struck Venezuela. It hit the most rebellious cities. Spanish priests convinced residents that were victims that the earthquake was a divine retribution. Royalist Captain Domingo Monteverde railed the Spanish forces and conquered more ports and the city Valencia. Miranda was sued for peace. Bolivar who was disgusted, turn Miranda over to the Spanish forces to be punished. -
Bolivar as an Officer
Defeated, Bolivar moved into exile. He traveled to New Granada (now Colombia) looking for commission as an officer in the growing independence movement there. With the 200 men that he was given, he attacked all of the Spanish forces in the area and his small arming in New Granada grew large. -
Campana Admirable
After Bolivar’s expedition to Britain, Bolivar decided to travel back to his home Venezuela to gain it back. On May 14th, 1813, Bolivar and his helpers/followers raided the lands of Venezuela, and this soonly started the “Campana Admirable.” (Admirable Campaign) which resulted in what is called the “Venezuelan Second Republic.” Simon Bolivar was hailed as “The Liberator” but then as the civil war in Venezuela started, he had to seek foreign aid in Jamaica. -
Letter From Jamaica
Soon after Bolivar fled to seek foreign aid, he wrote one of his famous letters by the name of, “Letter from Jamaica.” It consisted of his feelings and thoughts on being like England and making a life-long term as leader. His idea of lifelong leading would soon be heavily changed later by other leaders and intellectuals. -
Gran Columbia
With support from Haiti, Bolivar went back to his home country and fought in many military fights/wars which resulting in claiming many territories. In 1821, Bolivar got more land which they called Gran Colombia and is also some of Venezuela’s, Columbia’s Panama’s and Ecuador's land today. -
Making a Union
Bolivar succeeded in uniting most of South America away from Spanish control. Yet, there was a problem. The government was fragile. He desired to make a union of states in South America much like the United States of America, but he faced problems through internal factions throughout the giant Gran Colombia, with there a big push to build single nations from other governments/leaders. -
Bolivar for Dictator and Death
For a temporary time, Bolivar made himself dictator in 1828. 1828 was the same year that there was an assassination attempt on Bolivar, which he heeded with the help of his mistress. He resigned from dictation in 1830 and made plans to sail to Europe, but on December 17th Bolivar died in battle from many injuries.