Miranda y Rodríguez , Sebastián Francisco de (1750–1816)

Abstract

Abstract Often called the precursor of Latin American independence, Francisco de Miranda grew up in Caracas. At the age of 14 he entered the Royal and Pontifical University, claiming to have received a bachelor's degree in 1767 although there is no official record that he ever graduated. In 1772 Miranda's father purchased a junior commission for him in the Princess's Infantry Regiment in Spain. He was inducted into the forces and sent to a frontier garrison in Melilla, North Africa. Unlike many of his peers, Miranda had a healthy respect for his Moorish opponents, even sympathy for their efforts to oust a foreign presence from their land. He took the time to read the Quran and continuously offered unsolicited advice and criticism to his superior officers. In 1774 Miranda applied to join Alejandro O'Reilly's corps that was destined for Spanish America, but he was refused. Three years later, however, he was jailed in Cádiz for disobedience and confined again the next year for insubordination. He was transferred to the Regiment of Aragón and sailed for Havana in April 1780 as a supernumerary officer.