José Ignacio de Gorriti

General José Ignacio de Gorriti (1770 – 9 November 1835) was an

Argentine Argentines (mistakenly translated Argentineans in the past; in Spanish (masculine) or (feminine)) are people identified with the country of Argentina. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Argentines, s ...

statesman, soldier and lawyer. He was a representative to the Congress of Tucumán which on 9 July 1816 declared the Independence of Argentina. Gorriti was born in Jujuy to Feliciana Coeto and Ignacio de Gorriti Navarro, members of the local gentry. He and his brother, Juan Ignacio de Gorriti (later a prominent priest and lawmaker), studied at the Montserrat School in Córdoba. In 1788 he entered the

University of Chuquisaca The Royal and Pontifical Higher University of San Francisco Xavier of Chuquisaca ( es, Universidad Mayor, Real y Pontificia de San Francisco Xavier de Chuquisaca; USFX) is a public university in Sucre, Bolivia. It is one of the oldest universitie ...

, graduating in canonical and civil law. He was forced to return to Jujuy on the death of his father to look after the family and their interests. In 1802 he married Facunda Zuviría. In 1810, following the May Revolution, Gorriti became an active and vocal supporter of the revolutionary cause. He campaigned with the Army of the North and alongside General

Martín Güemes Martin may refer to: Places * Martin City (disambiguation) * Martin County (disambiguation) * Martin Township (disambiguation) Antarctica * Martin Peninsula, Marie Byrd Land * Port Martin, Adelie Land * Point Martin, South Orkney Islands Austral ...

, and was subsequently elected by a grateful

Salta Salta () is the capital and largest city in the Argentine province of the same name. With a population of 618,375 according to the 2010 census, it is also the 7th most-populous city in Argentina. The city serves as the cultural and economic ce ...

to the Tucumán Congress, serving in 1816 for the declaration. When the Congress moved to Buenos Aires in 1817, he resigned to continue to work in Salta with Güemes. He had a distinguished role in the campaign, organising the gaucho cavalry and in 1820 won a key battle against the royalists. Gorriti was made governor of

Salta Province Salta () is a province of Argentina, located in the northwest of the country. Neighboring provinces are from the east clockwise Formosa, Chaco, Santiago del Estero, Tucumán and Catamarca. It also surrounds Jujuy. To the north it borders Boliv ...

in 1822 and served with distinction, having a second term between 1827 and 1829. He had several further military successes both against Spanish forces and against the Federals under Juan Facundo Quiroga. Quiroga's later success, however, obliged him to go in exile to

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, where he died penniless with many children. Gorriti's daughter was Juana Manuela Gorriti, the writer, who married future Bolivian President,

Manuel Isidro Belzu Manuel Isidoro Belzu Humérez (4 April 1808 – 27 March 1865) was a Bolivian military officer and statesman who served as the 11th president of Bolivia from 1848 to 1855. Under his presidency, the current national anthem of Bolivia and flag ...

. 1770 births 1835 deaths People from Jujuy Province Argentine people of Basque descent Argentine people of Italian descent 19th-century Argentine lawyers Members of the Congress of Tucumán Argentine military personnel Governors of Salta Province People of the Argentine War of Independence University of Charcas alumni 18th-century Argentine lawyers {{Argentina-mil-bio-stub