Manuel Corchado y Juarbe
(September 12, 1840 – November 30, 1884) was a
Puerto Rican poet, journalist and politician who defended the abolition of slavery and the establishment of a university in Puerto Rico. Through his written works he criticized the way the people of Puerto Rico were being treated by the island's Spanish-appointed governor.
Early years
Corchado y Juarbe was born in
Arenales Altos, a barrio in the town of
Isabela in
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico (; abbreviated PR; tnq, Boriken, ''Borinquen''), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ( es, link=yes, Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, lit=Free Associated State of Puerto Rico), is a Caribbean island and Unincorporated ...
. His parents were Juan Eugenio Corchado and Juana Eugenia Juarbe. He received his primary education in the towns of Isabela and
Aguadilla
Aguadilla (, ), founded in 1775 by Luis de Córdova, is a city and municipality located in the northwestern tip of Puerto Rico, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, north of Aguada, and Moca and west of Isabela. Aguadilla is s ...
. In 1855, his parents sent him to
Barcelona
Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within ci ...
,
Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, i ...
, where he received and finished his secondary education. Corchado y Juarbe later earned a law degree from the
University of Barcelona
The University of Barcelona ( ca, Universitat de Barcelona, UB; ; es, link=no, Universidad de Barcelona) is a public university located in the city of Barcelona, Catalonia, in Spain. With 63,000 students, it is one of the biggest universities i ...
.
[Manuel Corchado](_blank)
/ref>[Puerto Rican Legislature](_blank)
While living in Barcelona, Corchado y Juarbe, together with José Coll y Britapaja, a fellow Puerto Rican, founded a magazine called "Las Antillas". He used the magazine to make public the social problems in Puerto Rico and what the people of the island were going through. He championed the idea of the establishment of a university and the abolition of slavery. Corchado y Juarbe also criticized and told of the abuses of Lieutenant General Féliz María de Messina Iglesias, the Spanish-appointed governor in the island.
Return to Puerto Rico
Corchado y Juarbe returned to Puerto Rico and began a column in the newspaper "El Agente". In 1862, he entered a contest sponsored by the Sociedad Económica de Amigos del País de Puerto Rico (the Economic Society of Friends of the Country of Puerto Rico). The "Sociedad Económica de Amigos del País de Puerto Rico" was a branch of the "Sociedad Económica de los Amigos del País", and these were private associations established in various cities throughout Spain and, to a lesser degree, in some of her colonies. In the contest, Corchado y Juarbe won first prize for his poem "Oda a Campeche". His poem was published in various Spanish newspapers and magazines. Corchado y Juarbe also presided over the Ateneo Puertorriqueño (Puerto Rican Athenaeum
Puerto, a Spanish word meaning ''seaport'', may refer to:
Places
*El Puerto de Santa María, Andalusia, Spain
*Puerto, a seaport town in Cagayan de Oro City, Philippines
*Puerto Colombia, Colombia
*Puerto Cumarebo, Venezuela
*Puerto Galera, Orient ...
) for some time.[Manuel Corchado y Jurabe](_blank)
/ref>
Spanish Courts
Corchado y Juarbe was a supporter of the Spanish Revolución of 1868, believing that the Spanish colonies will enjoy more liberties with the establishment of the new regime. In 1871, after the success of the revolution, which established a republican government, he was elected to represent the District of Mayagüez and Puerto Rico before the Spanish Courts in Barcelona. Corchado y Juarbe made use of his position to denounce the use of capital punishment and voice his support of the new Spanish Constitution. He also delivered speeches in which he favored the improvement of social and economic conditions for the Spanish colonies. In 1875, the Spanish royal family returned to power and Corchado y Juarbe decided that it was too dangerous to continue in his political quest. In 1879, he returned to Puerto Rico.
In 1881, he moved to the city of Ponce because of health problems and continued writing for "El Agente" where he expressed his views. He then became a member of the new Reformist Party and ran for the position of representative to the Spanish Courts for said party. He was elected to represent the District of Aguadilla
Aguadilla (, ), founded in 1775 by Luis de Córdova, is a city and municipality located in the northwestern tip of Puerto Rico, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, north of Aguada, and Moca and west of Isabela. Aguadilla is s ...
and returned to Spain.
Corchado y Juarbe made many enemies because of his views and was accused of electoral fraud. He defended the legality of his election to represent Puerto Rico before the Spanish Courts to no avail. Corchado y Juarbe returned to Madrid and was challenged to a gun duel. He accepted the challenge and on November 30, 1884, died of the wounds received. Moments before he died, he told his wife the following
Tell them my name, that I accomplished the mission of sacrificing my life for my country
Legacy
Corchado y Juarbe's body was buried in Madrid
Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the second-largest city in the European Union (EU), and ...
. In 1935, a committee of local citizens was formed to return his body to Isabela and to erect a monument to honor his memory and life. As a result, in 1993, his remains were transferred from Madrid to Isabela and interred in the local cemetery.
Puerto Rican poet José Gualberto Padilla
José Gualberto Padilla (July 12, 1829 – May 26, 1896), also known as ''El Caribe'', was a physician, poet, journalist, politician, and advocate for Puerto Rican independence movement, Puerto Rico's independence. He suffered imprisonment and con ...
dedicated a poem to the memory of Corchado y Juarbe titled "En la muerte de Corchado". A school, a street and the city square in his hometown, Isabela are named after him. On July 17, 1998, the Puerto Rican Legislature passed and approved Law 132 which designates the week beginning September 12 as "Manuel Corchado y Juarbe week".
Written works
Among Corchado y Juarbe's written works are the following:
#"Biografía de Lincoln" (Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln ( ; February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation thro ...
)
#"Historia de Ultratumba"
#"Oda a Campeche" (Jose Campeche
Jose is the English transliteration of the Hebrew and Aramaic name ''Yose'', which is etymologically linked to ''Yosef'' or Joseph. The name was popular during the Mishnaic and Talmudic periods.
*Jose ben Abin
*Jose ben Akabya
*Jose the Galilean ...
)
#"Las Barricadas".
See also
* List of Puerto Ricans
* List of Puerto Rican writers
This is a list of Puerto Rican literary figures, including poets, novelists, short story authors, and playwrights. It includes people who were born in Puerto Rico, people who are of Puerto Rican ancestry, and long-term residents or immigrants ...
Notes
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Corchado y Juarbe, Manuel
1840 births
1884 deaths
People from Isabela, Puerto Rico
Puerto Rican people of Spanish descent
Puerto Rican nationalists
Puerto Rican poets
Puerto Rican male writers
Puerto Rican journalists
Duelling fatalities
Puerto Rican duellists
Puerto Rican independence activists
University of Barcelona alumni
19th-century American poets
American male poets
19th-century journalists
Male journalists
19th-century male writers
American male non-fiction writers