Manuela Pedraza (Tucumán)
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Manuela Hurtado y Pedraza was a woman who fought in the reconquest of
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after the first
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of 1806. Her participation was considered heroic during the last battle, and her role was recognized by the Commander of the Buenos Aires forces,
Santiago de Liniers Santiago Antonio María de Liniers y Bremond, 1st Count of Buenos Aires, Order of Montesa, KOM, Order of Malta, OM (July 25, 1753 – August 26, 1810) was a Spanish military officer and a viceroy of the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata. Alt ...
. Her full name was "Manuela Hurtado y Pedraza", but she was known to all as ''"Manuela la tucumanesa"'' (old style
demonym A demonym (; ) or 'gentilic' () is a word that identifies a group of people ( inhabitants, residents, natives) in relation to a particular place. Demonyms are usually derived from the name of the place ( hamlet, village, town, city, region, ...
for "Manuela from Tucumán", then part of the
Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata The Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata or Viceroyalty of Buenos Aires ( or Virreinato de Buenos Aires or ) meaning "River of the Silver", also called the "Viceroyalty of River Plate" in some scholarly writings, in southern South America, was ...
, now
Argentina Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a country in the southern half of South America. It covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest country in South America after Brazil, the fourt ...
). Even though her origin is known, the precise location, as well as her date of birth and death, are unknown. Manuela Pedraza participated in the largest, and last, battle of the reconquest; it took place over three days (August 10–12, 1806) at the very centre of Buenos Aires. She fought alongside her husband (a corporal in the army) with the Liniers forces that surrounded the Spanish Fortress (now, the
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, seat of the Argentine government on
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), at that moment in British hands. On the second day of the battle, August 11, her husband was killed by a British soldier; in turn, Manuela killed that soldier with her own
bayonet A bayonet (from Old French , now spelt ) is a -4; we might wonder whether there's a point at which it's appropriate to talk of the beginnings of French, that is, when it wa ... , now spelt ) is a knife, dagger">knife">-4; we might wonder whethe ...
. Immediately after, she took her husband’s
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and continued the fighting, killing another British soldier. After the battle, Liniers, the commander of the victorious local forces and soon to be appointed Viceroy for the Río de la Plata, named Manuela to the newly formed Patricios Regiment with a salary and the rank of "''alférez''" (approximately, second lieutenant). The report by Liniers is displayed in the Museum of the
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, and reads:


Homage

There is a street and a school in Buenos Aires named after her. In addition, the Government of the City of
Buenos Aires Buenos Aires, controlled by the government of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Argentina. It is located on the southwest of the Río de la Plata. Buenos Aires is classified as an Alpha− glob ...
gives the award "Mención de Honor Manuela Pedraza" in recognition to women involved in social activism in
Argentina Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a country in the southern half of South America. It covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest country in South America after Brazil, the fourt ...
. In the citation for the recognition, it is stated: "''This award seeks to reclaim a tradition of participation in the battles for liberty and the defense of the interests of the nation and its people, a tradition in which many countrymen gave their lives.''" Manuela Pedraza Award from the City of Buenos Aires (in Spanish)
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References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pedraza, Manuela Argentine military personnel People of the Argentine War of Independence People from Tucumán Province Women in 19th-century warfare Women in war in South America 19th-century Argentine military personnel 19th-century Argentine women