José Gregorio Monagas (4 May 1795 – 15 July 1858) was the

president of Venezuela The president of Venezuela (), officially known as the president of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (), is the executive head of state and head of government of Venezuela. The president leads the National Executive of the Venezuelan go ...

1851–1855 and brother of José Tadeo Monagas.Official biography

Early life and education

General José Gregorio Monagas was born in Aragua de Barcelona,

Venezuela Venezuela, officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many Federal Dependencies of Venezuela, islands and islets in the Caribbean Sea. It com ...

, in 1795. His parents were Francisco José Monagas, a merchant from the

Canary Islands The Canary Islands (; ) or Canaries are an archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean and the southernmost Autonomous communities of Spain, Autonomous Community of Spain. They are located in the northwest of Africa, with the closest point to the cont ...

, and Perfecta Burgos, a native of Cojedes. Monagas started his military career at an early age, in 1813, along with his brother José Tadeo.

Career

Military campaigns

During Venezuela's emancipation war, Monagas participated in several important campaigns against Spanish royalists Juan Domingo de Monteverde and

José Tomás Boves José Tomás Boves (Oviedo, Asturias, September 18, 1782 – Pedro María Freites Municipality, Urica, Venezuela, December 5, 1814), was a royalist caudillo of the Llanos during the Venezuelan War of Independence, particularly remembered for ...

. Because of his brave participation in the Battle of Carabobo, Venezuelan independence hero

Simón Bolívar Simón José Antonio de la Santísima Trinidad Bolívar y Palacios (24July 178317December 1830) was a Venezuelan statesman and military officer who led what are currently the countries of Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Panama, and Bol ...

dubbed him the ''First Spear of the East''.

1851–1855: Presidency

In 1851, José Gregorio Monagas succeeded his brother José Tadeo Monagas as

President of Venezuela The president of Venezuela (), officially known as the president of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (), is the executive head of state and head of government of Venezuela. The president leads the National Executive of the Venezuelan go ...

. During his , Monagas proclaimed Venezuela to be a nation free of slavery, in an edict signed on 24 March 1854. This decision was one of the main causes of the

Federal War The Federal War () — also known as the Great War or the 5 Year War — was a civil war in Venezuela between the Conservative Party and the Liberal Party over the monopoly the Conservatives held over government positions and land ownership, an ...

. The combined rule of Jose Tadeo and Jose Gregorio Monagas (1847–1858) is commonly referred to as the ''Monagas Dynasty'', or '. It ended with the overthrow of José Tadeo at the hands of Julián Castro and his allies during José Tadeo's second term.

Personal life

José Gregorio Monagas was married to Clara Marrero de Monagas, who served as First Lady of Venezuela from 1851 until 1855. File:Clara Marrero.jpg, Clara Marrero de Monagas

Death

Monagas is reported to have known he was dying on the day before, finding it hard to breathe and with his tongue lead-coloured. He wished to return to Maracaibo, where three local doctors (Tomás Troconis, Francisco Valbuena, and Joaquín Esteva) were instructed to meet him at the dock by Governor Serrano. A great number of other people also went to the ports to watch the arrival. Monagas arrived at 5 pm on the boat ''Céfiro'', lifted by his sons and other people because he was unconscious. The doctors believed he was just faint and had him sat in a chair that had been placed on the dock. However, he did not recover at died at 5:15 pm without having come round. An autopsy and the statements from his sons and personal doctor determined the cause of death as acute enteritis. On the day after his death he was buried in a service with full military honours, with son Julio giving the eulogy.^:257–259

References

External links

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Official biography
{{DEFAULTSORT:Monagas, Jose Gregorio Presidents of Venezuela Venezuelan soldiers People from Barcelona, Venezuela 1795 births 1858 deaths Viceroyalty of New Granada people Great Liberal Party of Venezuela politicians Burials at the National Pantheon of Venezuela Monagas family