Manuel Becerra Bermúdez (20 October 1820 – 19 December 1896) was a Spanish politician, mathematician and revolutionary. A Republican who would later embrace

monarchism Monarchism is the advocacy of the system of monarchy or monarchical rule. A monarchist is an individual who supports this form of government independently of any specific monarch, whereas one who supports a particular monarch is a royalist. ...

, he went on to assume the ministerial portfolios of Overseas and

Development Development or developing may refer to: Arts *Development (music), the process by which thematic material is reshaped * Photographic development *Filmmaking, development phase, including finance and budgeting * Development hell, when a proje ...

during the ''

Sexenio Democrático The ''Sexenio Revolucionario'' or ''Sexenio Democrático'' ("six revolutionary/democratic years") is a period of six years between 1868 and 1874 in the history of Spain. The ''Sexenio Democrático'' starts on 30 September 1868 with the overthro ...

'', returning for two additional spells as Overseas minister during the regency of

Maria Christina of Austria Maria Christina Henriette Desideria Felicitas Raineria of Austria (; 21 July 1858 – 6 February 1929) was Queen of Spain as the second wife of Alfonso XII. She was queen regent during the vacancy of the throne between her husband's death in No ...

Biography

Early life and revolutionary activity

Born in Santa María del Otero, Castro de Rey,

province of Lugo Lugo is a province (Spain), province of northwestern Spain, in the northeastern part of the autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Galicia (Spain), Galicia. It is bordered by the provinces of Ourense Province, Ourense, Ponteved ...

, on 20 October 1820. Son to a math teacher, he did not complete studies in Engineering. He received however substantial teaching in Mathematics, Physics and Astronomy from and founded a reputed Academy of Mathematics in Madrid. A defender of

Republicanism Republicanism is a political ideology that encompasses a range of ideas from civic virtue, political participation, harms of corruption, positives of mixed constitution, rule of law, and others. Historically, it emphasizes the idea of self ...

in his early life, he took part in the , One of the founders of the Democratic–Progressive Party (best known as Democratic Party) in 1849, he also took part in the 1854 revolts, battling in the streets of

Madrid Madrid ( ; ) is the capital and List of largest cities in Spain, most populous municipality of Spain. It has almost 3.5 million inhabitants and a Madrid metropolitan area, metropolitan area population of approximately 7 million. It i ...

, being arrested and imprisoned at El Saladero. Following the 1856 counter-revolutionary involution by

O'Donnell The O'Donnell dynasty ( or ''Ó Domhnaill,'' ''Ó Doṁnaill'' ''or Ua Domaill;'' meaning "descendant of Dónal") were the dominant Irish clan of the kingdom of Tyrconnell in Ulster in the north of medieval and early modern Ireland. Naming ...

, Becerra entered in combat in the

Plaza de Santo Domingo The plaza de Santo Domingo is a public square in the city of Madrid, Spain. History and description The square covers an area of . It is located in the Palacio neighborhood, itself belonging to the Centro District. Located in the northern e ...

at the helm of a light battalion of the National Militia trying to defend the Constitutional liberties side by side against a battalion of Jägers sent by O'Donnell, and was forced to exile. He would endorse the (for which he was sentenced to death by ''

garrote A garrote ( ; alternatively spelled as garotte and similar variants)''Oxford English Dictionary'', 11th Ed: garrotte is normal British English spelling, with single r alternate. Article title is US English spelling variant. or garrote vil () is ...

'' for rebellion). Forced again to exile, he was one of the endorsers of the 16 August 1866

Pact of Ostend The Pact of Ostend was an agreement signed on 16 August 1866 in Ostend, Belgium, uniting the exiled Spanish Progressive Party, Democratic Party, and later the Liberal Union to overthrow the monarchy of Isabella II of Spain, whose authoritarian ru ...

becoming (as representative of the '' democrats'') one of the three legs of the coordination of the revolutionary action along

Juan Prim Juan Prim y Prats, 1st Count of Reus, 1st Marquis of los Castillejos, 1st Viscount of Bruch (; ; 6 December 1814 – 30 December 1870) was a Spanish general and statesman who was briefly Prime Minister of Spain until his assassination. Bio ...

and (representative of the ''

progressives Progressivism is a left-leaning political philosophy and reform movement that seeks to advance the human condition through social reform. Adherents hold that progressivism has universal application and endeavor to spread this idea to human so ...

''), that aimed towards the overthrow of

Isabella II Isabella II (, María Isabel Luisa de Borbón y Borbón-Dos Sicilias; 10 October 1830 – 9 April 1904) was Queen of Spain from 1833 until her deposition in 1868. She is the only queen regnant in the history of unified Spain. Isabella wa ...

and the call of Constituent Cortes elected by

universal suffrage Universal suffrage or universal franchise ensures the right to vote for as many people bound by a government's laws as possible, as supported by the " one person, one vote" principle. For many, the term universal suffrage assumes the exclusion ...

Sexenio democrático

After the 1868 Glorious Revolution, Becerra became a member of the Junta Superior Revolucionaria. Along

Nicolás María Rivero Blas Nicolás María Rivero was a Spanish politician and leader of the Spanish Democratic Party. He was the Deputy Mayor of Madrid Madrid ( ; ) is the capital and List of largest cities in Spain, most populous municipality of Spain. It has ...

and Cristino Martos he would become one of the leaders of the so-called , the monarchist democrats part of the 1868–1871 Provisional Government. In July 1869, during the Regency of

Marshal Serrano Marshal is a term used in several official titles in various branches of society. As marshals became trusted members of the courts of Medieval Europe, the title grew in reputation. During the last few centuries, it has been used for elevated of ...

, he was appointed as Minister of Overseas. A founding member of the Spanish Abolitionist Society back in 1864, he took measures during his first ministerial tenure towards the abolition of slavery in Puerto Rico, presenting two proposals in 1869, which were not welcomed either by his cabinet peers or from the parliament. After months of fierce resistance to the ministerial initiatives from pro-slavery legislators such as

Antonio Cánovas del Castillo Antonio Cánovas del Castillo (8 February 18288 August 1897) was a Spanish people, Spanish politician and historian known principally for serving six terms as Spanish Prime Minister, prime minister and his overarching role as "architect" of the ...

or Francisco Romero Robledo, Becerra was forced to resign in March 1870 amid intense pressure. Already entered the reign of Amadeo, during the premiership of

Manuel Ruiz Zorrilla Manuel Ruiz Zorrilla (22 March 183313 June 1895) was a Spanish politician. He served as Prime Minister of Spain for a little over ten weeks, in the summer of 1871, and again for eight months, between June 1872 and February 1873. Biography Born ...

, Becerra was appointed as Minister of Development in December 1872, replacing

José Echegaray José Echegaray y Eizaguirre (19 April 183214 September 1916) was a Spanish civil engineer, mathematician, wikt:statesman, statesman, and one of the leading Spaniards, Spanish dramatists of the last quarter of the 19th century. He was awarded t ...

. On 11 February 1873, in a vote at the Cortes during the same session in which the declaration of the First Republic was proclaimed, he was confirmed as Minister of Development (with 266 votes in favour). He would however leave the ministry by late February.

Bourbon Restoration and later life

Following the

Bourbon Restoration Bourbon Restoration may refer to: France under the House of Bourbon: * Bourbon Restoration in France (1814, after the French revolution and Napoleonic era, until 1830; interrupted by the Hundred Days in 1815) Spain under the Spanish Bourbons: * Ab ...

, Becerra joined the Liberal Fusionist Party led by

Práxedes Mateo Sagasta Práxedes Mariano Mateo Sagasta y Escolar (21 July 1825 – 5 January 1903) was a Spanish civil engineer and politician who served as Prime Minister on eight occasions between 1870 and 1902—always in charge of the Liberal Party—as part of t ...

as part of its left-leaning faction. He left the fusionists in 1881 to create along

Segismundo Moret Segismundo Moret y Prendergast (2 June 1833 – 28 January 1913) was a Spanish politician and writer. He was the prime minister of Spain on three occasions and the president of the Congress of Deputies on two occasions. Biography Moret was bo ...

Eugenio Montero Ríos Eugenio Montero Ríos (13 November 1832, in Santiago de Compostela – 12 May 1914, in Madrid) was a leading member of the Spanish Liberal Party before being part of a 1903 schism that divided it. He also served briefly as Prime Minister of Sp ...

and

José López Domínguez José López Domínguez (29 November 1829, in Marbella – 17 October 1911, in Madrid), was a Spanish military officer and politician who was prime minister of Spain between 6 July and 30 November 1906. Biography As a lieutenant of the artill ...

the

Dynastic Left The Dynastic Left (, ID) was a Spanish political party founded in 1881 by elements from the Liberal Fusionist Party and the Democratic Progressive Party. Between 1884 and 1886 most of its members returned to the Liberal Fusionist Party, now reb ...

. An initiated

Freemason Freemasonry (sometimes spelled Free-Masonry) consists of fraternal groups that trace their origins to the medieval guilds of stonemasons. Freemasonry is the oldest secular fraternity in the world and among the oldest still-existing organizati ...

(symbol: ''Fortaleza''; grade: 33), Becerra was chosen as Grand Master of the Grand Orient of Spain in 1884; after his departure from the post in 1886, the organization was thrown into chaos and divided into factions. Elected to the Royal Academy of Sciences in 1885, he took office as numerary member (Medal #36) on 18 November 1886, reading a discourse titled ''Evolución de la Matemática e influencia que en los progresos de esta ciencia ejerció la civilización árabe'' ("Evolution of Mathematics and the influence of the Arab civilization on the progress of this science"), replied by

Eduardo Saavedra Eduardo Saavedra y Moragas (27 February 1829 in Tarragona – 12 March 1912 in Madrid), Spanish engineer, architect, archaeologist and Arabist, member of the Real Academia de la Historia, Spanish Royal Academy of Sciences, Real Academia Esp ...

. Becerra returned to the ministry of Overseas in two occasions: from December 1888 to January 1890 and from March 1894 to November 1894, as part of cabinets presided by Sagasta. He died on 19 December 1896 at his address in the in Madrid; he was apparently drinking a glass of milk, and, as it slipped out of his hand, after a sigh, he died. He was buried at the on the next day.

References

;Citations ;Bibliography * * * * * * * * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Becerra Bermudez, Manuel 1820 births 1896 deaths Spanish revolutionaries 19th-century Spanish mathematicians Spanish Freemasons Spanish abolitionists Prisoners and detainees of Spain Overseas ministers of Spain Public works ministers of Spain Exiled Spanish politicians Government ministers during the First Spanish Republic