The Patriotic Society () was an organization under the

Spanish Empire The Spanish Empire, sometimes referred to as the Hispanic Monarchy (political entity), Hispanic Monarchy or the Catholic Monarchy, was a colonial empire that existed between 1492 and 1976. In conjunction with the Portuguese Empire, it ushered ...

dedicated to Venezuelan independence. It was founded in July 1810 by

Juan Germán Roscio Juan Germán Roscio (27 May 1763 – 10 March 1821) was a Venezuelan lawyer and politician of Italian background. He served as the secretary of foreign affairs for the Supreme Junta, Junta of Caracas, as Venezuela's first foreign minister, ...

after the . It amassed large influence in the country and abroad, dictating much of the early

Venezuelan War of Independence The Venezuelan War of Independence (, 1810–1823) was one of the Spanish American wars of independence of the early nineteenth century, when independence movements in South America fought a civil war for secession and against unity of the S ...

. The organization ceased operations shortly after the

Venezuelan Declaration of Independence The Venezuelan Declaration of Independence () is a document drafted and adopted by Venezuelan on July 5, 1811, through which Venezuelans made the decision to separate from the History of Spain (1810–1873), Spanish Crown in order to establish a ...

, when most of its membership joined the militia army of the

First Republic of Venezuela The First Republic of Venezuela () was the first independent government of Venezuela, lasting from 5 July 1811, to 25 July 1812. The period of the First Republic began with the overthrow of the Spanish colonial authorities and the establishment ...

. The society itself was organized in a manner similar to the

Jacobins The Society of the Friends of the Constitution (), renamed the Society of the Jacobins, Friends of Freedom and Equality () after 1792 and commonly known as the Jacobin Club () or simply the Jacobins (; ), was the most influential List of polit ...

. It had a consistently changing presidency. Some presidents included: Francisco Espejo,

Francisco de Miranda Sebastián Francisco de Miranda y Rodríguez de Espinoza (28 March 1750 – 14 July 1816), commonly known as Francisco de Miranda (), was a Venezuelan military leader and revolutionary who fought in the American Revolutionary War, the French R ...

, and . The Patriotic Society had itself a newspaper organ called ''El Patriota de Venezuela'', where it disseminated messages in line with the organization's policies. Its members were called "socios", which can be translated to "members" or "associates".

History

Background

The Patriotic Society was established in 1810 amidst Venezuela's growing aspirations for independence from Spanish colonial rule. Founded by figures Simon Bolivar and Francisco de Miranda, it was formed during a time of discontent with colonial governance. Inspired by Enlightenment principles and the revolutions across Spanish America, Bolivar and Miranda aimed to rally Venezuelans behind the cause of liberty. Serving as a place for political discussions and organizing revolutionary activities, the society played a crucial role in independence. Its establishment marked a milestone in Venezuela's pursuit of freedom.

Influence and organization

Founded as the ''Sociedad de Agricultura y Economía'', the society quickly promoted separatism. It advocated for separatism and pressured the First National Congress into action. The organization quickly accrued high-profile (or soon to be high-profile) members, amassing approximately 600 members in Caracas alone at a point. According to statesman and member of the society Coto Paúl, the power of the society was such that revolutionary Venezuela had "two congresses": the , and the Patriotic Society. The Patriotic Society had its headquarters in

Caracas Caracas ( , ), officially Santiago de León de Caracas (CCS), is the capital and largest city of Venezuela, and the center of the Metropolitan Region of Caracas (or Greater Caracas). Caracas is located along the Guaire River in the northern p ...

, and branches in

Barcelona Barcelona ( ; ; ) is a city on the northeastern coast of 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 c ...

, Barinas,

Valencia Valencia ( , ), formally València (), is the capital of the Province of Valencia, province and Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Valencian Community, the same name in Spain. It is located on the banks of the Turia (r ...

and

Puerto Cabello Puerto Cabello () is a city on the north coast of Venezuela. It is located in Carabobo State, about 210 km west of Caracas. As of 2011, the city had a population of around 182,400. The city is home to the largest and busiest port in the count ...

. Its meetings discussed economics, politics, religious, and civil and military affairs.

Notable members

Below are members who would gain fame or recognition during the Venezuelan War of Independence:

References

{{Reflist Defunct political parties in Venezuela Venezuelan War of Independence