José Gervasio Artigas

José Gervasio Artigas Arnal (June 19, 1764 ? September 23, 1850) is a national hero of Uruguay, sometimes called "the father of Uruguayan independence".

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Born in Montevideo to a wealthy family, at age 12 he moved to the countryside and worked on his family's farms. He excelled at marksmanship and riding, and tried his hand at smuggling from Portuguese-controlled Brazil.

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At age 33, he took advantage of an amnesty for those who had committed non-violent crimes, and entered the Corps of Blandengues to protect the border with Brazil. From 1806 to 1807, he participated in the Spanish resistance to the British invasions of the Río de la Plata. He was part of the force which, under Santiago de Liniers, Montevideo contributed to the liberation ("Reconquista") of Buenos Aires from William Beresford, 1st Viscount Beresford's occupation in 1806, and also to the Battle of Montevideo. Following the Spanish defeat at Montevideo, he was captured. He was spared being shipped to Britain as a prisoner of war, having been wounded in the battle.

Montevideo: :This article is about the capital of Uruguay. There is also Montevideo, Minnesota, in the United States of America....

Brazil: The Federative Republic of Brazil (Rep?blica Federativa do Brasil in Portuguese) is the largest and most populous country in Latin America, and the fifth largest in the world. Spanning a vast area between central South America and the Atlantic Ocean, it borders Uruguay, Argentina, Paraguay, Bolivia,...

Amnesty: :For the human rights organization, see Amnesty International....

José Gervasio Artigas related Images and Photos (experimental)

Claude Rich and Marie-José Nat: La Française et L'Amour 1960

Nadja Tiller José Luis de Villalonga and Pierre Brasseur: L'Affaire Nina B. 1961

Jean Gabin Roger Dumas and Marie-José Nat: Rue Des Prairies 1959