Manuel Montt

Manuel Montt (1809-81), president of Chile (1851-61), remembered equally for his enterprise and his staunch conservatism. He was born in Petorca and educated at the Instituto Nacional, which he later headed. Elected to the Congress in 1840, he subsequently distinguished himself as minister of education (1841-45). His candidacy for the presidency in 1851, however, sparked an armed revolt by liberals, who feared his rigid conservatism. The uprising was soon crushed. Montt's conservative views notwithstanding, his administration was one of the most active in Chilean history. It laid the Santiago-Valparaíso railway, strung the country's first telegraph lines, lit the city streets with gas, and reorganized the mail service. It also stimulated agriculture and banking and was a strong promoter of public education, a particular interest of the president. Toward the end of Montt's presidency, his inflexible attitude, combined with an economic recession and the liberals' fears of his presumed successor, engendered another revolt (1859). Although it, too, was quickly crushed, the feared candidate withdrew. Montt later served as president of the supreme court, senator, and councillor of state. Despite his considerable achievements, he remains a controversial figure in Chilean history.