Bernardo O’Higgins

Bernardo O’Higgins (1778-1842), Chilean leader, who helped win independence for his country and served as supreme dictator. Born in Chillán, O'Higgins was an illegitimate son of Ambrosio O'Higgins, an Irish-born Spanish governor of Chile and viceroy of Peru. After studying in England and Spain, O'Higgins returned to Chile in 1802. He took part in the nationalist revolution against Spain in 1810 and in 1813 was made commander of the patriot army under the revolutionary leader José Miguel Carrera. Defeated by royalist troops at Rancagua in 1814, O'Higgins fled across the Andes with most of his followers. There he joined the Argentine revolutionist José de San Martín, with whom he returned to defeat the Spanish at Chacabuco in February 1817. He was made supreme director of Chile in the same month, and he proclaimed Chilean independence in 1818. Ruling as a virtual dictator, he tried to liberalize Chilean society, but alienated the Roman Catholic clergy by his toleration of Protestants, and angered aristocratic landowners by trying to abolish laws that protected their estates. Deposed in 1823, he spent the rest of his life in exile in Peru.