Ambrose O'Higgins

Alfred Webb

1878

O'Higgins, Ambrose, a native of Ireland, entered the Spanish service, and was in 1787 appointed Captain-General of Chili, and subsequently Viceroy of Peru. While in Chili he made great exertions to promote the prosperity of the country, and several important public works were due to him. [His son, Don Bernardo O'Higgins, born in Chili, and educated in England, took an active and distinguished part on the popular side in the war by which Chili achieved her independence of Spain. He held the office of Supreme Director of the young republic from 1818 to 1823, when he retired into private life, in consequence of public dissatisfaction with the acts of his ministers.]

Sources

78b. Chili, Travels in: Peter Schmidtmeyer. London, 1822.

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