Manuel Montt
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| Manuel Montt | |
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| In office September 18, 1851 – September 18, 1861 |
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| Preceded by | Manuel Bulnes |
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| Succeeded by | José Joaquín Pérez |
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| Born | September 8, 1809 Petorca, Chile |
| Died | September 20, 1880 Santiago, Chile |
| Political party | Conservative |
| Spouse | Rosario Montt Goyenechea |
Manuel Francisco Montt Torres (September 5, 1809 – September 20, 1880) was a Chilean statesman and scholar. He was twice elected President of Chile between 1851 and 1861.
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[edit] Early life
Montt was born in Petorca, Chile, the son of Catalan immigrants. His family were very poor, and in 1822, the death of his father increased their hardship. The same year, Manuel's mother secured his entrance into the National Institute, though he could only afford the fees by tutoring other students. In 1830, he graduated as a lawyer and soon achieved prominent academic and government posts.
He had a distinguished career as a scholar, and was introduced into public life during the presidency (1831-1841) of José Joaquín Prieto by Diego Portales. Montt distinguished himself by his courage in the crisis that followed upon Portales' assassination in 1837, though only holding a subordinate post in the government. In 1840, Montt was elected to the National Congress of Chile.
Afterwards he held several ministerial offices, and during the presidency (1841-1851) of Bulnes he became minister of justice. He emphasized the need for educational and scientific advancement in the Chile, and was Minister of public instruction for a time. He was also twice Minister of Interior and Foreign Affairs during the Bulnes administration.
[edit] Presidency
He was elected president in 1851 and again in 1856, and though the Liberals chafed under his rule, and two revolutions, in 1851 and 1859, took place during his administration, he governed Chile with an energy and wisdom that laid the foundation of her material prosperity.
Manuel Montt was the first civilian president and furthered to the reforms begun by Diego Portales. With Vicente Perez Rosales, the Minister of Immigration, he encouraged the settlement of German migrants in the south of the country. The city of Puerto Montt, at the centre of the newly settled lands, was named after him. He was ably assisted by his minister of the interior Antonio Varas, and it was from the union of the two statesmen that the well-known ultra-conservative faction, the Montt-Varistas, took their name. His presidency was marked by the establishment of railways, telegraphs, banks, schools and training-colleges.
On giving up his post in 1861 he became president of the Supreme Court of Justice, a position which he held up to his death on the loth of September 1880. His nephew Jorge (b. 1846) was president of Chile in 1891-1896, and his son, Pedro (d. 1910), between 1906-1910.
[edit] Additional information
[edit] See also
[edit] Sources
- P. B. Figueroa, Diccionario biografico de Chile, 1550-1887 (Santiago, 1888)
- J. B. Suarez, Rasgos biograficos de hombres notables de Chile (Valparaiso, 1886)
[edit] External links
- Short biography (Spanish)
- Genealogical chart of Montt family (Spanish)
| Preceded by Manuel Bulnes |
President of Chile 1851-1861 |
Succeeded by José Joaquín Pérez |
| Preceded by Joaquín Tocornal Jiménez |
Minister of the Interior and Foreign Affairs 1840-1841 |
Succeeded by José Miguel Irarrázaval |
| Preceded by Ramón Luis Irarrázaval |
Minister of the Interior and Foreign Affairs 1845-1846 |
Succeeded by Manuel Camilo Vial Formas |
| Presidents of Chile |  |
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| Blanco Encalada | Freire | Pinto Díaz | Prieto | Bulnes | Montt Torres | Pérez | Errázuriz Zañartu | Pinto Garmendia | Santa María | Balmaceda | Montt Álvarez | Errázuriz Echaurren | Riesco | Montt Montt | Barros Luco | Sanfuentes | Alessandri Palma | Figueroa | Ibáñez del Campo | Montero | Aguirre Cerda | Ríos | González Videla | Alessandri Rodríguez | Frei Montalva | Allende | Pinochet | Aylwin | Frei Ruiz-Tagle | Lagos | Bachelet | ||||
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