José Joaquín de Mora

Other names/titles:
Gender: M
Ethnic origin: White

Biographical details

He was born Cadiz, Spain in 1783. He went into exile via England to Argentina, then to Chile. He arrived in Peru in 1831 where he was a great literary influence, founding El Ateneo de Perú and contributing to Pando's El Mercurio Peruano. He went to London as a commercial agent for the English government. (Romero de Valle, 215)

He went to Buenos Aires in 1827 at the invitation of President Rivadavia and he contributed to La Crónica Política y Literaria, the government's official newspaper. His wife, Francisca Delauneux, contributed to the opening of the Colegio Argentino, at which women were educated in the French and English style. When Rivadavia fell, he went to Chile (10 February 1828). There he organised the Sociedad de Lectura. When the remains of the Carrera brothers were sent back to Chile, he composed a hymn in praise of them, "Canto fúnebre". His wife founded a Colegio para Señoritas, and he created El Liceo de Chile, for men. He left Chile during Portales's presidency due to a clash of ideas. He went to Peru and then Bolivia. (Montes, Orlandi, 55-58)

A liberal, he edited Mercurio de Chile and tried to enact educational reform. Andres Bello was invited to Chile to oppose Mora in El Araucano. Mora opened a school, Liceo Nacional de Chile. (Coester, 196-198)

He attended Manuela Rávago's tertulias in Lima. (García y García, 324)

He edited El Correo Literario y Político de Londres, (1826) and El Museo Universal de Ciencias y Artes(1825-26). He left for Buenos Aires at the end of 1826 at Rivadavia's request and from there he went to Chile. He led the Constitution of 1828 and later went to Peru and Bolivia. In 1824 he wrote La Gimnástica del bello sexo o Ensayos sobre la educación física de las jóvenes, a manual of female education (extract below). He dedicated this publication to the Sociedad de Beneficiencia. He also wrote Economía política y Gramática castellana. (Viñao Frago, 315-317, 320)

He was friends with Javiera Carrera in Chile in the 1840s. (Vergara Quiroz, 230)

He died in Madrid in 1864.

Life Events

Born	1783	He was born in Cadiz, Spain, on 10 January 1783.
Other	1822	He attended Manuela Rávago's tertulias in Lima around this time.
Other	1825	He was in London from 1825-26.
Other	1827	He was invited to live in Buenos Aires (he left in February 1828).
Other	1828	He moved to Chile on 10 February 1828. He drafted the 1828 Constitution.
Other	1831	He arrived in Peru.
Other	1840	He was friends with Javiera Carrera in the 1840s.
Died	1864	He died in Madrid, on 3 October 1864.