An exploration of women's involvement in the Latin American Wars of Independence

Gregoria Pérez Larramendi de Denis

Gender:Female

Ethnic origen: White

Events:

Connections:

Texts:
0 - Letter to Belgrano in which she pledges her goods, land and livestock to the independence .....
1811 - Letter written to Belgrano offering her estancia and all her goods to the independence cause.

Biography:
Born on 14 June 1764 in Santa Fe, the daughter of Spaniard Bernardo Pérez and María Angela Larramendi of an upper-class Santa Fe family. She married Juan Ventura Denis and when he died inherited an estancia in Entre Ríos. She made a living from this estancia and educated her children there. When General Belgrano arrived in Santa Fe he asked for financial contributions to the independence cause or soldiers for the army. She did not dare to meet him, but a few days later sent her son, Valentín, with a letter pledging support and putting her wealth, land and servants at his disposal. She died in Santa Fe in 1823. A street in Buenos Aires and another in Santa Fe bear her name in acknowledgement of her contribution. (Sosa de Newton, 490)

Mitre describes her as of "mediana fortuna" and quotes her letter from the Archivo General M.S. (below) adding "así eran las mujeres en aquellos tiempos". (Mitre, Vol. VI, 350)

She offered all her belongings to the independence troops in their march to Paraguay. (Carranza, 155)

References:

Carranza, Adolfo P. (1910) Patricias argentinas
Davies, Catherine, Brewster, Claire and Owen, Hilary (2006) South American Independence. Gender, Politics, Text
Mitre, Bartolomé (1940) Obras completas de Bartolomé Mitre
Sosa de Newton, Lily (1986) Diccionario biográfico de mujeres argentinas