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

Maria Angélica Corte Real (de Lima)

Gender:Female

Ethnic origen: White

Events:

Connections:

Biography:
Maria Angélica Fountoura Corte Real was born in 1790 and died in 1847. She came from a large, traditional family in Rio Pardo, Rio Grande do Sul. She became heavily involved in the military operations of the Farroupilha Republican side in the Farroupilha War of Rio Grande do Sul (1835-45). Her first marriage in 1809 was to a Dragoon captain, Francisco de Borja Almeida Corte Real who died in 1817. She is then thought to have settled, initially unmarried, with Comendador José Thomaz de Lima (H. Flores, 42) who later fought on the Farroupilha republican side in the war. She eventually married him in 1840. Maria Angélica had nine children in total from the two unions, some of whom also fought for the Farroupilhas. She was involved in helping one of her sons, Afonso José de Corte Real, escape prison in Rio de Janeiro (H. Flores, 43). The same son was killed in 1840. Maria Angélica is also known to have performed intelligence services for the Farroupilhas. Despite her services to the cause, she later incurred the wrath of the Farroupilhas by trying to rent some of her farm land to a “ferocious enemy of the republic” (H. Flores, 44). She died in 1847 and her second husband, who had managed her estates and dowry very badly, was left in dispute with her children over her goods and property.

References:

Flores, Hilda A. Hübner (1989) Sociedade, Preconceitos e Conquistas
Flores, Moacyr (2002) República Rio-Grandense: Realidade e Utopia
Frigeri, Rosane and Rüdiger, Francisco Ricardo Silveira, Diva Ione (editor). (1985) Mulher e Sociedade à Época Farroupilha