Conspiracy of the Tres Antonios
Encyclopedia
The Conspiracy of the Tres Antonios (1781) was minor failed conspiracy against the Spanish
colonial authorities in the captaincy-general of Chile
, that was led by two Frenchmen, Antonio Gramusset and Antonio Berney, and a criollo, José Antonio de Rojas. It was so named because all three conspirators shared the same first name.
was a Frenchman living in Santiago
where he worked as a teacher of Latin and Mathematics. He was a constant reader of the Encyclopédie
, and inspired by the Enlightenment
ideals he formulated a plan to establish Chile as an independent republic. He converted Antonio Gramusset
, another Frenchman living in Chile to his ideas, and he in turn enlisted the aid of one of Chile's most prominent citizens, José Antonio de Rojas.
The idea of the three revolutionaries was to set up a republican government based on an inclusive electoral process. Social classes were to be eliminated and slavery abolished, according to a plan that actually anticipated nineteenth-century socialism. An ambitious program of agrarian reform was included in their plans, along with a broad policy of free trade with the world at large. Nearly a decade before the French Revolution, the three Antonios conjured up one of the most democratic conspiracies in the Spanish Empire.
Berney and Gramusset were rapidly shipped to Peru to be tried in the viceregal courts, while Rojas, because of his high social standing in Chile managed to avoid prison for a while. The Frenchmen were treated with utmost courtesy and after a year of imprisonment in Lima were shipped to Spain to be tried there. The San Pedro de Alcantara
that was carrying them sank off the coast of Portugal during a storm, and Berney drowned while Gramusset managed to survive only to die three months later as a consequence of the exposure.
Meanwhile Rojas, after a short exile in Spain, returned to Chile. He was arrested again in 1809 under suspicions of plotting to bring down the government but this time without any proof. His arrest hastened the downfall of the Royal Governor Francisco Garcia Carrasco
who ordered the arrest and was one of the detonants of the Chilean independence movement
.
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
colonial authorities in the captaincy-general of Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
, that was led by two Frenchmen, Antonio Gramusset and Antonio Berney, and a criollo, José Antonio de Rojas. It was so named because all three conspirators shared the same first name.
Events
In 1780 Antonio BerneyAntonio Berney
Antonio Berney was a French teacher living in Chile, and one of the conspirators in the Conspiracy of the Tres Antonios.Berney arrived in Chile around 1776, where he became teacher of Latin and Mathematics at the Convictorio Carolino, in Santiago...
was a Frenchman living in Santiago
Santiago, Chile
Santiago , also known as Santiago de Chile, is the capital and largest city of Chile, and the center of its largest conurbation . It is located in the country's central valley, at an elevation of above mean sea level...
where he worked as a teacher of Latin and Mathematics. He was a constant reader of the Encyclopédie
Encyclopédie
Encyclopédie, ou dictionnaire raisonné des sciences, des arts et des métiers was a general encyclopedia published in France between 1751 and 1772, with later supplements, revised editions, and translations. It was edited by Denis Diderot and Jean le Rond d'Alembert...
, and inspired by the Enlightenment
Age of Enlightenment
The Age of Enlightenment was an elite cultural movement of intellectuals in 18th century Europe that sought to mobilize the power of reason in order to reform society and advance knowledge. It promoted intellectual interchange and opposed intolerance and abuses in church and state...
ideals he formulated a plan to establish Chile as an independent republic. He converted Antonio Gramusset
Antonio Gramusset
Antonio Gramusset was a French adventurer living in Chile, and one of the co-conspirators in the Conspiracy of the Tres Antonios.He was born in Premelieu, and arrived to Chile around 1764. Once there, he first tried to become a priest, and later he joined a military regiment composed of...
, another Frenchman living in Chile to his ideas, and he in turn enlisted the aid of one of Chile's most prominent citizens, José Antonio de Rojas.
The idea of the three revolutionaries was to set up a republican government based on an inclusive electoral process. Social classes were to be eliminated and slavery abolished, according to a plan that actually anticipated nineteenth-century socialism. An ambitious program of agrarian reform was included in their plans, along with a broad policy of free trade with the world at large. Nearly a decade before the French Revolution, the three Antonios conjured up one of the most democratic conspiracies in the Spanish Empire.
Discovery and trial
During a trip to a nearby town Gramusset lost his valise which contained detailed plans of their conspiracy. The valise was actually found and returned to the local policemen who, because they could not read were unable to identify the owner, forwarded it to their headquarters in Santiago. Once the documents were in the hands of the authorities they quickly lead to the discovery of the plotters who were secretly arrested at night during new year's on January 1, 1781.Berney and Gramusset were rapidly shipped to Peru to be tried in the viceregal courts, while Rojas, because of his high social standing in Chile managed to avoid prison for a while. The Frenchmen were treated with utmost courtesy and after a year of imprisonment in Lima were shipped to Spain to be tried there. The San Pedro de Alcantara
Spanish ship San Pedro de Alcantara
San Pedro de Alcantara was a 64-gun Spanish man-of-war, which sank near Peniche, Portugal, loaded with so much treasure that her shipwreck shocked the financial markets of Spain...
that was carrying them sank off the coast of Portugal during a storm, and Berney drowned while Gramusset managed to survive only to die three months later as a consequence of the exposure.
Meanwhile Rojas, after a short exile in Spain, returned to Chile. He was arrested again in 1809 under suspicions of plotting to bring down the government but this time without any proof. His arrest hastened the downfall of the Royal Governor Francisco Garcia Carrasco
Francisco Antonio García Carrasco
Francisco Antonio García Carrasco Díaz was a Spanish soldier and Royal Governor of Chile. His political relations with Juan Martinez de Rozas and a smuggling scandal involving the frigate Scorpion destroyed what little authority he had, and required that he surrender his post to Mateo de Toro...
who ordered the arrest and was one of the detonants of the Chilean independence movement
Chilean Independence
Chilean War of Independence was an armed conflict between pro-Independence criollos who sought political and economic independence from Spain and royalist criollos, who supported the continued allegiance to and permanence within the Spanish Empire of the Kingdom of Chile...
.
See also
- History of ChileHistory of ChileThe territory of Chile has been populated since at least 2,000 BC. By the 16th century, Spanish conquistadors began to subdue and colonize the region of present-day Chile, and the territory became a colony from 1540 to 1818, when it gained independence from Spain...
- Chilean War of Independence
- List of Chilean coup d'étatChilean coup d'étatThis is a list of the coups d'état that have taken place in Chile during its independent history:-1780s:...