Xavier Mina en los Estados Unidos (1816)

Abstract

A very interesting fact related to the Spanish American rebellions against the mother country took place during the second decade of the XIX century. The protagonist was Xavier Mina, a young liberal soldier ignored by the Spanish historiography. American scholars like Harris G. Warren and Stanley Faye published the results of his researches many years ago. With the support of the Spanish liberal exiles and Spanish American living in London, Mina organized an intemational expedition that acted throughout the year 1817, helping the Mexican insurgents. He was aided by the english whighs Lord Holland, Lord Russell and the London City merchants. At his arrival to the U.S. in july 1817, he was efficiently helped by the general Winfield Scott, the hero of the anglo-american War and his friends, among them the Spanish American liberals who was living in the States. Scott and a group of Baltimore merchants supported the Mina Expedition against the Spanish Crown in México. Xavier Mina who died in November 1817 is one lost link between the first liberals who were fighting in America against Ferdinand VII and the Liberal Revolution who took place in Spain at the eve of 1820. In the course of his expedition, Mina made some manifestos summing up his ideological and political positions, who represented an actitude of radical liberalism.