Manuel Esteban Ancízar Basterra (25 December 1812 — 21 May 1882) was a Colombian lawyer, writer, and journalist. He founded a publishing house and a newspaper before joining the

Chorographic Commission The Chorographic Commission (Comisión Corográfica in Spanish) was a scientific project initially commissioned in 1850 by the Republic of the New Granada (a region which is now Colombia) that was initially led by the Italian engineer Agustín Coda ...

in 1850. He also served as the 4th

Secretary of Foreign Affairs of the Granadine Confederation The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MRE) ( es, Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores) also known as the chancellor, Chancellery ( es, Cancílleria), is the ministries of Colombia, Cabinet position of the Government of Colombia responsible for the intern ...

, and as the first dean of the

National University of Colombia The National University of Colombia () is a national public research university in Colombia, with general campuses in Bogotá, Medellín, Manizales and Palmira, and satellite campuses in Leticia, San Andrés, Arauca, Tumaco, and La Paz, Ces ...

Personal life

Manuel Esteban was born on 25 December 1812 in Fontibon,

Bogotá Bogotá (, also , , ), officially Bogotá, Distrito Capital, abbreviated Bogotá, D.C., and formerly known as Santa Fe de Bogotá (; ) during the Spanish period and between 1991 and 2000, is the capital city of Colombia, and one of the larges ...

to José Francisco Ancízar y Zabaleta, Spaniard native of

Navarre Navarre (; es, Navarra ; eu, Nafarroa ), officially the Chartered Community of Navarre ( es, Comunidad Foral de Navarra, links=no ; eu, Nafarroako Foru Komunitatea, links=no ), is a foral autonomous community and province in northern Spain, ...

, and Juana Bernarda Basterra y Abaurrea, Spaniard native of Biscay. In 1819 his father, who had served as ''

Corregidor Corregidor ( tl, Pulo ng Corregidor, ) is an island located at the entrance of Manila Bay in the southwestern part of Luzon in the Philippines, and is considered part of the Province of Cavite. Due to this location, Corregidor has historically b ...

'' of Zipaquirá under the

Viceroy of New Granada Spanish viceroys of the colonial Viceroyalty of New Granada (1717–1819) located in northern South America. Introduction The former territory within the Viceroyalty of New Granada corresponds to present day Colombia, Ecuador, Panama, and Ven ...

, Juan José de Sámano y Uribarri; during the time of the Reconquista, was forced to flee the capital when the Spanish forces fell at the

Battle of Boyacá The Battle of Boyacá (1819), was the decisive battle that ensured the success of Bolívar's campaign to liberate New Granada. The battle of Boyaca is considered the beginning of the independence of the north of South America, and is considered i ...

and the victorious forces of General

Simón Bolívar Simón José Antonio de la Santísima Trinidad Bolívar y Palacios (24 July 1783 – 17 December 1830) was a Venezuelan military and political leader who led what are currently the countries of Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Panama and B ...

entered the capital. The family arrived in

Cartagena de Indias Cartagena ( , also ), known since the colonial era as Cartagena de Indias (), is a city and one of the major ports on the northern coast of Colombia in the Caribbean Coast Region, bordering the Caribbean sea. Cartagena's past role as a link ...

, three of Manuel's siblings died in the arduous journey; in 1821 they had to flee again when this Spanish bastion fell to the forces of Admiral

José Prudencio Padilla López José is a predominantly Spanish and Portuguese form of the given name Joseph. While spelled alike, this name is pronounced differently in each language: Spanish ; Portuguese (or ). In French, the name ''José'', pronounced , is an old vernacul ...

. The Ancízar Basterra family landed this time in Cuba, a safe Spanish colony, where they remained under much impoverished circumstances as refugees; his mother and his only remaining sibling died few years after. In 1832 he graduated from the University of Saint Jerome in

Civil Law Civil law may refer to: * Civil law (common law), the part of law that concerns private citizens and legal persons * Civil law (legal system), or continental law, a legal system originating in continental Europe and based on Roman law ** Private la ...

, and two years later received his degree in Canon Law. On 4 July 1857 he married

Agripina Samper Agudelo Agripina Casimira de los Dolores Samper Agudelo (4 March 1833 — 22 April 1892) was a Colombian poet. Having a literary family, she received an education not easily accessible to women of her time and country. She wrote prose and poetry under th ...

, sister of José María and

Miguel Samper Agudelo Miguel Samper Agudelo (24 October 1825 – 16 March 1899) was a Colombian lawyer, politician, and writer. In Colombian politics he distinguished himself as a proponent of abolitionism and economic reform, was elected Member of the Chamber of Re ...

, both writers and prominent politicians in Colombia; together they had five children: Roberto, Pablo, Inés, Jorge, and Manuel.

Selected works

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Personal life

Selected works

References

Further reading