Francisco Javier Eugenio de Santa Cruz y Espejo (baptized on 21 February 1747 in Quito; "† 27 December 1795 in Quito) was a writer, a physician, a lawyer and a Vordenker of independence during Spanish colonial rule in later Ecuador.

Espejo, son of a and a Mulattin, was one of the most important philosophers of Latin America in late 18. Century. It was affected of the ideas of the clearing-up and adapted these to the social conditions of its surrounding field. As Mestize it was not easy for it to make its way in the classical colonization and administration company for colonies its time. It nevertheless reached 1767 the graduation as a physician and acquired shortly thereafter also doctor titles in lay and canonical right. In the society Quitos it became one of the key figures of the cultural life, particularly during the spreading of progressive ideas, whereby it was supported by a substantial part of the Criollo aristocracy. 1779 it published its first important work, El Nuevo Luciano de Quito (dt. the new Lichtbringer for Quito), an impressive and clear criticism at all problems and lack of the cultural life in that material Audiencia de Quito. Its cultural activities brought Espejo called finally the Staatsmacht on that flat, which led a process against him, which still increased its reputation in the capital of the viceroy realm Neugranada,

After its return after Quito he was appointed the first director of the new of public library, which was formed from more than 40,000 volumes of the Jesuiten, which had been proven briefly before from the Spanish possessions. Espejo published among other things important medical work, e.g. Reflexiones in the future acerca de read viruelas (considerations over the smallpox, 1785). Later it participated in the establishment of the Sociedad de Amigos del (dt. patriotic society of the friends of the country). Comparable combinations began to develop in this time in Spain and the colonies. 1792 it published the first newspaper Quitos, which Primicias de la Cultura de Quito, from whom however only seven expenditures appeared. For its not diminishing accusations against the dominant conditions it was again arrested. It died at the age of 48 years 1795 in the national prison of Quito.

Espejos thinking connects the ideas of the clearing-up with the social and cultural reality of the colonial Quito. It was one first, the necessity for an emancipation of Spain made clear and the self-sufficiency of his country and America completely proclaimed. Its plans contained the education more independently sovereign that republics, in which all citizens should have the same rights. The church goods should be secularized and/or put under state control. In its thinking the ideal of the equality of Mestizen and "“white ones"” steps clearly out (an ideal that during the later process, which led to the independence of Ecuador was not converted), likewise the occupation with the rights of the woman. Its ideas were, even if in important criteria changes clearly, basis for the first declaration of independence of Ecuador on 10 August 1809.

Articles in category "Eugenio Espejo"

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