Martina Silva de Gurruchaga

Other names/titles:
Gender: F
Ethnic origin: Unknown

Biographical details

Born on 3 November 1790, she was the daughter of María Isadora Fernández de Córdoba and Marcelino Miguel de Silva. She married José Gurruchaga in 1810. She was an enthusiastic patriot who gave Belgrano lodging at her home and contributed uniforms and arms to equip a unit of the independence troops. She made a flag and gave it to Belgrano. He is claimed to have said "if all American hearts were like yours we'd have an easy victory". She led a group of women who rode through the area urging campesinos to join the patriot troops. Belgrano gave her the title Capitana del Ejército Patriota and a silk sash. She died in Salta on 5 March 1873. (Sosa de Newton, 608, 590)

She was born in Salta on 3 November 1790. In 1810 she married José Gurruchaga, a merchant who supported the independence cause. On the eve of the battle of Salta, she armed citizens who then contributed to the victory. She made a flag and gave it to Belgrano who is said to have received it with the following words: "Señora, si en todos los corazones americanos existe la misma decisión que en el vuestro, el triunfo de la causa porque luchamos será fácil." In 1813 Belgrano gave her the honorary title Capitana del ejército. She died on 5 March 1873 in Salta. (Carranza, 148-149)

Life Events

Born	1790	She was born in Salta on 3 November 1790.
Married	1810	She married José Gurruchaga in 1810.
Died	1873	She died in Salta on 5 March 1873.

References

Sosa de Newton, Lily, (1986), Diccionario biográfico de mujeres argentinas

Carranza, Adolfo P., (1910), Patricias argentinas

Davies, Catherine, Brewster, Claire and Owen, Hilary, (2006), South American Independence. Gender, Politics, Text

Publications

There is no writing by this subject in the database.

Links

Resource id #29 (137)

Resource id #33 (29)

Resource id #37 (35)

Resource id #41 (12)

Resource id #45 (12)

Resource id #49 (6)

Gendering Latin American Independence

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