María Antonia Pérez

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

Biographical details

An upper class woman who owned property from Caracas. She claimed her rights as a ciudadana. In February 1812 she petitioned the courts to demand her rights as an equal citizen, as she "expected the laws of the new republic to protect her individual liberties as well as they protected those of men ". (Díaz, 1-2, 7)

She married Ramón Maucó, from Spain, in 1802. She was a rich woman, owning 3 coffee plantations and other property in 1837. She tried to divorce Maucó in 1811on the grounds that he was not giving her financial support. He counter-charged that she had committed adultery. (Díaz, 156)

In 1812 Maucó dropped the adultery charge and agreed to support her. In 1837 Pérez went to court to ask for an increase in her allowance. (Díaz, 158-159)

Life Events

Married	1802	She married Ramón Maucó.
Other	1812	She petitioned the courts to demand her rights as a ciudadana.
Other	1837	She went to court to ask for an increase in her allowance.

References

Díaz, Arlene J., (2004), Female Citizens, Patriarchs and the Law in Venezuela, 1796-1904

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

Publications

Petition: Legal petition

Speech: Speech

Links

Resource id #27 (63)

Resource id #31 (50)

Resource id #35 (14)

Gendering Latin American Independence

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email: Catherine.davies@nottingham.ac.uk