The most powerful man in
South America - in his day
Simón Bolívar was a complex man. He was an idealist, an
aristocrat secure in his heritage and status, a well-educated
man and deep-thinker who liked things done his way, a visionary
and a revolutionary.
He born on July 24, 1783 in Caracas, the son of well-to-do
patricians, don Juan Vicente Bolívar y Ponte and his wife, dońa
Maria de la Concepción Palacios y Blanco, and his early years
were filled with all the advantages of wealth and position.
Tutors provided an excellent grounding in the classics,
including the history and culture of ancient Rome and Greece,
plus the neo-classical principles popular in Europe at the time,
particularly those of the French political philosopher Jean
Jacques Rousseau.
His parents died when he was nine, and young Simón was left
in the care of his maternal uncles, Carlos and Esteban Palacios.
heritage and status, a well-educated
man and deep-thinker who liked things done his way, a visionary
and a revolutionary.
Tutors provided an excellent grounding in the classics,
including the history and culture of ancient Rome and Greece,
plus the neo-classical principles popular in Europe at the time,
particularly those of the French political philosopher Jean
Jacques Rousseau.