Women In Peruvian History

In Peruvian history, the people loved José de San Martín, an army general, and liberator extraordinaire. The people loved him so much that when he arrived in Lima, Peru in July, 1821, a lady walked up to him, swooned, fell into his arms, and repeatedly said “Mi General! Mi General!” San Martín was humbled, and he helped her up, and gave her an affectionate salute. Another woman approached him with her three sons, and offered them to him, so that they could become “useful members of society.” He graciously answered her, although it’s unknown whether he said yes. This woman offered all three of her sons to a man from Chile, whom the Limans had only met a few days before. These women loved San Martín, but many other Peruvians didn’t agree with
To quote Basil Hall, a British naval explorer and author of Extracts from a journal who was in Lima during the blockade, “In former times, said the Limenians, our city was that in which pleasure held her court; wealth and ease were our attendants; enjoyment was our only business; and we dreamt of no evil but an earthquake.” The people no longer had luxuries to show off, and weren’t able to have grandiose social events. People stopped getting together, causing them to become suspicious of each other. The war hadn’t affected Lima until the blockade, and the Limans were finally feeling the adverse effects of the war for independence. To reference Hall again, the “[lack of trade rendered] this once great, and luxurious, and happy city as one of the most wretched places on
The Limans were surprised by San Martín because he attacked from Chili, and they didn’t think Chili was capable of doing that. They didn’t want him to attack, and were afraid of him. (90) Basil Hall, a Scottish-British naval explorer recorded that there was a very tense atmosphere. (93) San Martín wanted to give the people the means to declare independence, and to make sure everything he did was for the people, but his army destroyed towns the people lived in. For example, the patriot forces pillaged Arica, a town on the coast of Peru. All the residents of Miraflores, a town 6 miles south of Lima, traveled to Lima because it was the only place where they felt safe. (113) San Martín’s army didn’t carry out what he said he would do, and instead they harassed the