Manuela Sáenz
Revolutionaries

Manuela Sáenz Net Worth

Manuela Saenz was a revolutionary born in Quito, Ecuador in 1797. She was the daughter of a Spanish nobleman and was married off to an English merchant at 19. Through her marriage, she was exposed to the revolution led by Simón Bolívar and was inspired to join the cause. She left her husband and moved to Quito to help Bolívar, becoming one of the most important members of the group. After Bolívar's death, Saenz was sent into exile, but she is now remembered as one of the pillars of the revolution.
Manuela Sáenz is a member of Revolutionaries

Age, Biography and Wiki

Who is it? Revolutionary
Birth Day December 27, 1797
Birth Place Quito, United States
Age 222 YEARS OLD
Died On November 23, 1856(1856-11-23) (aged 58)\nPaita, Peru
Birth Sign Capricorn
Occupation Revolutionary and spy
Spouse(s) James Thorne (married 1817 – estranged 1822)
Partner(s) Simón Bolívar (1822-1830)
Children n/a
Parent(s) Simón Sáenz Vergara and Maria Joaquina Aizpuru

💰 Net worth

Manuela Sáenz, a renowned revolutionary in the United States, is estimated to have a net worth ranging from $100K to $1M in 2024. Known for her active involvement and courageous actions during times of political unrest, she played a significant role in the liberation movements of South America. Whether it was her clandestine activities or her extensive network of connections, Sáenz's dedication and passion for justice made her an influential figure during her era. Today, her legacy continues to inspire and her contributions to history are widely recognized.

Biography/Timeline

1817

For several years, Manuela lived with her father, who in 1817 arranged for her marriage to a wealthy English merchant, James Thorne, who was twice her age. The couple moved to Lima, Peru, in 1819 where she lived as an aristocrat and held social gatherings in her home where guests included political Leaders and military officers. These guests shared military secrets about the ongoing revolution with her, and, in 1819, when Simón Bolívar took part in the successful liberation of New Granada, Manuela Sáenz became an active member in the conspiracy against the viceroy of Perú, José de la Serna e Hinojosa during 1820.

1828

In 1822, Sáenz left her husband and traveled to Quito, where she met Simón Bolívar. She exchanged love letters with him, and visited him while he moved from one country to another. Manuela supported the revolutionary cause by gathering information, distributing leaflets, and protesting for women's rights. As one of the most prominent female figures of the wars for independence, Manuela received the Order of the Sun ("Caballeresa del Sol" or 'Dame of the Sun'), honoring her services in the revolution. During the first months of 1825 and from February to September 1826, she lived with Bolívar near Lima, but as the war continued, Bolívar was forced to leave. Manuela later followed him to Bogotá. On September 25, 1828, mutinous officers attempted to assassinate Bolívar, but with Manuela's help he was able to escape, which made him later call her "Libertadora del Libertador".

1830

Bolívar left Bogotá in 1830 and died in Santa Marta from tuberculosis while he was in transit, leaving the country to exile. He had made no provision for Manuela. Francisco de Paula Santander, who returned to power after Bolívar's death then exiled Manuela. She went to Jamaica for the early years of her exile.

1835

When she attempted to return to Ecuador in 1835, the Ecuadorian President, Vicente Rocafuerte, revoked her passport. She then took refuge in northern Peru, living in the small coastal town of Paita. For the next twenty-five years, a destitute outcast, Manuela sold tobacco and translated letters for North American whale Hunters who wrote to their lovers in Latin America. While there, she met the American author Herman Melville, and the revolutionary Giuseppe Garibaldi.

1856

On his deathbed, Bolívar had asked his aide-de-camp, General Daniel F. O'Leary to burn the remaining, extensive archive of his writings, letters, and speeches. O'Leary disobeyed the order and his writings survived, providing historians with a vast wealth of information about Bolívar's liberal philosophy and thought, as well as details of his personal life, such as his longstanding love affair with Manuela Sáenz. Shortly before her own death in 1856, Sáenz augmented this collection by giving O'Leary her own letters from Bolívar.

1860

After the revolution, Manuela effectively faded within literature. Between 1860-1940 only three Ecuadorian Writers wrote about her and her participation within the revolution, and these writings largely portrayed her as either exclusively the lover of Simón Bolívar or as incapable and wrongfully participating within the political sphere. These portrayals also assured her femininity as a mainstay of her characterization. However, the 1940s created a significant shift in how she was viewed and characterized. Literature like Papeles De Manuela Saenz, 1945, by Vicente Lecuna, which was a compilation of documents regarding the life of Bolívar, effectively disproved popular stereotypes about Manuela. Ideas about her being sexually deviant, hyper feminine and incapable were replaced by more favorable portrayals as the 20th century progressed.

1980

The later 20th century generated shifts in her portrayals that were consistent with ideological shifts within Latin America, like the increase of feminism of the 1980s and nationalism of the 1960s - 1970’s. Portrayals within the fictional The General in His Labyrinth by Gabriel García Márquez and the nonfictional Alfonso Rumazo’s Manuela Saenz La Libertedora del Libertador contributed to her effective humanization within popular culture and helped politicize her image. Alfonso Rumazo’s novel was especially poignant for its ideas of Pan-American Nationalism that were represented through Manuela’s participation within the wars of independence. Manuela became increasingly popular with radical Latin American feminist groups subsequently, her image was commonly used as a rallying point for Indo-Latina causes of the 1980s. The popular image of Manuela riding horseback in men’s clothing, popularized by her portrayal in The General in His Labyrinth, was re-enacted by female demonstrators in Ecuador in 1998.

2007

On May 25, 2007 the Ecuadorian government symbolically gave Saenz the rank of General.

2010

On July 5, 2010, Manuela Sáenz was given a full state burial in Venezuela. Because she had been buried in a mass grave, no official remains of her existed for the state burial; instead, "symbolic remains", composed of some soil from the mass grave into which she was buried during the epidemic, were transported through Peru, Ecuador and Colombia to Venezuela. Those remains were laid in the National Pantheon of Venezuela where those Bolívar are also memorialized.

Some Manuela Sáenz images

About the author

Lisa Scholfield

As a Senior Writer at Famous Net Worth, I spearhead an exceptional team dedicated to uncovering and sharing the stories of pioneering individuals. My passion for unearthing untold narratives drives me to delve deep into the essence of each subject, bringing forth a unique blend of factual accuracy and narrative allure. In orchestrating the editorial workflow, I am deeply involved in every step—from initial research to the final touches of publishing, ensuring each biography not only informs but also engages and inspires our readership.