SIMÓN BOLÍVAR'S 10 MOST INFLUENTIAL TEACHERS - CULTURE VOCABULARY - 2025

The teachers of Simon Bolivar most important were Simon Narciso Rodriguez, Andres Bello, Alexander von Humboldt, Guillermo Pelgrón, among others. They had a prominent influence on his political ideas, personality, education and outlook on life in general.

Simón Bolívar, better known as El Libertador or El Hombre de América, was a Venezuelan military and politician recognized for liberating different nations of America after the Spanish colonization.

Alexander Von Humboldt (top left), Simón Rodríguez (top right), Padre Sojo (bottom left) and Andrés Bello (bottom right).

As the leader of American emancipation, he founded the republics of Greater Colombia and Bolivia. Gran Colombia, after his death, would become the republics of Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador and Panama. Bolívar also collaborated with the reorganization of the nation of Peru.

As a historical figure, he had a great influence on the leaders and military of the American continent. His legacy is part of universal history and has even given rise to nationalist political currents recognized under the name of “Bolivarianism”.

His markedly liberal actions and thinking were influenced by his environment, the ideas of the great thinkers of the Enlightenment, and, naturally, by the teachers who shaped and guided his education.

The main teachers of Simón Bolívar

1- Francisco A. Carrasco: professor of arithmetic and writing

Portrait of Governor Antonio García Carrasco, Virginia Bourgeois Source: Chilean National History Museum, public domain archive

As a child, Simón Bolívar would receive lessons from Francisco A. Carrasco, a highly trusted employee of his family and tutor of the Bolívar youth.

Carrasco worked as an accountant and cashier in an import store. In his spare time, he taught Bolívar first letters, writing and arithmetic.

2- Don Fernando Vides: professor of arithmetic and writing

Don Fernando Vides was close to the Bolívar family. He was a witness during the takeover of the house in Las Gradillas and tutor of the rest of Bolívar's brothers. The boy Simon was given classes in arithmetic, first letters and writing.

3- Fray Francisco de Andújar

Simón Bolívar's training in mathematics, during his childhood, corresponded to the teachings of Fray Francisco de Andújar, a Capuchin monk who founded a mathematics academy in Caracas, which Bolívar attended.

4- Guillermo Pelgrón

Don Guillermo Pelgrón had been a teacher since 1778 and directed one of the few elementary schools that operated legally in Caracas. He instructed Simon in Latin language and culture and grammar.

He also employed a young “first letters” educator, who later became one of Bolívar's main teachers, Simón Rodríguez (Rodríguez, 1990).

5- Pedro Palacios and Sojo

Source: Archdiocesan Oratory of Caracas, 1799, public domain archive

He was a priest and music teacher since the mid-18th century, recognized simply by the name of “Padre Sojo” (Calcaño, 1973).

As a teacher and great-uncle through the Liberator's maternal line, he established a close relationship with the young man through the teaching of music at his music school, established in the town of Chacao, Caracas.

In that school he also instructed great musicians in the history of Venezuela such as José Ángel Lamas, Juan José Landaeta (author of the music of the National Anthem of Venezuela), Lino Gallardo, Cayetano Carreño, among others (Swain, 2016).

6- Jose Antonio Negrete

He instructed Bolívar in history and religion (spirituality) (Prieto & Argüelles Mauri, 2002).

7- Simón Rodríguez

Source: Anonymous, Simón Rodríguez. Oil on canvas. Ministry of Education. Caracas Venezuela.

Simón Rodríguez, later known as Simón Robinson, was a Venezuelan writer, philosopher and educator, recognized both for his works and for having been one of Bolívar's main teachers and mentors (Tarver Denova & Frederick, 2005).

He taught from the age of 21 at the School of Reading and Writing for Children. There he met little Simon and became his teacher.

Bolívar's tutor delegated responsibility for Bolívar to Rodríguez, who took him into his home, where 20 other children also lived together. At first, Bolívar was reluctant and rebellious. He did not stop running away until the courts ordered him to stay and live with his new guardian.

In 1974, Rodríguez presented a critical writing, inspired by Rousseau's ideas, about the educational model of the American nations. His thought and writings on education denoted a liberal and transgressive spirit for his time.

Even Bolívar alluded in his letters that his teacher taught while having fun, trying to break the old customs derived from Spanish colonialism.

In his famous work American Societies, Rodríguez stressed the importance that each independent republic should give to originality in its models and institutions.

Avid reader and lover of freedom, his character would impact Bolívar years after their first meeting, since Simón was just a child and his family sent him, during adolescence, to Europe to learn fine arts and good customs, as was common in a young man of his position.

In Europe, Rodríguez and Bolívar met again in France in 1804. At that time, Rodríguez influenced him as a mentor and promoted his independence ideas.

They traveled through France and Italy, witnessed the coronation of Napoleon Bonaparte as King of Italy, and together they ascended the Monte Sacro in Rome, where Simón Bolívar recited his famous oath for the Independence of America.

The influence of Rodríguez as a mentor and affection for Bolívar, would be described by the Liberator in an epistle in 1824:

«You formed my heart for freedom, for justice, for the great, for the beautiful. I have followed the path that you pointed out to me. You were my pilot, although sitting on one of the beaches of Europe. You cannot imagine how deeply the lessons you have given me have been engraved in my heart, I have never been able to erase even a comma of the great sentences that you have given me »(Rumazo González, 2005).

8- Andrés Bello

Portrait of Don Andrés Bello by Raymond Monvoisin. Source: University of Chile, Central House, Rectory. Public domain file

Andrés Bello was one of the most important humanists and educators in the entire history of Venezuela and Latin America. Their contributions served as a frame of reference to begin to define the Spanish-American civilization.

His work gave rise to the Civil Code; His criticism was important in the independence process; promoted the creation of educational institutions and the media; He contributed great works to literature and to the study of the first letters, among other feats of a life dedicated for more than 7 decades to humanism.

However, as Bolívar's teacher, he had a short influence during his youth, giving him private classes in Geography and Literature.

Years later, they met in Europe and together they formed the diplomatic expedition to London to seek English funding for the independence cause (Lynch, 2006).

9- Jerónimo Ustáriz y Tovar (Marquis of Ustáriz)

Bolívar set sail for Madrid when he was only 15 years old. He was received in the comfortable home of the Marqués de Ustáriz, his protector and teacher during his stay in the Spanish capital.

According to some historians, Ustáriz was one of the most important personalities in Bolívar's life and formation, despite the fact that historiography focuses on the influence of Rodríguez and Bello.

Some letters from Bolívar certify that, in Madrid, Bolívar learned horsemanship, dance and fencing, while delving into his readings of illustrated philosophers, ancient classics, historians, orators and poets, including modern classics, for the time, of Spain, France, Italy and Great Britain.

The marquis also supported Bolívar during the courtship and marriage with the young María Teresa Del Toro (Cardozo Uzcátegui, 2011).

10- Alexander von Humboldt

Portrait of Alexander von Humboldt by Joseph Karl Stieler, 1843. Source: Prussian Palace and Garden Foundation photo library, public domain archive

Alexander von Humboldt was a German scientist and naturalist of great influence on humanity, because his character and ideas stood out against the common ideals of his time.

He met Bolívar during his stay in Paris and they established, since then, a bond that would fill many concerns of the Liberator of America with meaning and would also forge a friendship that lasted until Bolívar's death in 1830 (Rippy & Brann, 1947).

In Humboldt, Bolívar found an equal in his views on nature and nations. Together with him he nurtured his thoughts of deep humanism, worldview, respect and naturalistic awareness.

For Humboldt, Bolívar represented all the potential that America meant. For this reason, he devoted several years of study to the nature of the New World. Bolívar recognized each discovery as a feat that had given more to the continent than any other conqueror (Revista Madre Tierra, 2014).

More information about the education of Simón Bolívar

When he was little, Bolívar began his education as a child of his position, through private tutors who had already instructed his older brothers.

However, after the death of his mother at age 9, Simón's guardianship passed to his grandfather Feliciano. Soon after, he also died and was under the tutelage of his uncle Carlos, who was recognized as a greedy man who wanted to keep the immense fortune of the boy Simón (Sherwell, 2005).

Carlos enrolled Bolívar in the Public School of the Cabildo de Caracas. There, his educational experience was very poor and weak, not only because of his rebellion, but also because the campus had numerous organizational and resource problems that impeded optimal service.

At the request of one of his sisters, the boy was withdrawn from said institution and, since then, his education would acquire an informal and liberal character from the hand of influential teachers and tutors.

It would be formed with books and in-depth documents by John Locke, Thomas Hobbes, Voltaire, Rousseau, Montesquieu, among others (Straussmann Masur, 2016). Her training was complemented with trips to Europe and even classes in modern languages, fencing, dance and horse riding.

References

1. Calcaño, JA (1973). Biography of Father Sojo, 1739-1799. Caracas: Ministry of Education.
2. Cardozo Uzcátegui, A. (2011, November 11). Don Gerónimo Enrique de Uztáriz y Tovar. II Marquis of Uztáriz. Protector and teacher of Simón Bolívar in Madrid. Retrieved from the website of the Institutional Repository of the University of Los Andes: saber.ula.ve.
3. Lynch, J. (2006). Simón Bolívar: A Life. Connecticut: Yale University Press.
4. Prieto, A., & Argüelles Mauri, M. (2002). Cubans Speak and Sing to Bolívar. Havana: Editorial José Martí.
5. Mother Earth Magazine. (2014, June). Alexander of Humboldt. Recovered from the website of Revista Madre Tierra: revistamadretierra.com.
6. Rippy, JF, & Brann, ER (1947). Alexander von Humboldt and Simón Bolívar. The American Historical Review, 697-703. Recovered from: Alexander von Humboldt and Simón Bolívar.
7. Rodríguez, S. (1990). American Societies. Caracas: Ayacucho Library.
8. Ruiz, GA (1991). Bolívar's education. Caracas: Tropykos Editorial Fund.
9. Rumazo González, A. (2005). Simón Rodríguez, teacher of America. Caracas: Ayacucho Library.
10. Sherwell, GA (2005). Simon Bolivar. 1st World Library.
11. Straussmann Masur, G. (2016, July 21). Simon Bolivar. Retrieved from Encyclopædia Britannica website: britannica.com.
12. Swain, JP (2016). Historical Dictionary of Sacred Music. London: Rowman & Littlefield.
13. Tarver Denova, H., & Frederick, JC (2005). The History of Venezuela. Westport: Greenwood Publishing Group.