María Remedios del Valle
María Remedios del Valle | |
|---|---|
| Nicknames | María Remedios Rosas, Remedios del Valle Rosas, Remedios Rosas |
| Born | c. 1768 Buenos Aires, Viceroyalty of Peru, colonial Spanish America (present-day Argentina) |
| Died | 1847 (aged 78–79) Buenos Aires, Argentine Confederation |
| Allegiance | United Provinces of the Río de la Plata |
| Branch | Army of the North |
| Service years | 1810–1818 |
| Conflicts | |
María Remedios del Valle (ca. 1768–1847) also known as the "Madre de la Patria" (Mother of the Homeland) was a pardo soldier who participated in the Argentine War of Independence on the side of the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata.
Although initially a civilian camp follower, she joined the Army of the North and participated in several battles. She was captured by Spanish forces after the Battle of Ayohuma, but escaped. Her entire family was killed in the war. When the war ended, she returned to Buenos Aires and eventually turned to begging. Discovered by one of the generals under whom she had fought, she was approved for a pension which was paid over the last decade of her life.
Largely forgotten until the turn of the 21st century when Argentine historians began including the contributions of Black Argentines, she is now widely recognized for her contributions to the independence of the nation. Her portrait is on the 10,000 peso note released in May 2024.