Jose Artigas Statue (Washington, D.C.)

USA / District of Columbia / Washington / Washington, D.C.
Artigas (1764-1850) is sometimes referred to as the "father of Uruguayan independence." He raised troops of volunteers to fight for the creation of a Uruguayan state separate from Argentina and free of Spanish domination. An admirer of the young United States, he is said to have carried a copy of the American Constitution with him at all times. Engraved at the base of the statue is the statement: "Liberty of America is my dream and its attainment my only hope."

The statue was funded in great part by contributions from Uruguayan school children.
Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jose_Artigas
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Coordinates:   38°53'32"N   77°2'29"W
This article was last modified 16 years ago