Rafael Carrera papers, circa 1845-1864

Series

Call Number: MS 187

Scope and Contents

Includes correspondence between Carrera and Chepita Silva; bewteen Carrera and Dolores Cruz; between Carrera and various recipients, including a poem honoring Carrera; typed transcripts of correspondence; photographs of Carrera and other graphic material; and newspaper clippings.

Some materials very fragile; handle with care.

Dates

Creation: circa 1845-1864

Biography of Rafael Carrera (1814 - 1865)

José Rafael Carrera y Turcios was born on October 24, 1814 in Cadelaria, Guatemala. He was the son of Simon Carrera and Juana Rosa Turcios. Carrera worked multiple jobs before he married Petrona García in 1837.

Carrera rallied an army following a cholera outbreak in Guatemala in 1837, marching with his army on Guatemala City on February 1, 1838. Carrera would fight against Francisco Morazán, the Honduran President of the Federation of Central America, after Morazán marched into Guatemala City.

Following the war against Morazán, Carrera became a military ruler of Guatemala before becoming the first president of Guatemala in 1844. In 1847, he founded the Republic of Guatemala. He died in 1865.

[Information taken from Prensa Libre, a Guatemalan newspaper.]