Person

José Gervasio Artigas

1764–1850 · 19th century · Also known as José Artigas

José Gervasio Artigas led the rising of the Banda Oriental against Spanish Montevideo in 1811 and became leader of the Eastern Province. Demanding independence and a federal union, he broke with Buenos Aires and in 1814–1815 drew the provinces of the Littoral into the Federal League as its Protector. Portuguese invasion from 1816 and defeat at Tacuarembó in 1820 ended his power, and he died in exile in Paraguay. Uruguay honours him as national hero.

José Gervasio Artigas
Image: Juan Manuel Blanes · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 4 state histories

Eastern ProvinceFederal LeagueCisplatinaRepublic of Entre Ríos

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). José Gervasio Artigas. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/jose-gervasio-artigas
MLA
“José Gervasio Artigas.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/jose-gervasio-artigas. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “José Gervasio Artigas.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/jose-gervasio-artigas.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘José Gervasio Artigas’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/jose-gervasio-artigas (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻