General Jose Gervasio Artigas Arnal is the National hero and
father of Uruguayan independence. General Artigas was born on
the 19th of June in 1764 and died on September 23, 1850. During
his lifetime he became a larger than life figure and with the
passing of time he achieved an unrivaled position in the history
of the South American nation of Uruguay. There is a large, life
sized statue of General Jose Gervasio Artigas in Montevideo's La
Plaza Independencia. This impressive artwork is one of the
region's most popular and important landmarks. General Artigas
was born into a privileged family and his wealthy parents tried
to provide him with every opportunity. Shortly before he entered
his teenage years he began working on some of his family's land.
He enjoyed his first taste of independence at this time because
the lands on which he worked were out in the country away from
his parents who resided in Montevideo. Young Artigas became an
expert horseman and marksman. He even smuggled some goods in
from neighbori