Background
Caldas was born Francisco José de Caldas y Tenorio on October 4, 1768, in Popayán, Colombia, the son of José de Caldas y Gamba and Vicenta Tenorio y Arboleda.
Plaza de Caldas, Bogotá, Colombia
Monument of Francisco José de Caldas
geographer inventor lawyer mathematician military engineer naturalist scientist
Caldas was born Francisco José de Caldas y Tenorio on October 4, 1768, in Popayán, Colombia, the son of José de Caldas y Gamba and Vicenta Tenorio y Arboleda.
Caldas taught himself mathematics and astronomy. His father sent him to Santa Fe, capital of the vice royalty of New Granada, to study law, but family circumstances forced him to go into the transportation business.
In 1802 Caldas met Alexander von Humboldt and Aimé Bonpland, who had become familiar with his work in Popayán and considered him a genius. He spent six months with the travelers and learned much of what he needed to become an astronomer, geodesist, volcanologist, geographer, and botanist. He hoped to accompany Humboldt on the rest of his journey, and it is not known why he did not do so. At this time José Mutis, who had sent Caldas money to finance his trip with Humboldt, made him a member of a botanical expedition and commissioned him to collect plants, mainly cinchonas, from the southern part of New Granada. Later he named Caldas director of a newly built astronomical observatory (the first in South America), geographer of the viceroyalty, and his successor.
In December 1805 Caldas arrived in Bogotá, where he took over directorship of the observatory and began work on an improved map of the vice-royalty. In January 1808 he began publication of Semanario del nuevo reino, which continued until 1811 and contained studies that are still important. When the province of Bogotá proclaimed its independence in 1810, Caldas was among the most active rebels. He published the Diario politico, enlisted in the army of liberation as an engineer, directed the army training school, and organized the arsenal for manufacturing rifles, gunpowder, and ammunition. When the rebellion was suppressed in 1816, Caldas sought refuge on his ranch, Paispamba, near Popayán. He was executed by orders of Pablo Morillo during the Spanish American Reconquista for being a forerunner of the fight for the independence of New Granada, on October 28, 1816.