1812 Caracas earthquake
- When
- 1812
- Where
- Caracas, Venezuela; Venezuela
- Episodes
- 4
On 26 March 1812, Maundy Thursday, an earthquake struck Venezuela at 4:37 p.m., causing extensive damage in Caracas, La Guaira, Barquisimeto, San Felipe, and Mérida. Death toll estimates ranged from 1,000 in Caracas to 10,000–12,000 across the country. Royalist authorities framed the disaster as divine punishment for the independence rebellion, prompting Simón Bolívar's famous response.
Episodes
- Conflicting death toll estimates
Death toll estimates ranged widely, from 1,000 in Caracas alone to 10,000–12,000 across Venezuela compiled by Archbishop Coll y Prat.
- Royalist interpretation and Bolívar's reply
Royalists framed the earthquake as divine punishment for rebellion; Archbishop Coll y Prat's rhetoric prompted Bolívar's famous defiance of Nature.
- First U.S. foreign aid in response
The United States Congress unanimously decreed sending five ships loaded with flour to Venezuela, the first-ever instance of U.S. foreign aid, valued at $50,000.
- Earthquake strikes Caracas on Maundy Thursday
A powerful earthquake hit Venezuela at 4:37 p.m. on 26 March 1812, Maundy Thursday, causing extensive damage across multiple cities.
Background and detail
Background. Caracas, the capital and largest city of Venezuela, lies in the Caracas Valley of the Venezuelan coastal mountain range along the Guaire River. Venezuela had declared independence in 1811, and the earthquake struck while the Venezuelan War of Independence was raging. Caracas was already known to be subject to earthquakes, having suffered a destructive one in 1641.
Impact and Casualties. The earthquake caused extensive damage in Caracas, La Guaira, Barquisimeto, San Felipe, and Mérida. In Mérida, it was raining when the shock occurred. The lowest figure of 1,000 deaths accounted for Caracas only, reported in an 1812 publication. The archbishop of Caracas, Narciso Coll y Prat, estimated 10,000 to 12,000 deaths across Venezuela, based on a compilation of numbers reported by priests of his diocese.
Aftermath and Response. Royalist authorities explained the earthquake, which occurred on Maundy Thursday, as divine punishment for the rebellion against the Spanish Crown. Archbishop Narciso Coll y Prat called it "the terrifying but well-deserved earthquake," likening Caracas to Babylon, Jerusalem, and the Tower of Babel. Simón Bolívar famously replied: "If Nature is against us, we shall fight Nature and make it obey." The United States provided the first international assistance, with Congress unanimously decreeing the sending of five ships loaded with flour to Venezuela's coasts, an expenditure of $50,000 described as the first-ever instance of U.S. foreign aid.
Sources
- 1812 Caracas earthquake Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-19
- Caracas Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-19
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