PART B - SUBSIDIARY INFORMATION
8. Assessment of Risk
9. Preservation assessment

PART A - ESSENTIAL INFORMATION
 

1. Identity and Location

1.1. Name of documentary heritage: Colombeia: Archive of General Francisco de Miranda

1.2 Country: Venezuela

1.3 State, Province or Region: Caracas - Federal District

1.4 Address: Academia Nacional de la Historia, Av. Universidad, Bolsa a San Francisco, Palacio de las Academias, Zona Postal 1010

1.5 Name of organisation or institution: National History Academy, Archive-Library Department
 

2. Legal Information

2.1 Owner: National History Academy, Archive-Library Department, Av Universidad, Bolsa a San Francisco, Palacio de las Academias, Caracas, Zona Postal 1010, Fax 4823849, E-Mail � HIPERVÍNCULO mailto: anhistor@dino.conocit.ve �� anhistor@dino.conocit.ve�

2.2 Custodian: National History Academy, Archive-Library Department, Av. Universidad, Bolsa a San Francisco, Palacio de las Academias, Caracas, Zona Postal 1010, Fax 4823849. E-Mail � HIPERVÍNCULO mailto: anhistor@dino.conocit.ve  anhistor@dino.conocit.ve

2.3 Legal Status

Category of ownership: Public

Details of legal and administrative provisions for the preservation of the documentary heritage:

The Organic Decree regulating the original scope of the National History Academy (art 2, section 1.2) states:

"This academy shall fulfil the following obligations: 1. To collect historical printed documents and manuscripts for the library (...) 3. To acquire and build up collections of any type of item which may be classified as an historical testimonial; (...) To copy documents on historical Venezuelan subjects from all the various records of public proceedings, so that full national annals are built up from the date the Academy is opened."...

Regulations of National History Academy, article 11. "THE ARCHIVE LIBRARIAN. The duties of the Archive Librarian are as follows: to be responsible for the preservation and ordering of books and manuscripts in the Academy and to produce indexes; to buy books and manuscripts under the terms of Organisation Agreements"...

National Archive Law (article 4): "National historical documents and general government documents shall be preserved in the National Archive, which shall henceforth be known as the General Archive of the Nation, in the National Congress Archive, in the National History Academy Archive and in subsidiary Executive Department archives..."

Accessibility: The documentary series "the Miranda Archive" has been published on two (2) occasions. The first edition was published in 1932 and the second was ordered by Presidential Decree 1,792 of 25 September 1976 (incomplete). No direct access to the original documentation is allowed and it may only be consulted by reading the publications. The entire documentation was micro-filmed at the end of the Seventies and the Academy offers the films as a service to historical research. The intrinsic value of this documentary heritage demands security measures and restricted access to the original.

Copyright status: None

2.4 Responsible administration

The National History Academy is an independent public organisation. It was set up by Presidential Decree on 28 October 1888. It possesses administrative autonomy, i.e. it is allocated an annual budget. Custodianship of the documentation is the responsibility of the Archive-Library Department, as laid down in article 11 of the regulations of the National History Academy mentioned earlier.
 

3. Identification

3.1 Description and inventory:

The General Francisco de Miranda Archive is made up of various types of document, as follows: manuscripts, printed matter and maps. Miranda himself organised his archive in 1805. The Archive consists of sixty three (63) volumes, divided into three sections according to the type of documentation, as follows: Travels (26 volumes), Spain, Africa, America, United States, Holland, Prussia, Saxony, Austria, Italy, Turkey, Greece, Russia, Denmark, Hamburg, Rhine, Switzerland, France and England; French Revolution (18 volumes) - and Negotiations (19 volumes).

Bibliography/registration details:

First edition of manuscripts 1927

Second edition of manuscripts 1978 (incomplete edition)

3.3 Visual documentation: None

History

In 1926, the Republic of Venezuela acquired the Archive of General Francisco de Miranda. The National Government immediately resolved to entrust this archive to the National History Academy and it has remained in its custody since that time.

The Archive consists of 63 volumes, it is stored in a special area of the Academy Archive and is constantly subject to the care and attention it requires by virtue of its nature and importance. It is in a satisfactory state of preservation and has been micro-filmed.

It was compiled by Francisco de Miranda himself, who took care to organise it into the form he considered most opportune for its purpose.

Francisco de Miranda’s Archive includes notes, in diary form, written during his travels through the Caribbean, the United States, England, western continental Europe, Turkey and Russia. These notes contain his own personal experiences and his observations of people, countries, monuments, public buildings, works of art, libraries, museums, prisons and hospitals in the places he visited. Miranda’s descriptions of many sites and buildings are unique and very important.

Almost all the observations in the diary refer to very interesting stages in history; the Caribbean as a theatre of conflict for England, Spain and France, the United States as it neared the end of the War of Independence, Europe before the French Revolution, the process of the French Revolution, the revolutionary process, Catherine the Great’s Russia and preparations for the first stage of American Independence.

The Archive also contains Miranda’s correspondence with key personalities of the day in each of the places he visited. When we consider who these people were (Jefferson, Madison, Hamilton, Pitt, Lord Wellington, Petion, Brissot and Fouché to name but a few), we can appreciate the transcendent importance of this Archive as a record of an age.

Miranda filed away documents, journals, loose sheets and even books. These resources give the collection its own individual nature, because the items in the Archive are unique, very rare or difficult to consult or gain access to.

The Archive was first published in two stages, fourteen volumes beginning in 1930 and ten more volumes from 1950. This publication does not include the annexes to the archive and also lacks an introduction and full indexes to aid consultation. It is relatively difficult to consult because it follows the same order as the original.

The second edition, published under the title of Colombeia, is still incomplete and sets out to order the archive in chronological order to allow better access to its information.

Because of the topics it refers to, the documents it contains, the people who wrote the correspondence and the age to which it refers, this archive is UNIQUE in American history and very important for our knowledge of relations between the United States and Europe at the time Spanish American Independence was declared.

3.5 Bibliography

• ROBERTSON, Williams,La vida de Miranda [Life of Miranda], Caracas, Banco Industrial de Venezuela, 1967
• PARRA PEREZ, Caracciolo, Miranda y la Revolucíon Francesa [Miranda and the French Revolution] Caracas, Banco del Caribe, 1966
• PICON SALAS, maríano, Miranda, Caracas, Monte Avila, 1972
• GRIGULEVICH LAVRETSKY, José, Miranda, la vida ilustre del Precursos de la Independencia de América Latina [Miranda, the illustrious life of the Precursor of Latin American Independence] Caracas, Contraloría General de la República, 1969

Dr. Rafael Fernández Heres, Director of National History Academy, (Full Member)

Dra. Ermila de Veracoechea, Archive Librarian of the National History Academy (Full Member)
 

4. Management Plan
 
Statement of the significance of the documentary heritage (Chapter 4, part 4)

The nominated documents contain an immense and varied amount of information relating to a period of major change of world importance. The series corresponds to the final years of the Eighteenth Century and the beginning of the Nineteenth Century. It refers to various facts of great historical significance to humanity, i.e: the war waged by the Spaniards against the Moors to win back their territory, the process of North American Independence and Franco-Spanish participation in this conflict, the political life of Tsarist Russia in the time of Catherine the Great, the French Revolution and subsequent struggles in defence of the revolution and, lastly, the first steps towards independence in the Latin American colonies. Francisco de Miranda played the following active roles in these events:

Regimental captain in the Spanish Army in the defence of Melilla (1774-1775) against the Sultan of Morocco and in an expedition against Argel.

Regimental captain and Aide-de-camp to General Juan Manuel Cajigal (1781) during the reinforcement of Pensacola in the American War of Independence. In 1782, he took part in a Spanish naval expedition which set out to conquer the British Bahamas.

In 1787, he became one of the favourites of the Tsarina Catherine the Great of Russia, who authorised him to wear a Russian army uniform and protected him against persecution by the Spanish.

In 1792 he was appointed a Field Marshall in the French revolutionary army.

During the same year, he was appointed second in command of the Northern Army led by the French General Charles Dumoriez, in the war against the Prussian-Austrian coalition for the defence of the Revolution. In 1811, he was appointed Commander in Chief of Land and Sea of the Conference of Venezuela, and took the first steps towards independence.

Miranda’s writings have earned him the description of "the best diarist of his time." With a clear sense of posterity and the importance of keeping a written record for history, he devoted himself conscientiously to keeping records of an age he realised heralded a time of great change for the world. Whether his role was that of ordinary bystander - a lowly officer in the Kings Army in the case of the Spanish Conquest - or leading light - Division General in the Northern French Army under the command of General Charles Dumouriez - he kept various types of documents - letters, deeds, full legal records, loose papers, etc. These constitute a fundamental primary source for our understanding of all the processes of world significance he witnessed, including the most important event of recent centuries, the French Revolution.

A tireless traveller, he noted and copied a huge amount of information. This makes his archive one of the most important documentary sources for the study of the Century of Enlightenment, a time of fundamental change. He travelled through Europe and Asia Minor and the result of these travels is an immense quantity of personal observations on different topics, a compilation of intriguing loose documents, and also an exchange of correspondence with personalities important in their day. One important aspect worthy of special consideration by the Memory of the World Programme Assessment Committee is the fact that General Francisco de Miranda possessed a deep-seated sense of history and was even prepared to file away documentary items which showed himself in a bad light for posterity.

To sum up, this is a major documentary source for the study of historical processes of extreme importance to humanity. It was collected and preserved conscientiously by Miranda with the sole purpose of leaving primary sources for study.

Access policy and procedures (Chapter 6, part 10; Chapter 7, part 1)

No access is allowed to the original, which is locked in an Area built to safeguard it. Access to the information in the documents is through published editions and micro-films.

Details of preservation budget

The National History Academy is an independent organisation with its own budget and it allocates a considerable proportion of the budget to preservation activities. Because the Miranda Archive is one of the most valuable items of documentary heritage in its keeping, it receives its own budget allocation and special treatment under the institute’s preservation policy.

Preservation procedures and policies to control the physical environment - i.e. air quality, temperature, humidity, light levels, shelving, storage, security, building maintenance, handling by staff and users and display techniques. These procedures and policies should take into account the significance, physical state and required use of the documentary heritage (Chapter 6, part 4).

Temperature from 20 to 25 degrees centigrade measured by thermometer.

Relative humidity controlled by dehumidifiers and measured by a humidity gauge. The documentation is housed in a security area built for its protection which is opened every day to allow the recommended ventilation. The documentation is not exposed to ultraviolet or fluorescent lighting. No pollution is present. The area protecting the documentation is cleaned regularly to keep away animals and insects.

Physical conditions in the building are excellent and the building structure has not deteriorated.

Preservation treatments employed including details about access to professional conservation expertise and facilities (Chapter 6, parts 5,6,7).

Disaster prevention and recovery plan.

The Academy Building, seat of the National History Academy is fitted with a disaster protection system consisting of different types of alarms. The area where Miranda’s papers are kept is resistant to high temperatures.

Number of preservation staff, their qualifications and opportunities for their continued training.

The conservation area is staffed by four (4) employees, trained and co-ordinated by the specialist Carmen López, a Conservation Technician.

Description of how the preservation activities are incorporated into general management activities

Despite budget restrictions, the institute has drawn up plans for computerisation and extended co-operative conservation agreements. Preservation policies are seen as a priority in general.
 

5. Assessment against the selection criteria

5.1 Assessment of the documentary heritage against each criterion described in Annex 2.

This documentary heritage is of such importance that it fulfils almost all the selection criteria laid down in the programme. The criteria are applicable to two all-important historical processes: the French Revolution and the Independence of Spanish Colonies in America.

• Criterion one: Influence: Much of the documentation in the collection exercised an important influence on the history of the world. The Miranda Archive documents a significant proportion of the legal proceedings brought against Miranda by General Charles Dumoriez before Danton and the French Convention in 1793, and the accusations of treason brought by Miranda against this important general in the French army. This documentation was of vital importance in establishing Dumoriez’s betrayal of the revolution. The position of the Girondins position against the Jacobins was also strengthened when the causes of the northern French army’s defeat were known. Miranda also kept a great quantity of documents relating to the political process underlying the French Revolution, i.e. printed matter, letters from French émigrés confiscated by Miranda, and other items which reflect the political climate at the time. This Archive also contains the first inklings of American independence, particularly the "Act of Paris" which lays down initial strategies for requesting English and US aid in securing the Independence of the Spanish American Colonies. In his eagerness to obtain support for the cause of independence Miranda, who was considered the precursor of American Independence, made a series of appeals to various governments, particularly England. The resulting documents were to mould the outcome of an event which transcended the frontiers of national culture: Latin American independence. The documents are also very useful because they tell us about the diplomatic attitude adopted by leading nations of the day in relation to the independence of the Spanish Colonies.
• Criterion two: Time. A considerable proportion of the documentation in Miranda’s archive refers to the French Revolution. Eighteen (18) volumes of the sixty three (63), i.e. approximately 18% of the documentation contains primary information on this period of change in world history. In other words, this part of the document provides basic information on the most important political and social event in the history of humanity. Spanish American independence may also be considered an event which transcended national boundaries because it involved the historical processes of two (2) continents - America and Europe: both were ultimately travelling along the road to decolonisation, which may be seen as a world phenomenon. The information in the Miranda Archive describes the events underlying Latin American independence as they took place and also reveals the diplomatic attitude of the other nations - the USA and England – which Miranda set out to involve in the conflict.
• Criterion three: Place: General Miranda’s Archive contains primary information on the French Revolution. As stated previously, eighteen (18) of the sixty three (63) original volumes refer to the frenetic political activity in Paris at the end of the Eighteenth Century under Robespierre, battles in defence of the French Revolution against the Prussian/Austrian coalition during which Miranda achieved major victories, i.e. Gran Pré (12 September 1792), Valmy (20 September 1792) and the fall of the citadel of Amberes (3 October 1792). The closure of this key point on the Scheldt was decreed by the Treaty of Muster, signed by Spain and Holland in 1648. Another interesting group of documents describes the criminal proceedings brought against Miranda, who was accused of betrayal by Dumoriez, Commander in Chief of the Army of the North. Miranda accused him, in turn, of being responsible for the army's defeat in the Battle of Neerwinden in March 1793. Miranda’s defence submitted to the revolutionary court when he accused Dumoriez of treason and a large quantity of correspondence between Miranda and the Revolutionary Generals justifies the application of the criterion of Place because these documents refer to a place (France) and historical sites in France where political events all-important to humanity unfolded, along with subsequent events in defence of the revolutionary movement.
• Criterion four: People. The leading role played by Miranda in historical events of world importance due to his political and military standing, the persecution he suffered by the major European powers and the enormity of the missions entrusted to him connect him, sometimes closely, to key personalities of the day. He maintained a special bond with these people, sometimes personal and sometimes political. Some examples are as follows: William Pitt (1759-1806) British Prime Minister. Miranda tried to interest him in providing British aid for the planned independence of the Spanish/American colonies. Maximilien Robespierre (1758-1794) was responsible for the period known as the Terror during the French Revolution and Georges Dantón (1758-1794) the French revolutionary. Miranda’s high military qualifications - Second in Command of the Revolutionary Army of the North allowed him a direct, official relationship with these two important figures. Dantón, Georges Jacques (1759-1794). Popular leader of the French Revolution. Member of the National Convention responsible for creating the Revolutionary Military Tribunal on 10 March 1793, which judged Miranda and Dumoriez for treason. Luis Felipe I (1773-1850). Son of the Duke of Orleans. King of France in 1830. During Miranda’s time, he was General Lieutenant of the Army of the North. He fought by his side and as his subordinate in the Battles of Valmy and Nerwindem. He backed Dumoriez’s defection against the French government. As king, he recognised Miranda’s historical value and had his portrait placed in the 1792 room in the Museum of Versailles and his name beneath the Arc de Triomph in Paris together with the other Generals of the Revolution. George Washington (1732-1799), founder and first president of the United States. When accused of betraying the Spanish Crown for his action against the English colonies in North America at Pensacola (17??) Miranda took refuge in the United States and met Washington personally. Catherine II, the Great (1729-1796). Tsarina of the Russian Empire. Persecuted by the Spanish, French and English, Miranda took refuge in the Russian Empire under the personal protection of the Tsarina, who gave him diplomatic immunity and authorised him to use the uniform of the Russian Army.
• Criterion five: Subject/theme. The documentary heritage nominated in this case brings exceptional clarity to certain much-debated aspects of the French Revolution. To mention one aspect alone: the case brought against Miranda for the defeat suffered by the northern army, in which General Dumoriez was also involved, provides primary information on this aspect of the most important event in modern history.
• Criterion six: Social value. The relevance of the criteria applied above justifies the citing of this criterion. The social value of Miranda’s Archive transcends the limits of national and regional culture.

This documentary heritage is as important as all other primary French Revolution sources. It must be considered in the same light as all original sources which bear the historical imprint of this event. It is comparable with the notes and journals of other important travellers such as Marco Polo, Alexander Humboldt, etc.

5.3 An evaluation of the authenticity:

During the year 1926, a group of Venezuelans headed by the historian Caracciolo Parra Pérez, who was responsible for buying the documentation in England, verified the authenticity of the documents. The National Academy of History then corroborated this first impression.
 

6. Consultation

6.1 Details of consultation about the nomination with the:

Owner: National Academy of History

Custodian: National Academy of History, Library Archive Department.

Relevant Regional or National Memory of the World Committee

Venezuelan Committee of the MEMORY OF THE WORLD Programme
 

7. Nominator

7.1 Name: Dra. Ermíla de Veracoechea

7.2 Relationship to documentary heritage: Archive Librarian of the National History Academy

7.3 Contact person: Dra. Ermíla de Veracoechea

7.4 Contact details: Av. Universidad, Bolsa a Padre Sierra, Palacio de las Academias, Caracas, 1010, Fax 482-38-49, E-mail HIPERVÍNCULO mailto: anhistor@dino.conit.ve

anhistor@dino.conit.ve
 

PART B - SUBSIDIARY INFORMATION
 

8. Assessment of risk

8.1 Nature and scope of threats to the documentary heritage.

Political climate:The democratic system of government in Venezuela is internationally considered a stable system and this situation has prevailed for 38 years. The National History Academy was set up on 28 October 1888 by presidential decree. Throughout its 108 years of life, this institution has witnessed numerous severe political events in the country, but on no occasion has its institutional stability been threatened in any way that would represent a real risk to the heritage in its keeping. Its academic nature and ancient standing ensures it an honour and respect which set it above any possible political events which may occur.

Environmental conditions:

a) Temperature of 20 to 25 degrees centigrade measured by thermometer.

b) Relative humidity controlled by dehumidifiers and measured by humidity gauge.

c) The documentation is not exposed to ultraviolet or fluorescent light. The lighting in the area and the consultation room contains an adequate light filter (opaque acrylic protectors).

d) No air pollutants are present.

e) The entire protective area surrounding the documentation is regularly cleaned to safeguard against animals and insects.

f) The National History Academy employs guards to safeguard its contents. The Palace of the Academies building, the seat of our institution, is protected by laws governing the historical and culture heritage of our nation. The physical conditions of the building are acceptable and display no structural damage. A structural maintenance programme is also in existence.
 

9. Preservation assessment

9.1 An assessment of the preservation of the documentary heritage

• The physical state of the documentation is good