| rdfs:comment | - Miguel de Azcuénaga was born in Buenos Aires on June 4, 1754. He was the son of Vicente de Azcuénaga Iturbe, a Spanish businessman from Biscay, and María Rosa de Basavilbaso y Urtubia, from Buenos Aires. The Azcuénaga-Basavilbaso had 4 sons and 3 daughters. Miguel de Azcuénaga was sent to Spain at an early age, to complete his elementary studies in Málaga and then attend the University of Seville. He returned to Buenos Aires in 1774, and made a new journey to Spain to oversee the business of his father.
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| abstract | - Miguel de Azcuénaga was born in Buenos Aires on June 4, 1754. He was the son of Vicente de Azcuénaga Iturbe, a Spanish businessman from Biscay, and María Rosa de Basavilbaso y Urtubia, from Buenos Aires. The Azcuénaga-Basavilbaso had 4 sons and 3 daughters. Miguel de Azcuénaga was sent to Spain at an early age, to complete his elementary studies in Málaga and then attend the University of Seville. He returned to Buenos Aires in 1774, and made a new journey to Spain to oversee the business of his father. He began his military career in the artillery of Buenos Aires, during the Spanish–Portuguese War, staying in that unit until the signing of the First Treaty of San Ildefonso that incorporated the Banda Oriental to the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata. With the war concluded, he became a regidor of the Buenos Aires Cabildo. He took the arms again in 1778, during an attack of the natives, and directed the operations at the fort in San Miguel del Monte. As Spain fought the American Revolutionary War, it was feared that Britain may launch a counteroffensive against the Spanish colonies. Azcuénaga led an artillery unit with 4 cannons in 1781, but no British attack took place. He was appointed to several offices within the Buenos Aires Cabildo in the 1781-1794 period. On April 7, 1789, he helped a number of shoemakers to establish a guild. Although there were several in Spain, no guild constitution from Spain was used as a model. He promoted the pavement of the streets, and the improvement of the buildings. Supported by the viceroy Nicolás Antonio de Arredondo, he collected $8,000 and provided 500 cattle to mine rocks from the Martín García Island for this work. He married his cousin Justa Rufina de Basavilbaso y Garfias on February 6, 1795. He was appointed lieutenant colonel in 1796, leading a local militia from that year to 1802. When he left, he granted all his military wages from that period to the soldiers of his unit. He was appointed colonel on march 24, 1802, and donated $2,435 for the clothing of the soldiers. He further donated $1,000,000 to build a navy, along with Juan Larrea and Domingo Matheu. He fought in the 1806 British invasions of the Río de la Plata, leading a resistance in the Gálvez bridge. He stood for 20 hours, with only 400 soldiers, against an overwhelming British force. He managed to escape with 50 soldiers, and aided the brigadier Hilarión de la Quintana.
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