Blog 5 (:

Juan Santamaría was born on August 29, 1831, and he died on April 11, 1856. He is officially recognized as the national hero of Costa Rica and there is a holiday every year on April 11, to commemorate his death. Juan was born in Alajuela, Costa Rica. Juan was a poor boy and when the president of Costa Rica, Juan Rafael Mora, asked for people to join the army, Juan joined as a drummer boy. During the war, William Walker was the enemy, and he had built a fort. Juan volunteered as a child to go and burn the fort, forcing the enemy inside. Juan Santamaria died burning the fort down, for he was shot many times. Juan only volunteered for this position under the condition that someone take care of his mother if he died. In my opinion, Juan Santamaria is a very influential person involved with the history of Costa Rica. He helped Costa Rica keep their land and independence.