Ramón Castilla (1797-1867) was a Peruvian military and political leader. After a distinguished military career he became president of Peru and provided his country with its first period of order, progress, and reform.

Ramón Castilla was born on Aug. 31, 1797, of mixed European-native parentage in Tarapacá (now Chile). When the wars of independence began, he joined the royalist forces in Chile and served from 1812 to 1817, when he was captured by the Argentine-Chilean patriot forces. Sent to a camp near Buenos Aires, he escaped and made his way to Peru. His royalist service continued until 1820, when, shortly after José de San Martin's liberating expedition arrived from Chile, Castilla changed sides. He served with distinction under the command of San Martín and Simón Bolívar until the war ended in 1824.

For the next 20 years Castilla moved in and out of...