Rafael Uribe Uribe was born in the small town of Valparaíso, in the Sovereign State of Antioquia (Present day Department of Antioquia) at his family's country estate of El Palmar on April 12, 1859. His mother educated him at home and he was reportedly a shy boy. In 1871 Uribe was accepted to the University of Antioquia, then attended a military school called School of the State, where he received martial training. He also studied sporadically in Buga, Capital of the Sovereign State of Cauca (Present day Department of Valle del Cauca) where he also joined the Liberal rebels of Cauca during the Colombian Civil War of 1876 and was wounded in combat.