Los Insurgentes: The Warrior Priest

Padre José María Morelos's orders were clear. All he had to do was travel back into south of Mexico and raise troops for the Army of America; then take the city of Acapulco. He was also to disrupt the trade routes. New Spain's economy was did very well out of commerce with the Philippine Islands. If that was to stop, then the viceroy would lose a lot of funds. Ok. Morelos leapt back onto his horse and rode away.

Morelos had an impressive résumé. His dad was a carpenter, so Morelos had picked up some of the skills of that trade as a child. He was physically fit and strong. Years working with his back to the sky in the plantations had seen to that. He was a man of letters. He'd been an accountant. He'd organized the administrative side of a large hacienda. He was an scholar, with degrees under his belt. He was a man of vision and design. He'd overseen construction work. He was a great priest. None of which precisely amounted to any military experience at all.

He had followed Padre Miguel Hidalgo's academic route into the priesthood. The Roman Catholic seminaries and universities had been great for learning about theology; but they had been woefully lacking in classes on warfare, battlefield strategic thinking and the practicalities of leading an army. Up in the north, where Hidalgo himself was the general, this ommission was distrastrously telling. He had been forced to give up command of the army to Allende and Aldama - two military men, who actually knew what they were doing.

Down in the south, Morelos was having none of that trouble. For years, he had been inspired by Hidalgo to reach beyond himself. He could be whatever he wanted to be. It never crossed Morelos's mind that he didn't have the skill to lead an army. If Hidalgo was doing it, then so should he. Morelos knew that he was a clever man, all he had to do was apply himself to the job in hand. The difference between himself and Hidalgo, so it transpired, was that Morelos was a natural. He proved to be a talented strategist. His prowess turned out to be so great, that he has gone down in history as one of most outstanding military commanders of the War of Independence.


But that was all in the near future. For now, Morelos returned home, to his family in San Agustín, Carácuaro, and set about forming his own troops. He was still the parish priest there; however, only 25 men signed up to join him. Undaunted, Morelos led his small party across Michoacán state, drumming up support and boosting his numbers. By the time he'd been through Nocupétaro, Cuahuayutla and Zacatula, it was all looking a bit more respectable. He even had weapons.

'Weapons' might be stretching the definition of the word to breaking point. As with the northern Army of the Americas, what most of Morelos's troops were armed with was the tools of their trade. They were largely drawn from the fields and workshops, carrying their own machetes, scythes and axes. There were a few guns, but nothing to those available to the fully army and trained Realistas (Spanish Army in Mexico). It wasn't until Morelos led his army into Guerrero, gaining recruits there, that he came into possession of his first cannon. They called it El Niño.

It was during this initial call to arms that Morelos was joined by Nicolás Bravo Rueda. Better known as just Nicolás Bravo, this idealistic 23 year old was a native of Chilpancingo, Guerrero. He had arrived with his father, Leonard, and his brothers, Max, Victor and Miguel, as soon as the recruitment drums had sounded in their area.

Their arrival was significant. Leonard was a wealthy plantation owner - the vast Chichihualco farm, in Chilpancingo, belonged to him - and the whole family were Spanish Creole. They represented the very class of people whom the insurgents were fighting, but politically, the Bravo family were right on side. Leonard Bravo was instantly put in charge of a portion of the fledgling army.

By December, 1810, Morelos declared himself ready to move onto the second part of his orders - capture Acapulco. Acapulco, at the time, was a Spanish stronghold. It governed much of the trade into Asia and was protected by the imposing San Diego Fort. The Realistas within it also knew that Morelos was coming. Under the command of Francisco Parés, the Realistas rode out to meet the insurgents, confident of a swift victory. They were wrong. Morelos's leadership was so inspired, and his strategy so sound, that the Battle of Tres Palos resulted in a resounding victory for the rebels.


San Diego Fort
Morelos moved on into Acapulco itself and instructed his troops to burn the city down. Much of the population was already inside San Diego Fort, with what was left of the Realistas. This proved impregnable to the insurgents, but they could lay siege to it. This was precisely what they did. With no food or other supplies able to enter the fort, the inhabitants were soon struggling. It took nearly two months for Realista reinforcements to arrive. When they did, they were numerous enough that Morelos was forced to move on.

He hadn't been idle during the seige though. Leaving just enough people to ensure that San Diego Fort was isolated, Morelos had led the rest of his forces on lightning raids into the surrounding towns and villages. The majority of coastal towns of Michoacán and Guerrero were now under his control, all of them denying access to the Pacific Ocean for the viceroy's traders.

News trickled down to the south. Hidalgo, Morelos's hero and mentor, had been arrested, along with all of his high-ranking commanders. With the main Army of the Americas now in disarray, that left the whole insurrection without a leader. Morelos had always followed Hidalgo. Now he was the esteemed padre's successor, in the War of Independence. So be it. This was not the time to give up.



The victories went on. Within nine months, Morelos's army had been involved in 22 battles and had won them all. He had even taken the cities of Chilpancingo and Tixtla. As Allende, Aldama, Jiménez, then later Hidalgo, were being executed in Chihuahua, right up in the north, the whole south-west was rising with the rebels. As more people joined them, more places were taken.


Morelos's Campaign Trail

It wasn't just the south-west. Nicolás Bravo had ridden north with his commander, Hermenegildo Galeana. They were responsible for the skirmishes breaking out all over Veracruz state during 1811. By 1812, they were gathering in strength and support.

Early in the year, in the port of Veracruz, they nearly succeeded in overthrowing the Spanish governors. As a result, the viceroy had to send many Realistas there, in order to keep the sea link open with Spain. They were successful (until 1820), but that diverted the Spanish troops away from other areas in the state. Galeana and Bravo quickly took advantage of this. Very soon, they had taken the major Veracruz cities of Ayahualulco and Ixhuacán, as well as most of the state itself. Now fearing for Veracruz's capital city, Xalapa, the Realistas had to flee the port to defend it.



Back in the south-west, Morelos's insurgency seemed unstoppable. Then came Cuautla.

The city of Cuautla had put up a fierce defense, but Morelos's strategies had won through. The insurgents entered the city on February 19th, 1812. But there they were forced to stay. The Realista general, Félix María Calleja, had rallied his own troops and surrounded them. This was the same general who, two years before, had defeated the Army of the Americas, at Calderón Bridge. He was a brilliant military strategist. Morelos had found his equal.

But not quite. For 72 days, the siege held. Calleja was rigorous in maintaining his circle of highly disciplined soldiers. He didn't just stop supplies getting in, but also kept the city under the constant bombardment of artillery and cannon fire. Nothing that Morelos tried could break their strangehold on the city's perimeter. By late April, the population and troops, imprisoned inside the walls, were reduced to eating cats, rats, and lizards. When they couldn't be found, then it was snails or grasshoppers. However, it was also a stalemate, because Calleja could not break into the city.

Then, on May 2nd, 1812, Morelos tried something new. He simply left the city. It was in the early hours of the morning, when the army, with a handful of civilians, quietly crept out. Silently praying to God, the Virgin of Guadalupe, and anyone who'd listen, they sneaked past the night-watch and made it safely into the countryside.

Calleja was furious, when he discovered them missing, later in the morning. He sent his army after them and managed to engage them in battle. But weak with hunger and out-numbered, Morelos ordered his army to disperse. They did so, individually, in twos or in small groups, regrouping further on. Calleja was incensed, but with the rebels scattered to the wind, he couldn't do much about it. He returned to Cuautla and burned it down, then ordered his army to march back to Mexico City. There he claimed a hollow victory.

Morelos, meanwhile, waited for them to leave, then returned to Cuautla. Now it was firmly in the hands of the insurgents. With his army swelling again, he was able to divide it further, under the leadership of able men. Nicolás Bravo and Hermenegildo Galeana had returned for the fight at Cuautla. Bravo had acquitted himself so well, that Morelos had given him his own forces to command. He'd used them to Calleja, during the siege, when it seemed that the Realistas actually would break through. Now he used them to return to the north-east and to continue to harry the Realistas there.

Another man had proved himself at Cuautla. This was a Roman Catholic priest, from Mexico City, named Padre Mariano Matamoros y Guridi. Padre Matamoros had sympathized with the rebels from the beginning. He was so outspoken in these sentiments that, in 1810, the Spanish authorities had had him jailed. He had managed to escape from prison, a year later, and had made his way to Morelos. At 41 years old, he had joined the Army of the Americas.

After witnessing Matamoros's skill at Cuautla, Morelos had no hesitation in promoting him to lieutenant general. This effectively made Matamoros the second in command of the whole insurgency.

For the next 18 months, the rebels moved through the south of Mexico. Victory followed victory. They returned to Acapulco and this time managed to take it. Better still, they secured Oaxaca, which was the richest, most populated city in the southern region. From Veracruz, in the north, to the Pacific Ocean in the south, the land was under the control of Morelos.

On September 13, 1813, in Chilpancingo, Padre Morelos read out their declaration of independence. It was entitled Sentimientos de la Nación (Sentiments of the Nation); and its signatories proclaimed themselves the government of an independent Mexico.

Morelos was their president, but he disdained any high or mighty titles for himself. After several suggestions were presented to him, Morelos chose one for himself: Siervo de la Nación (Servant of the Nation). He busied himself, and his administration, with debating several laws, in addition to the 23 points laid out in the declaration.


Statue at Chilpancingo
But then, after that, it all went wrong. Morelos attempted to take his home city of Valladolid, on December 23, 1813. It failed. Worse still, Matamoros was captured. Morelos offered 200 Spanish prisoners in exchange for him, but was turned down. Padre Matamoros was defrocked, excommunicated and tried for treason. He was executed by firing squad, on February 3, 1814, in Valladolid's central plaza.

The insurgents were to win no more decisive battles after that. Morelos tried, but his strategies weren't working out as they once had. By late 1815, his own government voted to strip him of some of his powers on the battlefield. He accepted the decision graciously. But then bad luck turned to catastrophe.

On November 5th, 1815, Morelos was escorting a party of his Congressmen through Tezmalaca, Puebla. Matías Carrasco had once been an insurgent, but he'd swopped sides and was now on patrol at the helm of a troop of Realistas. He knew exactly who Morelos was, when he saw him. Morelos was out-numbered. He only had 200 men with him. Carrasco swooped down and the ensuing battle was very quick. The outcome was inevitable from the start. Morelos was arrested, along with all of the rebels with him.



Morelos watched, as 150 of his men were executed by firing squad, in front of him. The remaining 50 were chained and sent to Veracruz. There, they were told, they would be sent to Manila and sold into slavery. Morelos was taken, in chains, to Mexico City. He was tried and found guilty of treason. But the Inquisition also wanted him.

Standing before them, on November 27th, 1815, Morelos was charged with violating celibacy and fathering three children. He didn't deny it. He was defrocked and excommunicated, but there was one special torture reserved for him, which hadn't happened to either Hidalgo nor Matamoros. Morelos was made to kneel, while the areas of skin, which had been touched by holy oils at his ordination, was scraped from his body.



Three days later, Morelos was taken to at San Cristobal Ecatepec, north of Mexico City. The village had a large indigenious population. It was thought that executing him there would send a louder message to the remaining insurgents, than doing it in Mexico City. On November 30th, 1815, Morelos was shot dead by a firing squad.

Nicolás Bravo went on to fight valiantly for independence, until 1817, when he too was captured. However, he wasn't executed, but was imprisoned until 1820. Upon gaining his freedom, he immediately resumed his activities in the insurgency. He was there, in 1821, when Mexico finally gained her independence. Later on, Bravo served three terms in office, as the President of Mexico. He died, aged 68, at his family's farm, in Chilpancingo.


Nicolás Bravo

Where to Visit:


* Chilpancingo de los Bravo, Guerrero. Previously known as Chilpancingo, the 'de los Bravo' was added in honor of the Bravo family. It's also commonly called Ciudad Bravo (Bravo's city). Nicolás Bravo was born there, September 10, 1786. The house of Los Bravos is a popular tourist attraction there.

* Acapulco, Guerrero. Morelos's army attacked and burnt down the city in 1810. The Fort of San Diego contains a museum, with a War of Independence exhibition. On the waterfront, near to the cathedral, is a monument to several heroes of the insurgency, including Morelos.

* Cuautla, Morelos. Morelos and his troops were trapped in this city for nearly three months, in 1812. The city's formal name is now La Heroica e Histórica Cuautla de Morelos (The Heroic and Historical Cuautla of Morelos), in honor of the event. The Morelos Museum, in the city, contains many items from the War of Independence, as well as exhibtions detailing the struggle.

* San Cristobal Ecatepec de Morelos, State of Mexico. This is the city where Morelos was executed. A monument stands at the spot where it happened. The house in which he stayed is now a museum, Museo Casa de Morelo (Morelo's Museum). The 'de Morelos' was added to the name of the city, in 1877, in his honor.

Los Insurgentes: Hidalgo's Prodigy

It was October, 1810. One of Valladolid's Roman Catholic priests was appalled. He had in his hand the proclaimation that he was supposed to read out to his congregation. It was the excommunication of Padre Hidalgo and a damning condemnation of the cause of the Army of the Americas, as issued by the Bishop of Michoacán, Manuel Abad y Queipo. Padre Morelos, sitting in his church, did not want to speak this to his parish. He didn't agree with it. It wasn't right!

Valladolid had been taken by the insurgents, on October 17th, but it hadn't been the carnage feared after reports from Guanajuato. The bishop had personally appealed to Hidalgo then and the settlement had been relatively peaceful. Now, as soon as Hidalgo had moved on, towards Mexico City, with his troops, the same bishop was issuing notices like this.

Padre Morelos had a lot of sympathy with the rhetoric coming from the ranks of the insurgents. They weren't just talking about Mexican independence, but they were highlighting the plight of the indigenious people in the fields. They wanted to abolish slavery and create a fairer society for all. Equal opportunities for all; universal education; a way to promote self-sufficiency for those who, through their race or caste, where slaves to the Spanish in all but name.

Padre Morelos might be registered as being of pure Spanish descent, but that had basically been his father, Manuel Morelos, playing the system, wanting him to get ahead. In reality, Morelos's mother, Juana María Guadalupe Pérez Pavón, had been a freed slave. She had both Indian and African blood. He should have more properly been registered as 'Mestizo' - mixed blood - especially once his father's mixed indigenious Mexico and Spanish ancestry was taken into account.


José María Morelos
However, that would have severely limited his work prospects. He would have become one of the very people that Hidalgo was fighting for. This wasn't to say that Padre Morelos hadn't done his share of hard, manual labour. He'd worked in the sugar-cane plantations for 11 years. But he was a intelligent man and that had been noticed. He'd been pulled out of the fields and into the offices, where he'd worked as a scribe and an accountant.

Morelos had earned enough money to fund his further education. At the age of twenty-five, he'd entered the Colegio de San Nicolás (San Nicolás's College), in Morelia. This was the oldest college in the Americas. It had been established in 1540 and it was very prestigious. He'd studied Latin grammar, rhetoric and moral philosophy, which had set him on the road to becoming a priest. But here was the rub. Morelos knew Padre Miguel Hidalgo. The man had been a rector at the same institution. He had been Morelos's lecturer and mentor. He had encouraged Morelos in his studies and his vocation.


Colegio de San Nicolás
That had been the early 1790s and Morelos had been on a great spiritual and educational journey since then. He'd completed further courses, in philosophy and moral theology, at Valladolid's Tridentine Seminary. Then, in April 1795, he'd taken the biggest leap of all. Morelos had travelled all of the way to Mexico City, to gain his BA degree, at Real y Pontificia Universidad de México (the Royal and Pontifical University). This was where Hidalgo had also studied, on his own path into the priesthood. Morelos had followed his mentor's advice in making a beeline for the place.

From there, it had been back to Michoacán state to the fast track into joining the clergy. First there was the city of Uruapan, in December 1796, where Morelos taught grammar and rhetoric, as an assistant priest. By September 1797, he was a deacon. In 1798, his dreams were realised and Morelos was ordained as a priest.


Now officially called Padre Morelos, he had moved around the state a lot. He had acted as parish priest in several villages, including Churumuco; Tamacuaro de la Aguacana, in La Huacana; San Agustín, in Carácuaro, and neighbouring Nocupétaro. In the latter, he'd personally overseen the building of a church. All of this with Hidalgo's early inspiration ringing in his ears, urging him to aim higher; be all that he was capable of being; rise above all that his background had decreed; be great.

Morelos looked to his idol as a role model in less secular ways too. Mexican Roman Catholic priests, then, as now, were expected to remain unmarried and celibate. Hidalgo had challenged that idea, asking where that prohibition had been mentioned in the scriptures?

Hidalgo had gone further than that, living openly with Maria Manuela Herrera and fathering her two daughters. Later, he'd met Josefa Quintana and he had three more children with her. Hidalgo had been examined by the Spanish Inquisition about it, but had been found innocent. Given that Hidalgo wasn't exactly concealing his role as common-law husband and father, it was a clear indication that the Church would turn a blind eye. Padre Morelos took note and followed the example of his mentor.

As a parish priest, in San Agustín, Carácuaro, Padre Morelos had met Brigida Almonte. The couple didn't bother to hide their relationship. He'd even took her with him, when he crossed the river to take up the parish of Nocupétaro.

Their son, Juan Napomuenco Almonte, was born there in 1803. (In adulthood, he was to become president of Mexico.) However, the common-law marriage didn't last. Padre Morelos met another woman, in Nocupétaro, named María Ramona Galván. With her, he had a son, born in 1808; then a daughter, born in 1809.

With the Nocupétaro church built, Padre Morelos returned with his family across the river. It was back in his San Agustín Church that he now held the Bishop's proclaimation in his hand. Hidalgo, the man who had so pushed him and shaped his life; Hidalgo, whose fire and passion had inspired Morelos to reach further than he thought possible to achieve his dreams; Hidalgo, the man whose example had led to the joy of hearing his own small children playing in the yard; Hidalgo, who was even now raising an insurgency, in defence of the man whom Morelos, by rights, should have been. THAT Hidalgo? That was the man whom Morelos was supposed to condemn? And if he didn't speak out, would he lose his hard-won priesthood?

Padre Morelos had no choice. He had always followed Hidalgo. Now, perhaps, it was the most important occasion when he should. He put down the proclaimation. He saddled a horse and kissed goodbye to his family. Then he rode north-east. The Army of the Insurgents had not long left Valladolid, they couldn't be too far away. He followed the trail towards Mexico City, asking along the route, until he found them. The massive army had been about to march again. A few minutes more and he might have missed them at Charo.

Morelos pushed through to the front, until he glimpsed his idol. Hidalgo saw him and hailed him at once. The reunion was made in such high spirits that Morelos knew that he'd made the right decision. Hidalgo was full of praise for his young prodigy. As they rode towards Indaparapeo, the pair discussed the insurgency. By the time they booked into the village's Nazareth Inn, Morelos was being made a general (or a lieutenant, accounts differ). He was placed in charge of the southern part of the army. It was October 20th, 1810, and Morelos had just become a soldier.



Where to Visit:


* Morelia, Michoacán. This city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is the birth-place of José María Teclo Morelos y Pavón; and it was renamed Morelia, from the original Valladolid, in his honor. The house in which Morelos was born is now Casa Natal de Morelos (Morelos's Birthplace Museum). It contains many documents signed by Morelos, plus some of his belongings.

A house belonging to Morelos in adulthood is now the Casa Museum José María Morelos y Pavón (José María Morelos y Pavón Museum). It contains many of his personal items and furnishings. To the west side of the city's cathedral is Morelos Plaza, which includes a statue of him.

Also check out the Plaza de Armas. This is where Mariano Matamoros was executed by firing squad, in 1814. Its alternative name is Plaza de los Mártires (Martyrs' Square) because of this and several other executions that took place during the War of Independence.

The Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo, in Morelia, is the original Colegio de San Nicolás. The 'de Hidalgo' addition to its name is in honour of Padre Miguel Hidalgo, who once lectured there as a rector. José María Morelos y Pavón was also there, as his student.

* Churumuco de Morelos, Churumuco, Michoacán. Originally this town was simply called Churumuco, but the 'de Morelos' was added in honor of José María Morelos. He once served as a parish priest here.

* Tamacuaro de la Aguacana, in La Huacana (town), La Huacana (municipality), Michoacán. Morelos was once the parish priest here.

* San Agustín, Carácuaro de Morelos, Michoacán. Originally this was a village called Carácuaro and it was where Morelos served as the parish priest.
Brigida Almonte, with whom Morelos had a son, lived here. It was renamed Villa de Morelos Carácuaro, in 1886, in his honor, but is more commonly called Carácuaro de Morelos. Casa Morelos, where he lived, is now a public library. In the town's central square, there is also a statue depicting Morelos.

On September 30th, every year, there is a festival held here to mark the anniversary of Morelos's birthday.

* Nocupétaro de Morelos, Michoacán. This town is just over the river from Carácuaro de Morelos, linked to it by a bridge. It was also a place where Morelos acted as parish priest and similiarly added 'de Morelos' to its name, in his honor.

Morelos and Brigida Almonte's son, Juan Napomuceno Almonte, was born here. He was later to become president of Mexico.

María Ramona Galván, the second of Morelos's lovers, lived here. He had two children with her, also born in the town.

* Charo, Michoacán. A stone bridge, near to the town, on the old Charo-Morelia highway, is traditionally viewed as the meeting point, where Morelos met Hidalgo. Inside the town, there's an eagle's head, which was recently placed as part of Route 2010 (one of the Bicentennial War of Independence national commemorations). For more information on these routes, visit their official site.

* Nazareth Inn, Indaparapeo, Michoacán. In October, 1810, this inn was where Hidalgo made Morelos a lieutenant in the Army of the Insurgents. It is still an inn today, where patrons may book a room for the night.

* Janitzio Island, in Lake Patzcuaro, Michoacan. There is a 39.6 meter (130ft) hollow statue of Morelos.

Los Insurgentes: The Poets, Publicists and Spies

It began as a love story. Leona met Andrés, at her uncle's law firm, where he was working as a lawyer. The two became instantly besotted with each other. He asked her to marry him and she immediately said 'yes!' But there was a problem. Her uncle forbade the union outright. As a staunch royalist, he could not permit his beloved niece to marry Andrés Quintana Roo. The man was an insurgent!

Leona Vicario was a wealthy woman. She had been born, in Mexico City, on April 10th, 1789, as an heiress to a Creole fortune. Her full name was Maria de la Soledad Camila Leona Vicario Fernandez de San Salvador and Montiel de Quintana Roo, which possibly explains why she introduced herself as merely Leona Vicario.

She had been orphaned at a young age, hence the fact that she was now living under the guardianship of her uncle, Agustín Pomposo Fernández de San Salvador.

She had been 21 years old, when news spread of the insurgency swarming into their direction. Though secretly sympathetic to the course, she wasn't actively involved in it. She was too busy flirting with Andrés, a man who wrote such beautiful poetry.

Andrés Quintana Roo, on the other hand, already had a bit of a history of subversive action. He was born Eligio Andrés Quintana Roo, on November 30th, 1787, in Mérida, Yucatán, as the son of José and Maria Ana Matías Quintana Roo.

José had established the first printing press in on the Yucatán Peninsula; and he'd already caught the eye of the authorities with publications that bordered upon insubordination.

(It should be noted that there was no Mexican state of Quintana Roo (pron. keen-TAH-nah ROH-oh) at this point. It's a common error to see his name rendered as Andrés de Quintana Roo. There was no 'de' about it. The state was named after Andrés, not the other way around. He came from Yucatán; Quintana Roo is the state underneath that.)

In 1802, at the age of 15, Andrés Quintana Roo had joined the Sanjuanistas, being taken there by his father, José. This was a group of Mexican Creole political thinkers, who met at San Juan Church, in Mérida. It was led by Padre Vicente María Velásquez, a priest who had an especial interest in the plight of Indians and indigenious Maya workers. These people tended to be kept on starvation wages, working long hours in the fields and plantations of Spanish overlords. The group discussed freedom of the press, education for all (including the 'peasant' classes), universal suffrage and other such radical ideas of the time. They also condemned the privileges of the Spanish, over the native people.

José Matías Quintana Roo was later to be arrested and sentenced to incarceration at the notorious San Juan de Ulua island prison, off the coast of Veracruz. His publications, fuelled with the ideas of the Sanjuanistas, had finally proved too much for the Spanish governors to stomach.


The Royal and Pontifical University of New Spain
Meanwhile, his son, Andrés, was well away. At the age of 21, Andrés had moved to Mexico City to complete his education. He had gained his primary qualifications at the Seminario de San Idelfonso de Mérida (San Idelfonso Seminary, in Mérida), but, in order to be a fully practicing lawyer, he needed to enter Real y Pontificia Universidad de Nueva España (The Royal and Pontifical University of New Spain). Thus it was that, two years later and close to his 23rd birthday, he was still in the capital city, hearing from his boss that he was not going to be allowed to marry Agustín's niece.

The couple were stunned. With his father in prison and Hidalgo's army on the march, the injustices sparking the cause had now crashed straight into Andrés's personal life. He gave in his notice. He left the building. He rode straight out to meet the Army of the Insurgents and he joined it.

Leona Vicario was no less incensed. She was 21 years old and, as far as she was concerned, her uncle had no right to interfere in her marriage plans like this. Until now, she had kept out of the insurrection. She had played the society woman and she'd been a good girl. No more. Leona also packed her bags. She moved to Tacuba, which is now part of the Miguel Hidalgo borough, in the north-west of Mexico City, but then was a town slightly apart. Then she got active.


For a start, Leona Vicario found like-minded women and organized them. They acted as spies and couriers for the rebels. She financed them from her own fortune. It is believed that, by the end of the War of Independence, Leona had personally contributed over $80,000 pesos to the cause. (In today's money, that would be the equivalent of roughly $1,330,000 pesos.)

They aligned themselves with the Guadalupes, a clear signal that they supported the Virgin of Guadalupe. This was highly significant at the time, especially in Mexico City. It was also the reason that Hidalgo was using the Virgin of Guadalupe in his speeches, slogans and flags. While now, the Virgin of Guadalupe is a common icon throughout Mexico, back in 1810, it was used only by the caste Indians and indigenious people. Not by people of Leona's class.

The Virgin of Guadalupe (left) and
the Virgin of Los Romedios (above)

The Virgin of Guadalupe is a depiction of Mary, Mother of Christ, but as a brunette with a darker complexion. As a wealthy Creole, of Spanish descent, Leona should have been casting her lot with the Virgin of Los Remedios. This was Mary, Mother of Christ, looking altogether richer, with paler skin and much lighter brown hair. This is Mary as the Queen of Heaven; while the Virgin of Guadalupe was Mary as a humble woman. She wore a cloak spun from agave (the plant which is also the main ingredient in tequila). She had symbols around her that dated back from Atzec goddesses.

Leona's faction of the Mexico City Guadalupes were all women of high status and even better connections. They were able to use their society lifestyle to gain information from the Realista officer class and those close to the viceroy. They were able easily form a network of informants that passed this information onto the leaders of the insurgency. After the battle of Monte de las Cruces, when it seemed that Hidalgo's Army of the Americas was about to storm Mexico City itself, the ranks of the Guadalupes swelled. Many of the ladies were now quite open about their involvement. They thought that Mexican independence was just around the corner.

But then Hidalgo ordered the retreat and, within months, he and the other leaders had been arrested and executed. Many letters, signed by El Guadalupes, were found upon them, giving important (and hitherto classified) information. The authorities had to act and so began a program of search and arrest within the city itself. Many of the more indiscreet ladies were captured. Within their respective camps, Leona and Andrés both escaped detection. But they weren't finished with the independence movement yet.

Andrés was on the run. He moved from city to city, using his publishing knowledge to create two newspapers: 'Semanario Patriótico Americano' (American Patriot Weekly) and 'Ilustrador Americano' (American Illustrator). Both received wide circulation, promoting Mexican independence and all of the insurgent groups. It got the news out there, as well as inspiring people to join them. The viceroy's office wanted greatly to close them down.



Leona continued her intelligence work. Hidalgo and his people may be down, but others were rising into prominence. She found out who they were and she ensured that they were now in possession of her information and funds. She also received messages back, explaining what was needed on the front line. Chief amongst them was armaments. Leona took it upon herself to persuade the gunsmiths of Nueva Vizcaya (modern-day Chihuahua, Durango, Texas and New Mexico) to join the rebel's cause. This was a step too far and she was betrayed by one of them.

Leona was arrested on January 13th, 1813. She absolutely refused to name her colleagues nor anyone in her network of contacts. If she had been a man, she would probably have been sent to prison or executed. But she was a lady of breeding and therefore that would not have been appropriate. Instead, she was sent to a convent. El Convento de Belén de las Mochas (the covent of Bethlehem, in the Mochas) was still within Mexico City. She was only there for four months, before three insurgents, disguised as Realistas, visited her under the pretext of further questioning. Colonels Antonio Vázquez Aldarna and Luis Alconedo (and a third man) soon spirited her out of the gates to freedom.


José María Morelos

She was taken to Oaxaca de Juárez, Oaxaca, where she met up with José María Morelos. Morelos was the bright star of the current insurgency hopes, but life with his army wasn't easy. Used to the finery of salons, Leona was now on the road. She was seeing first-hand what the battlefields were like, as she camped with them and supported them as best she could. In response, her own property and goods, in Mexico City, were confiscated by the viceroy.

The army arrived in Michoacán state, where many insurgent groups were congregating. They were seeking to create an government and a declaration of independence was already being drafted.

Up in the hillsides, hidden deep within the hundreds of mine shafts, the López Rayón brothers had been smithing guns and other armaments for the insurgents, until just a month before. That was when the Realistas had overwhelmed El Gallo hill and forcing them to evacuate.

Many of Leona's letters, or whispered communications, had ended up in Michoacán. But they was not the only things belonging to her here. In the municapality of Tlalpujahua, she was reunited with Andrés Quintana Roo. There was no uncle between them now and they were married without delay.

In September, 1913, José María Morelos read out the Sentimientos de la Nación (Feelings of the Nation), at the Congress of Chilpancingo. This was their Declaration of Independence and it named Andrés as the governor of Puebla. This, however, was a government still in hiding. Though that didn't stop them passing a series of laws, with Andrés as a senior congressman, presiding over many of the committees. The couple were forced to move frequently, still publishing newspapers and doing their best to support the cause in whatever way possible.

In 1818, their daughter, Genoveva, was born. This caused them to stay too long in one place, while Leona was heavily pregnant and then gave birth. Their location was discovered by the Realistas and the whole family was arrested. After a short period in prison, the family were offered a pardon, on condition that they were exiled to Spain. They accepted it and left the country. They were doing no good in prison and they had a baby.

However, they were soon back. Mexico had finally achieved independence, in 1821, and Andrés took his seat as part of an official government. The couple were given the Ocotepec Hacienda, in the plains of Apam, as compension for their financial and property losses during the struggle. They resumed their positions at the top of Mexico City's society. Leona died there, in 1842, and Andrés, in 1851, both peacefully.


Andrés Quintana Roo

Where to Visit:


* San Juan Church, Mérida. This is the place where the Sanjuanistas met, consolidating and enflaming Quintana Roo's passion for the insurgency.

* San Juan de Ulua, Veracruz. The fort, which has been alternatively used as a fort, prison and the seat of government, is now a museum owned by the Mexican Navy. This is the place where José Matías Quintana Roo was imprisoned for subversive publications.

* Oaxaca de Juárez, Oaxaca. This is the city where Leona met José María Morelos. The city is a UNESCO Cultural Site.

* Tlalpujahua, Michoacán. This is the city where the couple were reunited and married.