José María Morelos
José María Morelos y Pavón (born September 30, 1765 in Valladolid, today Morelia , Michoacán , † December 22, 1815 in Ecatepec , Mexico ) was a priest and an outstanding leader in the struggle for the independence of Mexico . His external identification mark was a cloth wrapped around his head.
Life
Private life
José Morelos is the descendant of a humble family that combined several ethnic groups. His ancestors were native Indians as well as Spaniards and, according to a source referenced in the Wikipedia article in English, were also black African slaves.
After his father died in 1779, the young José was sent to the hacienda of his uncle Felipe Morelos, a brother of his father, in Tahuejo in Apatzingán to provide financial support for his mother and younger siblings . There he worked as a donkey cart driver for more than ten years, getting to know the country well, which would prove to be an advantage during his later involvement in the War of Independence.
In 1790 he joined the Roman Catholic seminary in Valladolid under the direction of Miguel Hidalgo . Seven years later he was ordained a priest and in 1799 was appointed priest of the Cuarácuaro parish , where he worked until 1810.
Public life
In the course of the Napoleonic occupation of Spain and the subsequent Spanish War of Independence (1808–1814), many of the ideas circulating in Spain at that time also found their way to Mexico, where the common people found mainly those - often not even living in the country - Large landowners were not very popular. The middle and upper classes were split into conservative and liberal forces; the liberals advocated economic and political independence from the motherland more and more, but even basically conservative people like Miguel Hidalgo supported the country's independence.
After his capture and execution in Chihuahua , Morelos assumed a leading role in this struggle from the second half of 1811. He placed himself at the head of an army division of the insurgents ( Insurgentes ) and fought several skirmishes with Spanish army units until 1813, in which he proved to be a capable strategist. Due to his military successes - including the bloodless capture of the city of Oaxaca in November 1812 - but also due to his charisma, he was the leading figure at the congress of Chilpancingo and proclaimed Mexico's independence on November 6, 1813.
Then the fortunes of war failed him and after a series of lost battles he was captured in November 1815, taken to the capital, convicted of treason there and shot outside the city on December 22nd. His lieutenant Vicente Guerrero continued the struggle for independence until 1821.
Honors
The house where José Morelos was born and spent his childhood is now a museum. His hometown Valladolid was later renamed Morelia in his honor. The Mexican state of Morelos , for which he had made a name for himself in the Battle of Cuautla , also received his name. The city of Montemorelos ( Nuevo León ) is also named after him. In addition, several monuments were erected in his honor and his likeness can be found on today's 50- peso banknote, including the quote in micro-writing:
- "Que la esclavitud se proscriba para siempre y lo mismo la distinción de castas, quedando todos iguales, y sólo distinguirá a un americano de otro el vicio y la virtud. Que en la nueva legislación no se admita la tortura. "
- (Slavery is to be forbidden forever, as is the division into castes so that all are equal. Virtue and vice alone are meant to distinguish one American from another. Torture is not to be allowed in the new legislation.)
literature
- Luis Villoro: La revolución de independencia . Historia General de México, México 2006, ISBN 9681209699 .
Web links
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Morelos, José María |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Morelos y Pavón, José María |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Mexican revolutionary |
| DATE OF BIRTH | September 30, 1765 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Valladolid, today Morelia , Michoacán |
| DATE OF DEATH | December 22, 1815 |
| Place of death | Ecatepec , Mexico |