FRANCISCO REAL COUSIN AND RAMOS: BIOGRAPHY - HISTORY - 2025

Francisco Primo de Verdad (1760-1808) is considered one of the precursors of Mexican independence. He was of Creole origin, so he had to face the laws promulgated by the Spanish that limited his professional possibilities.

This discrimination against the Creoles, who were increasingly numerous and had acquired political and economic influence, was one of the causes of the growing unrest in the colony.

Source: By AlejandroLinaresGarcia, from Wikimedia Commons

The Napoleonic invasion of Spain and the subsequent loss of the crown by the Bourbons was the event that initiated the first proposals for self-government in Mexico. Primo de Verdad, as Trustee of the City of Mexico City Council, was one of the authors of the proposal to create its own Governing Board for the country.

This first attempt ended with its protagonists arrested, including the viceroy and Primo de Verdad. However, shortly afterwards the initiative spread to other parts of the country, beginning the struggle for independence.

Biography

Francisco Primo de Verdad y Ramos was born in Lagos de Moreno, a town in the Mexican state of Jalisco. He came to the world on June 9, 1760, in a farm called La Purísima Concepción. Both parents were Spanish, so he was a Creole.

In the towns near his, Aguascalientes and Santa María de los Lagos, there was no secondary school, so the young Francisco was sent to Mexico City to complete his training. There he entered the Royal College of San Ildefonso.

Later, he decided to study law, graduating with honors. Already at that time he began to interact with important figures of the City Council of the capital, which made it easier for him to reach the position of Trustee. Within the administrative structure, the Trustees occupied one of the most important positions.

At the time, the City of Mexico City Council had 25 members. Of these, 15 were life councilors, who bought or inherited the position. Another 6 were honorary, completing the number with two mayors and two Trustees.

Discrimination of Creoles

Primo was, as has been noted, the son of Spaniards. In the social structure of the viceroyalty, those born in New Spain to Spanish parents were called criollos. This social class, although often in a good position, was prohibited from accessing some positions.

The situation worsened with the laws issued by Carlos III, which further reduced the possibilities of the Creoles. Among other things, they could not access high positions in the government, the military or the clergy.

According to historians, the reforms of Carlos III were beneficial for the metropolis, but not for the colonies proper. All the rulers came from Spain, with the sole purpose of exploiting its wealth. In addition, they used to not know the customs and the way of being of their governed.

Influence of the Enlightenment

Primo de Verdad, in addition to his law studies, was very interested in the Enlightenment. Following the philosophers of this current, he came to the conclusion that sovereignty should reside in the people.

From his position, he began to spread these ideas, which the Spanish did not like. The Inquisition even began treating him as a heretic.

Besides, he paid special attention to the news that came from the United States, with the declaration of independence, and from France, with its Revolution. From these events he also collected part of his liberating and humanist ideas.

Napoleonic invasion of Spain

In Spain events were taking place that would greatly affect the situation of its American colonies. Napoleon Bonaparte invaded the country in early 1808 and placed his brother as king.

The Abdications of Bayonne, which would have been impossible without the clumsiness of the Bourbons, caused the beginning of the War in Spain and its consequences soon reached the Vierreinato.

Thus, the information was published in June of that same year by the Gaceta de México. The loss of the crown by Carlos IV and Fernando VII made the Mexicans begin to acclaim their regidores, many of them Creoles.

Proposal for the creation of a Board

The Government Boards was the solution adopted in Spain by those who fought against the invasion. Thus, they created a series of institutions that had sovereignty over a given territory.

In Mexico, unwilling to acknowledge Napoleonic authority, many tried to copy the idea. The City Council of the capital, with Primo de Verdad as one of its ideologues, went to see the Viceroy on July 19, 1808 to make a proposal.

This consisted of the rejection of the abdications of the Bourbons, not recognizing the authority of any official arrived from Spain and that the Viceroy continued to be in charge of the government as head of New Spain.

Iturrigaray, Viceroy at that time, accepted this proposal, which had been drawn up by Primo de Verdad and Azcárate. They then decided to call a general meeting.

The meeting took place on August 9. It was attended by the Audiencia, the City Council, the Archbishopric, inquisitors and other authorities of the viceroyalty. It was Primo de Verdad who presented the reason for the Meeting.

According to his exposition, the abdication of the legitimate king of Spain meant that "sovereignty had returned to the people." Later, he made known the proposal that he had already brought to the Viceroy.

Reaction to the proposal

The proposal presented by Primo de Verdad had the absolute rejection of the Royal Court. Likewise, the inquisitor Bernardo Prado y Ovejero spoke, who affirmed that the idea of ​​popular sovereignty was contrary to the doctrine of the Church and called Primo de Verdad heretic.

The viceroy was in favor, who swore loyalty to Fernando VII and was against obedience to the Junta of Seville, based in Spain.

Both sides were increasingly at odds. The supporters of Primo de Verdad considered that it was the moment to gain self-government, while maintaining the Spanish king as the highest authority. The peninsulares, for their part, refused to give part of their powers to the Creoles.

It was the latter who organized themselves to end the crisis. Under the command of a landowner, Gabriel del Yermo, followers of the Royal Audience prepared to depose the viceroy.

The final blow occurred between September 15 and 16. That night, the conspirators attacked the viceroy's rooms. This was captured and the rebels began to repress all those who had been favorable to the proposal of the City Council.

Arrest and death

Iturrigaray was replaced in office by Pedro Garibay, an elderly general who became a puppet of the rebels.

Other detainees were Azcárate, the abbot of Guadalupe and the other mastermind of the proposal, Primo de Verdad. They were all held in cells owned by the archbishopric in Mexico City.

On October 4, in one of those cells, the body of Primo de Verdad was found. Some chroniclers point out that it was found hanging from a beam, although others say it was found hanging from a large nail fixed in a wall. Finally, there was no shortage of those who claimed that he had been poisoned.

Many accused the Spanish of his death. He was buried in the tabernacle of the Basilica of Guadalupe.

His failed attempt was, however, the beginning of a process that would lead to the country's independence. In fact, the first proposals of Hidalgo and Morelos were very similar to that of Primo de Verdad.

References

1. Cardona Boldó, Ramiro. Francisco Primo de Verdad. Obtained from relatosehistorias.mx
2. Delgado, Álvaro. Cousin of Truth, the forgotten hero. Obtained from lavozdelnorte.com.mx
3. Ortuño, Manuel. Primo de Verdad y Ramos, Francisco (1760-1808). Obtained from mcnbiografias.com
4. Rodríguez O, Jaime E. New Spain and the 1808 Crisis of the Spanish Monarchy. Recovered from jstor.org
5. Revolvy. Francisco Primo de Verdad y Ramos. Retrieved from revolvy.com
6. Florescano, Enrique. Creole Patriotism, Independence, and the Appearance of a National History. Obtained from mty.itesm.mx