IGNACIO MANUEL ALTAMIRANO: BIOGRAPHY AND WORKS - LITERATURE - 2025

Ignacio Manuel Altamirano (1834 - 1893) was a prominent Mexican politician, journalist, writer, and teacher. His work in the literary field was positively recognized by public opinion at the time, especially for the creation of Clemencia, considered the first modern novel in Mexico.

He began basic studies at 14 years of age in Tixtla; In addition, he developed an important link with the world of politics, which led him to participate in numerous war activities during approximately nine years of his life.

Not specified., via Wikimedia Commons

He also generated a strong interest in journalism, which motivated him to create - with the help of well-known characters of the time - various newspapers and magazines; including the Correo de México, El Renacimiento, El Federalista, La Tribuna and La República.

In addition to this, he exercised the work of teaching and laid the foundations that would lead to establish the principles of free, secular and compulsory primary education in the country; this thanks to his participation in various positions in politics.

Biography

Early years

Ignacio Manuel Altamirano was born on November 13, 1834 in the Mexican city of Tixtla, located in the state of Guerrero. He was part of a family of indigenous origin, specifically the Nahua, originally from countries like Mexico and El Salvador.

The names of the parents were Francisco Altamirano and Gertrudis Basilio; both were indigenous people who adopted their surnames from a Spaniard who had baptized one of their ancestors.

His father held an important position among the Chontales, which allowed him to obtain the position of mayor of Tixtla. This allowed that when Ignacio Manuel Altamirano was approximately 14 years old, he could begin attending a school of the same entity in which he was born.

The native language that he used due to his indigenous origin and the difficulty in accessing education prevented him from learning Spanish at first, a situation that changed once he began to receive classes.

Education

In Tixtla he learned to read and write. Shortly after entering the school, he maintained contact with the writer, poet, journalist and lawyer Ignacio Ramírez, who awarded Altamirano a scholarship for being his disciple. The benefit allowed him to see classes in the Mexican city Toluca de Lerdo.

Altamirano went on to study law at the Colegio de San Juan de Letrán and take classes at the Literary Institute of Toluca. In order to pay for law classes at school, he had to teach French in a private school.

In addition, he was part of academic and literary associations such as the Mexican Dramatic Conservatory, the Nezahualcóyotl Society, the Mexican Society of Geography and Statistics, the Liceo Hidalgo and the Álvarez Club.

Politics

For almost 10 years of his life, he gave a notorious importance to political and military activities. In 1854, when Ignacio Manuel Altamirano was approximately 20 years old, the young man already had a defined political position because he supported liberalism.

For this reason, it became part of the Ayutla revolution, which took place during the same year in the state of Guerrero and rejected the government of Antonio López de Santa Anna.

A few years later he participated in the Reform War, also known as the Three Years War, which faced the separation of the state between conservatives and liberals.

In 1861 he began to work as a deputy in the Congress of the Union, an institution in which the legislative power of Mexico currently falls. Altamirano held the position for approximately three terms, in which he supported free and compulsory primary instruction.

He was part of the fight against the invasion of France shortly after participating in the War of the Reform. He also worked as attorney general of the Mexican Republic, participated in the Supreme Court and worked in the Ministry of Development.

He also belonged to Mexican diplomacy thanks to his role as consul in Barcelona and Paris.

Teaching and press

Altamirano began to dedicate himself to teaching once the stage in which he participated in military conflicts and showed an important interest in politics ended.

In February 1868, the then president of Mexico, Benito Juárez, decreed the start of activities at the National Preparatory School, an institution of the National Autonomous University of Mexico. In this Altamirano school he worked as a teacher.

He also taught at the Higher School of Commerce and Administration (ESCA), the National Polytechnic Institute, and the National School of Teachers.

His interest in the world of journalism led him to found the newspaper Correo de México together with Guillermo Prieto Pradillo and Juan Ignacio Paulino Ramírez Calzada, both were Mexican poets.

In addition, his passion for literature led him to join forces with Gonzalo Aurelio Esteva y Landero, journalist and diplomat from Mexico, to found the magazine El Renacimiento. The publication sought to rescue Mexican literature thanks to the collaboration of writers of different tendencies.

He also founded magazines and newspapers such as El Federalista, La Tribuna and La República. In 1870 he entered the world of Freemasonry, a practice that led him to reach the 33rd degree nine years later.

Contributions

The need he had to establish free and compulsory primary education, which he manifested during his participation in the Congress of the Union while he worked as a deputy, allowed him to lay the foundations for this form of instruction in February 1882.

In addition, his love for education motivated him to found a high school in the Mexican state of Puebla as well as the Escuela Normal de Profesores de México.

On the other hand, his strong literary inclinations gave him the necessary impulse to develop numerous texts, several of which had an important recognition in the public opinion of the time.

His works featured different styles and literary genres. He came to orient his writings towards the consolidation of the national values ​​of Mexico.

Death

Ignacio Altamirano died on February 13, 1893 in the city of San Remo, Italy, at 58 years of age. One hundred years after his death, his remains were placed in the Rotunda of Illustrious Persons of Mexico, located in the Miguel Hidalgo delegation in Mexico City.

In addition, his work in the educational field made him worthy that once he died, his name was used to create the Ignacio Manuel Altamirano medal, which is awarded to those teachers who reach 50 years of work.

Plays

Clemency

Considered one of the most important texts by Ignacio Manuel Altamirano, Clemencia is a novel that shows the traditions that existed in Guadalajara at the time it was written. The exact date of publication varies from source to source; however, it is presumed to have been between 1868 and 1869.

Presentation of the characters of Clemencia

Set in the Second French Intervention, the novel shows the story of two characters: Enrique Flores, from a good family, handsome, friendly and seductive; and Fernando Valle, unfriendly, unattractive, reserved and cold. Both characters had completely different characteristics from each other.

Valle would visit a cousin and aunt in the city, called in the novel as Isabel and Mariana respectively. Notably attracted to his cousin, he tells Flores about her, who asks him to meet her; the request is accepted by the youth.

At the time of the meeting, Isabel also introduced her friend Clemencia. Both are delighted with the appearance and personality of Enrique Flores, which led to a certain rivalry between the young women.

In turn, once the friends left, they began to talk about the young women and agreed that Valle would have a free way to conquer Isabel, while Flores would settle for his friend Clemencia.

Rivalry in the novel Clemencia

The next day the young men returned to the house where Isabel and Clemencia were. The friend began to play the piano, a melody that conquered Enrique; the situation evidenced the jealousy that Isabel felt for the handsome young man.

The instrument was later taken up by Isabel, who further captivated Enrique. Both were attracted to each other, while Clemencia showed a greater interest in Fernando.

Fernando's love for his cousin began to fade, and he took an interest in Clemencia instead. The events evolve in the novel until it is revealed that Clemencia's intentions were to use Fernando to try to get closer to Enrique, who even proposed to Isabel.

Valle realized Clemencia's real intentions, so in a moment of anger he challenged Flores. The situation caused him to be detained for a certain time.

Development and outcome of Clemencia

The story unfolds in such a way that after a series of events Flores was accused of being a traitor, for which he was sentenced to die. The women accused Valle for the sentence of Flores and Clemencia did not hesitate to show her contempt for this reason.

The young woman's words made Fernando Valle, who was in charge of the custody of Flores, let him go and change places with him so that he could be happy with Clemencia. Flores arrived at the young woman's house, explained the situation and told her that he was a traitor, which caused the woman's rejection.

Clemencia repented of what she said to Valle, who was shot shortly after, but not before telling the story to a doctor so that he could reproduce it; in this way the young man would never be forgotten.

El Zarco

Considered one of the most important works because of the narrative it implements, this novel was published in 1901, eight years after Altamirano's death. The story focuses on the romantic and adventurous life of its main character, who is the leader of a criminal gang.

The story is set towards the end of the War of the Reform and in it the author makes a critical mention of the government of Benito Juárez, due to the recruitment of criminal gangs in his troops to fight alongside the soldiers.

Altamirano wrote El Zarco for approximately two years, from 1886 to 1888. The story has 25 chapters, the edition of which has numerous inconsistencies in relation to the language used by Mexicans.

The history of El Zarco

The plot takes place in the Mexican state of Morelos, where there were farms dedicated to the cultivation of sugar cane. The landowners were subdued by the local gangs; Among the settlers was Manuela, who was Zarco's lover: leader of a gang of criminals.

The woman fled with the subject and began to live surrounded by degrading situations, in addition to knowing the man's personality in greater depth. This made her regret having left with him, so she became interested in Nicolás, a young man who was courting her before he left.

A series of events caused Nicolás to marry Pilar, Manuela's mother's goddaughter, while Zarco was captured and murdered. The situation also caused the death of Manuela.

Winter Tales

Written in 1880, the work groups four independent romantic stories. Each one bears the name of its protagonist: Julia, Antonia, Beatriz and Athena.

Julia

The plot revolves around Julia, a young woman who leaves with an older man and his 20-year-old assistant to escape the sinister plans of her stepfather, who wants to get rid of her so that she does not represent any impediment to obtaining a fortune.

It has a romantic drama, due to which Julián falls in love with Julia; however, she begins to feel attracted to the older man.

Antonia

It is about the story of a 13-year-old man who is in love with a 15-year-old teenager, Antonia, and dreams of marrying her.

Beatriz

This story shares the 13-year-old character from the tale Antonia, and is considered a continuation of the plot. The young man, who has grown up, begins to teach the son of a rich family; However, he falls in love with Beatriz, the child's mother.

Athena

Unlike most of the stories told by Altamirano focus on a Mexican town, Athena has the Italian city of Venice as a meeting point for her characters, where a man decides to die out of spite.

References

1. Biography of Ignacio Manuel Altamirano Basilio, Portal The Biography, (nd). Taken from thebiography.us
2. Ignacio Manuel Altamirano, Biographies and Lives Portal, (nd). Taken from biografiasyvidas.com
3. Ignacio Manuel Altamirano, Wikipedia in English, (nd). Taken from wikipedia.org
4. Ignacio Manuel Altamirano, Edith Negrín, Portal Enciclopedia de la Literatura en México, (2017). Taken from elem.mx
5. Ignacio Manuel Altamirano, Portal Los Poetas, (nd). Taken from los-poetas.com
6. Ignacio Manuel Altamirano, Portal Escritores.org, (2013). Taken from writers.org
7. Ignacio Manuel Altamirano, Portal ELibros, (nd). Taken from elibros.com.co
8. Ignacio Manuel Altamirano Biography, Portal E-Notes, (nd). Taken from enotes.com