JOSÉ MARÍA MORELOS: BIOGRAPHY - HISTORY - 2025

José María Morelos (1765-1815) was one of the leading figures in the early years of the Mexican War of Independence. Morelos was born in Valladolid, today Morelia, into a family of Indian and Creole descent.

After his childhood years, Morelos decided to start an ecclesiastical career. It was in the first educational center that he entered where he met another of the Mexican independence leaders, the priest Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla. It would be this, years later, who would convince him to take up arms and fight against the Spanish.

Source: Anonymous (http://www.gobernacion.gob.mx/), via Wikimedia Commons

Although he had already been ordained a priest, Morelos did not hesitate to lead the insurgent troops. His military activity lasted five years, during which he carried out four different campaigns against the royalist side.

In addition, it had an important contribution in the first laws developed in the territories that the independentistas won.

By the end of the last of his campaigns, his prestige had greatly diminished. Several defeats against the army led by Félix María Calleja caused him to lose several of the positions obtained in previous years. Finally he was captured by the Spanish, tried and shot in December 1815.

Biography

José María Teclo Morelos y Pavón was born on September 30, 1765 in the city of Valladolid. His father was Manuel Morelos, a carpenter of indigenous descent, and his mother Juana María Pérez Pavón. The latter came from a Creole family and his father had worked as a teacher in the town.

According to legend, José María was born in the convent of San Agustín. It is said that the mother had attended mass on the day when he began to feel the beginnings of labor. The nuns of the convent helped her on the portico of the building. The boy was baptized in the city's cathedral a few days later.

A little known childhood

The early years of José María Morelos are little known. The information provided by biographers is, at times, somewhat contradictory. Some point out that he studied at his grandfather's school, while others say that he learned the first letters directly from his mother.

Likewise, some sources indicate that, during part of his childhood, his father was absent. An argument with her mother prompted her departure, leaving the family with few resources to survive.

Either for that reason or another, it is known that Morelos began working on his uncle's ranch while he was very young. When his father died in 1779, José María went to reside on the same farm where he worked, located near Apatzingán (Michoacán).

Among the jobs that he carried out during those years was the transportation of goods between the port of Acapulco and Mexico City. The money she earned served to help her mother and sisters to live better, in addition to buying some mules to expand her activity.

Apart from working, Morelos dedicated his time to furthering his education. After 10 years on the farm, in 1789, he decided to return to Valladolid.

First meeting with Hidalgo

A year later, when he turned 25, he acceded to his mother's wish that he enter the ecclesiastical career. His wealthy great-grandfather is reported to have established as a condition of inheritance that his descendant be ordained a priest.

Morelos entered the school of San Nicolás, in the same Valladolid. There he met one of the people who would most influence subsequent events, Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla. The future insurgent leader was rector of the institution at that time and the two agreed for two years.

José María studied grammar and Latin before going on to study at the local Tridentine Seminary. In April 1795, he obtained a bachelor of arts degree.

Ecclesiastical career

After that educational stage, Morelos requested to receive the clerical tonsure, which he achieved at the end of that year. After this, he began to teach children in Uruapan, a trade that he held for many months.

Finally, at the age of 32, he was appointed a priest, receiving the license to celebrate Mass and preach in Uruapan and other nearby towns.

His career as a priest continued as a parish priest in Churumuco. It was there that he received the sad news of his mother's death. Later, in March 1799, he was transferred to the parish of Carácuaro, where he lived for 10 years, until 1910. It was a very poor town, with a population reluctant to pay ecclesial taxes.

Apart from the personal contributions of some of the faithful, Morelos had to continue his cattle business to earn a good salary. Fortunately for him, his mother's inheritance left him in a good position and he gave the family home to his sister.

At that time he was related to a young woman from Carácuaro, with whom he had two illegitimate children to whom he did not give the last name, although he did collaborate in their upbringing and education.

Cry of pain

The period that changed the life of José María Morelos (and Mexico in general) began to take shape on September 16, 1810. That day, Miguel Hidalgo launched the so-called Grito de Dolores, which would lead to the country's War of Independence. Before there had been some conspiracies, whose leaders joined the priest's call.

In a few days, the rebels had taken towns such as Salamanca, Guanajuato or Celaya. In October of that same year, Morelos visited Hidalgo to offer himself to the cause as a chaplain. However, Hidalgo convinced him to take a more active role.

The mission entrusted to him was to head south, gathering troops in his wake, and to conquer the port of Acapulco, well known by Morelos for the work he had done there. José María accepted and, with just 20 men, left for his destination as Hidalgo's lieutenant.

Morelos' first campaign

Morelos more than fulfilled the first part of the assignment, since he managed to form a large and well-armed army. However, the capture of the port of Acapulco resisted him. After the failure, he compensated by conquering Chilpancingo, in May 1811, and Tixtla, the same month.

The reaction of the viceroyalty authorities was immediate. Miguel Hidalgo was captured and executed in June 1811, replacing him in the insurgent leadership López Rayón. This, after a time of reflection, established the Supreme National Board of America.

Morelos, despite continuing to fight, presented some objections to that Board. The main one was his disagreement with compliance with the Spanish King Fernando VII. However, the body created by the insurgents is considered to be the first attempt to establish an autonomous government of the viceroyalty.

José María Morelos's position was far more revolutionary than López Rayón's. Already in November 1810, in Aguacatillo, he had established some slogans that show his thinking, among them, the abolition of slavery and the tributes of the communities.

Apart from this, the priest of Valladolid had managed to form four battalions that were prepared to go into combat as soon as they needed it.

Second campaign

The so-called second Morelos campaign began in November 1811. On that date, he decided to divide his army into three different corps, leaving the one in command of the one that was going to go north. His first steps ended successfully, taking Izúcar without fighting, and, later, Cuautla (Morelos).

Experts do not agree on the causes of the next move ordered by the insurgent leader. Many consider that the logical destination would have been Puebla, whose conquest could have meant the subsequent fall of the capital and the triumph of the revolt.

However, Morelos decided to march west to meet with Galeana's troops in front of Taxco. This was taken advantage of by Félix María Calleja, who besieged Zitácuaro (Michoacán), where the López Rayón Board had been established. The Spanish military forced the insurgents to flee with little resistance.

When Morelos received the news, he headed for Cuautla, the next destination for Calleja's men. The royalists' siege lasted three months, until May 1812 and ended without a clear victor. Calleja managed to take the city, but Morelos and his men escaped without suffering great losses.

Third campaign

This campaign was the most successful among those that Morelos carried out during his war years. At the end of 1812, his troops had controlled the Chiautla-Tehuacán axis, in addition to hindering the connections between Acapulco and the capital.

On November 25, he took the city of Oaxaca, which considerably increased his prestige among the insurgents. Morelos remained in the newly conquered town for several weeks. Apart from consolidating its dominance militarily, it carried out important administrative and legislative work.

The priest promulgated, among others, laws regarding the possession of weapons, the use of personal identification and created a body to control public safety.

According to experts, Morelos doubted whether to try to enter the Valley of Mexico, something that his supporters in the capital requested. The other option was to try to conquer a seaport again with the intention of receiving help from abroad. In the end, he decided on the latter and, in April 1813, laid siege to Acapulco, obtaining its capitulation.

The Congress of Chilpancingo

Morelos not only dealt with military issues during this stage, but also participated in the political aspect of the independence struggle. When he received the news about López Rayón's intention to promulgate a Constitution, he repeated the same objections that he had previously expressed.

The priest declared his disagreement with the mention of Fernando VII, as well as other formal aspects such as the number of state councilors.

The López Rayón project was, however, paralyzed, since in Mexico City the text of the Constitution of Cádiz had been released and many had sworn it as their own.

Faced with these movements, Morelos had the idea of ​​convening a national congress in which representatives of the different provinces would participate. The chosen place was Chilpancingo. Before the meeting, Morelos drafted the document called Sentimientos de la Nación to be used as a basis for discussions.

Election as Generalissimo

Once in Chilpancingo, Morelos presented an ambitious government plan that was, in practice, a Constitution for the country. In this, the separation of powers was recognized, leaving the executive in the hands of a position called Generalissimo who would be elected in perpetuity.

Within that legislative compendium, article 17 stood out, declaring independence from Spain without mentioning King Fernando VII at any time..

The result of the Congress was the election of Morelos himself as Generalissimo, without anyone opposing it. The government functioned for several months, declaring independence on November 6.

Last campaign

Political activity in Chilpancingo had delayed the insurgents' military campaigns. Morelos, at the end of 1813, decided to leave to conquer his city of origin, Valladolid. Their intention was to settle there, until they could take the capital.

On December 22, his troops besieged the town. However, the royalists had received large reinforcements in the previous weeks and forced Morelos to withdraw. This defeat, which caused significant casualties, marked the beginning of the priest's decline.

On the royalist side there had been important changes. The main one, the appointment of Félix María Calleja as viceroy of New Spain. Calleja, an experienced military man, began a strategy that put pressure on the insurgents on all fronts.

One of the first targets was Chilpancingo, for which the Congress had to flee, pilgrimage through various cities to Apatzingán.

The defeats Morelos suffered during those weeks caused him to lose much of his influence. Finally, he was forced to abandon all his positions, including that of Generalissimo and the military command.

Trials and death

The return to power of Fernando VII after his exile in France, caused the viceroyalty to be strengthened in all aspects. Many veterans of the war against Napoleon came to New Spain to reinforce the royalist troops.

By mid-1815, the Spanish had reconquered Oaxaca and Acapulco, and in July of that year Calleja ordered an attack on Congress. The members of the same organized a caravan to move to Tehuacán, in Puebla. The defense of the entourage was entrusted to Morelos and Bravo.

The siege of the army commanded by Calleja was incessant. In November 1815, while protecting Congress on its way to Puebla, Morelos was captured by royalist troops.

The priest went through the same process as Miguel Hidalgo years before. First, he had to appear before an ecclesiastical court, which condemned him for heresy and removed his religious status.

After this, he faced military trial. Morelos was sentenced to death. His execution took place on December 22, 1815, along with the remains of the castle of San Cristobal Ecatepec.

References

1. Biographies and Lives. Jose Maria Morelos. Obtained from biografiasyvidas.com
2. EcuRed. Jose maria morelos and pavon. Obtained from ecured.cu
3. Angeles Contreras, Jesus. Generalissimo José María Morelos y Pavón: notable military man and political genius. Recovered from books.google.es
4. The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. Jose Maria Morelos. Retrieved from britannica.com
5. Minster, Christopher. Biography of Jose Maria Morelos. Retrieved from thoughtco.com
6. The Library of Congress. José María Morelos y Pavón (1765-1815). Retrieved from loc.gov
7. Graves, Dan. Revolutionary Mexican Priest, Jose Morelos. Retrieved from christianity.com