Father José María Morelos (1765-1815) is one of the important characters in the history of the independence of Mexico. Morelos emerged as the most prominent military leader of the independence forces after the death of Miguel Hidalgo.
This Mexican revolutionary priest had joined the rebellion in its early stages. In 1813 he declared independence and convened a Constituent Congress in Chilpancingo, Guerrero.
Morelos, considered one of Mexico's greatest heroes, proved to be a far more competent military strategist than Hidalgo. However, his forces were also scattered. In 1815 he was captured and executed by the Spanish.
Morelos, the priest
In 1790 Morelos enrolled at the San Nicolás de Valladolid school to begin a career in the Church.
After studying at the Tridentino Seminary in Valladolid, Morelos earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the Royal and Pontifical University of Mexico.
In 1797 he was ordained a priest and 2 years later he was assigned to the parish of Carácuaro. There he remained until 1810.
In Carácuaro, a remote and very impoverished place, his work was extremely demanding. Morelos diligently served a congregation of nearly 2,000 Indians.
But the conditions and the lack of responses to his requests from his ecclesiastical superiors increased his frustration.
In 1810 José María Morelos receives news of the revolt led by Hidalgo. In a meeting, this insurgent leader convinced Morelos that the uprising was in defense of the country and religion.
Hidalgo was sure that Spanish officials in Mexico were about to hand over the country to Napoleon Bonaparte and the French.
Morelos agreed to join the cause. So Hidalgo gave him a military commission: to capture the port of Acapulco and spread the revolution south.
Morelos, the military strategist
The Spanish caught and executed Hidalgo, and Morelos assumed leadership of the fight. By the end of August 1811, the insurgent troops of Morelos controlled a large part of the southern coast of Mexico.
The independence hero displayed great military skills: he insisted on strict discipline and surrounded himself with capable commanders. He also rejected senseless violence as an instrument of war.
In addition, it provided the independence movement with a concrete set of objectives. In 1813 Morelos organized the National Constituent Congress, in which slavery and the racial class were abolished.
This Congress bestowed upon him the title of "Your Highness," but he rejected it and instead accepted the title of "Servant of the Nation." Under his leadership, the independence of Mexico was declared.
However, due in part to internal contradictions, the Morelos movement collapsed. Royalist troops captured Morelos in early November 1815.
He was taken to Mexico City and tried by a Spanish court. This court found him guilty of heresy and treason, condemning him to death. Morelos was executed by firing squad on December 22, 1815.
Today his remains rest in a mausoleum on the Paseo de la Reforma in Mexico City.
References
- Joseph, GM and Henderson, TJ (2002). The Mexico Reader: History, Culture, Politics. Durham: Duke University Press.
- Minster, C. (2017, June 18). Biography of Jose Maria Morelos. Retrieved on December 8, 2017, from thoughtco.com
- Biography. (s / f). José María Morelos Facts. Retrieved on December 8, 2017, from biography.yourdictionary.com
- Rulska, A. and Sanoni, P. (2013). Mexican war for independence. In S. Tucker, (editor), The Encyclopedia of the Mexican-American War: A Political, Social, and Military History, pp. 403-405. Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO.
- Blackpast.org. (s / f). Morelos y Pavón, José María (1765-1815). Retrieved on December 8, 2017, from blackpast.org