Independence of Mexico: the bell of Morelos

We continue to remember the long journey of the people of Mexico in their struggle for independence.In our previous article we saw how the process of the Independence of Mexico began, under the influence Miguel Hidalgo, a historical character central to the history of Mexico .I propose now to continue analyzing a new stage of the war, with Jose Maria Morelos as leader.will lead to the Declaration of the Independence of Mexico, on November 6, 1813.

By mid-1811, the independence revolution was at a critical moment.Its main leaders had been killed. Allende's troops and Hidalgo were practically disjointed. Realists became stronger under the command of Calleja .But the story was about to take a momentous turn.

The second stage of the Mexican Independence War is characterized by extensive struggles in the South of the territory.Alli forces were commanded since the beginning of the war by Jose Maria Morelos .Like Hidalgo, Morelos was a priest.Other important revolutionaries fought alongside him: Mariano Matamoros, Manuel Mier y Teran, Hermenegildo Galeana, Nicolas Bravo, Guadalupe Victoria and Vicente Guerrero.

Morelos's troops had a regular size.However, they achieved important conquests in the south of Nueva Espana: Chilpancingo, Tixtla, Chilapa, Taxco, Izucar and Cuautla.Luck changed for Morelos, when he suffered in 1812 the siege of Cuautla, for two and a half months.However, the revolutionaries were able to escape, and headed towards Acapulco .

Already in the middle of 1813 , the revolutionary forces of Morelos dominated much of the intentions of Mexico , Oaxaca and Puebla .This gives him military authority and support.Then, Morelos , gave impetus to the question of the political plan of the revolution: to achieve the Independence of Mexico.

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Capture and trial of Morelos

After more than five years at the head of the insurgents in the lands of southern Mexico and with the forces of their troops considerably depleted, Morelos was arrested in November 1815 in Tezmalaca, Puebla .With his apresa The death and death phase ended the second stage of the Mexican independence process, in which Morelos was key thanks to his advances and conquests in the south of the country.As Napoleon Bonaparte himself said deel, with 5 generals like Morelos would conquer the world.

The realistic troops of Manuel de la Concha learned about the march of the Morelos troops towards Tehuacan.A realistic army of 500 men pounced on the Morelos advance that was heading for the center guarded by a small troop of insurgents led by Nicolas Bravo.

Trying to save a member of his troops from the capture, Morelos was captured by 10 soldiers of the realistic troops.The officer who led the detachment that captured Morelos was Matias Carranco , a former member of the insurrection that deserted in 1812 and joined the royalist troops.According to the history books, Morelos gave him a gift to his captor while taking him ba stopped.

The arrest of Morelos occurred on the day November 5.The intention of his captors was to conduct the trial in Puebla, but Calleja wanted to make it in the capital, Mexico City.

The first of the trials that were made to Morelos was by treason to the king, to the homeland and for blood crimes, between 14 and 23 November.Later, he would also be judged by a religious jury and stripped of his ecclesiastical rank.According to the Judo himself, Morelos was " heretic, fautor of heretics, persecutor and troublemaker of the holy sacraments, cismatic, lascivious, hypocritical, irreconcilable enemy of Christianity, a traitor to God, the King and the Pope ".

On December 21 Calleja passed the verdict for Morelos: death penalty .The sentence is He would execute the next day.More breakfast and he was taken to San Cristobal Ecatepec.Once there, he ate, confessed and chatted briefly with his captor, De la Concha, who would even hug before the sentence was executed.

The death of Morelos followed a guerrilla war in which some 20,000 members of the insurgent troops were still participating, few compared to realistic forces that exceeded 40,000 troops; however, this did not diminish the losanimos of Mexican independence.

Who was Jose Mar ia Morelos?

Jose Maria Morelos is one of the main figures in the history of Mexico and its very important bell will be the protagonist of the following lines, however, before moving on , we will dedicate some lines to present the biography of this interesting character who went from being a priest to becoming one of the most important military leaders of the Mexican revolution.

Jose Maria Morelos was son of a humble carpenter, Jose Manuel Morelos and Robles and Juana Maria Guadalupe Perez-Pavon.Born in 1765, being the third of the numerous children of this couple.Given the poor situation of the family, Jose Maria performed all kinds of jobs, from carpenter to arriero and cowboy, going through various trades related to the world of livestock and agriculture.Jose Maria, whose Buelo was a teacher, he received a very basic education during his youth, but he continued training, especially highlighting his love of grammar and letters .

When he turned 25 in 1790 and After spending years with his uncle Felipe Morelos, with whom he had worked transporting merchandise, Jose Maria returned to his homeland, Valladolid, following his mother's wishes.Juana Maria, eager to secure the future of her son, wanted that Jose Maria entered the ecclesiastical career and could benefit from the little chaplaincy that his great-grandfather had left indicated in his will that he should pass to one of his descendants.Yes, Jose Maria entered the Colegio de San Nicolas Valladolid to be trained with a view to that objective.Later, I also study at the Tridentino Seminary, specializing in studies of philosophy and, above all, of rhetoric, reaching the title to give At the end of his academic training in the year 1795.Once he finished his training, he began his connection to the Church .Jose Maria did not reach the degree of priest until two years later, in 1797 and, while He obtained, received minor ecclesiastical orders, served as a sub-deacon and served as a teacher for children in the Uruapan area, among other offices.

Once the dignity of priest was reached, he held this office in different locations, until he settled in Caracuaro, where he would live more than ten years occupied in his priestly labors, but also managing a thriving cattle business that he had started when he acted as carrier and carrier in the company of his uncle Felipe.During that time he also had two illegitimate children .One of them was Juan Nepomuceno Almonte who, walking time, would also become a fundamental figure for the history of Mexico, as a prominent military and diplomatic.To cite only some data of the latter, he became a veteran of the legendary event of El Alamo and was a fundamental piece in the negotiations that led to the archduke Maximilian of Austria to accept the throne of Mexico as Maximilian I, being a great supporter of this ruler.With a solid formation and a great international culture, Juan Nepomuceno He came to accompany his father in some key moments of his later military history, such as the famous Siege of Cuautla, although he was sent outside of Mexico when Jose Maria began to suffer constant defeats in the military field and was in the United States when his father was executed.It would not be the only son of Jose Maria, although the most famous; as we have already mentioned, during this period I generate a second descendant and it is known that, after the beginning of the military revolt, had at least two more children , although he might have more.

It was in this mentioned town where Jose Maria was surprised by the famous ' Grito de Dolores ', starring Miguel Hidalgo, whom Jose Maria had met during the course of his studies in Valladolid.of his acts, he decided to go see him.During this meeting, which took place on October 10, 1810, Jose Maria Morelos joined Miguel Hidalgo and a few days later he started a road south to the command of a few dozen men that would be the beginning of its activity as revolutionary.

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