Mariano Matamoros

Many important figures were present during the struggle for the independence of Mexico , one of them was Mariano Matamoros , a priest and patriot of Mexican nationality who had an active participation during this important process and who was also always at the disposal of José María Morelos .

What did Mariano Matamoros do

After he managed to join the Mexican insurgent movement , Mariano Matamoros managed to properly organize the pro-independence forces and was Morelos’ companion to Taxco. He demonstrated with courage and skill his military knowledge, which was a fundamental role in independence. He was appointed as an infantry colonel and distinguished himself mainly by his great courage. In 1810 he joined the insurgent movement and a year later, an order was issued for his capture for promoting the independence movement.

Mariano Matamoros was in charge of raising a regiment which he called Apóstol San Pedro as a protest against the side that had been created by Viceroy Venegas . He was also appointed second in chief and participated with Morelos in the capture of Oaxaca , where he was appointed as field marshal. He was also appointed as the very General and servant of the nation by the Constituent Congress.

After being appointed as a Colonel in Taxco, he was able to shape his own army and thus achieved his first military gains. He was able to defeat the royalists of Tenancingo and thus recover all the weapons that had been lost by the insurgents before the battle. He defeated the royalists Manuel Dambrini , Juan Cándano and Manuel Martínez and settled in Puebla to later attack Valladolid alongside Morelos.

Biography of Mariano Matamoros

Mariano Antonio Matamoros y Guridi was born in the Mexican capital (Mexico City ) on August 14, 1770 . His father José Matamoros and his mother Mariana Guridi were in charge of giving him his first studies at the Colegio de Santa Cruz de Tlatelolco , where he dedicated himself to his ecclesiastical career. According to historians, his family owned large parcels of land which were exploited, however they never suffered from economic problems, from this situation it is considered that the docile but strong and fair character that always characterized Matamoros arose.

He also studied Latin , ecclesiastical history , morality, and the Mexican language at the seminary in his city. During his youth, he served as vicar in the parish of Asunción de Pachuca where he carried out various ecclesiastical activities, during that time he was under the care of the priest Mariano Iturría Ipazaguirre.

He managed to graduate as a Bachelor of Arts and Theology at the University of Mexico and later, he devoted himself to studying philosophy and theology at the Conciliar Seminary . He managed to establish himself with a sub-diaconate in the Regina Coeli Convent and in 1810, when the War for Independence began, he worked as a priest in Jantetelco, where the state of Morelos is currently located. A short time later, he allied himself with José María Morelos y Pavón in Puebla.

Death

In 1814 , the royalist army managed to attack the patriots and during this event, Mariano Matamoros tried to flee, however, he was arrested. Despite Morelos’ offer to hand over Spanish soldiers who had been detained in exchange for the freedom of the man who had been his right hand, the Spanish authorities refused. Mariano was sentenced in a trial for treason and was later executed for having betrayed King Fernando VII , on February 3, 1814 . In 1823 he was declared Benemérito de la Patria and to date, his remains are resting in the Column of Independence.

Contributions

Some of the main contributions of Mariano Matamoros were the following:

• He managed to form several groups of cavalry , artillery and infantry to fight for independence.
• He participated in the taking of Oaxaca in 1812.
• He managed to defeat the royalist Manuel Dambrini in the city of Tonalá, a man who was part of the Captaincy of Guatemala.
• He collaborated with Nicolás Bravo to take over the Plaza de San Juan Coscomatepec.
• He defeated the battalion of Asturias .
• He participated in important battles in Tecualoya and Tenancingo .
• He managed to win the battle of Tonalá and San Agustín del Palmar .

Importance

Mariano Matamoros is considered one of the most important characters in the history of the Mexican people, a priest who fought for the independence of his country before the Spanish Crown. He is in fact considered one of the most relevant figures in the independence process thanks to his active and accurate participation in many of the battles that gave way to the freedom of the Mexican people.

Mariano Matamoros quotes

There is only a notion of an important phrase that was mentioned by Mariano Matamoros, which reads as follows:

• The country is like a flower that must be nourished with justice , freedom and mainly with faith in God.

Curiosities

Some curious facts about Mariano Matamoros are the following:

• He was arrested by the Spanish but in 1811 he managed to escape from prison, immediately joining the insurgents.
• He was the right hand of José María Morelos .
• His remains were transferred to the Mexican mausoleum , however, many assure that these are not his true remains.
• Several buildings, schools, streets and colleges bear his name in his honor, for example, the Mariano Matamoros Stadium located in Morelos and the General Mariano Matamoros airport located in Cuernavaca.
• His remains were located for a long time in the Angel of Independence , a monument in which the victories of the Mexican people are currently celebrated.