Juan Francisco Azcárate y Ledesma
Encyclopedia
Juan Francisco Azcárate y Lezama (1767, Mexico City
—January 31, 1831, Mexico City) was a lawyer, a Mexico City councilman, and a leader of the movement for Mexican independence from Spain.
Azcárate y Ledesma, born in Mexico City, was a Criollo
and a lawyer for rich clients. Shortly after obtaining his license to practice law, he became a lawyer at the Academia Teórico-Práctica de Jurisprudencia, and later its vice-president.
In 1808, he became a regidor (councilman) in the city government of Mexico City. News of the French occupation of Spain was received in Mexico on June 23, 1808, and the following July 14, news of the abdication of the Spanish king in favor of Napoleon was also received. On July 19, 1808, Azcárate, along with councilman Francisco Primo de Verdad y Ramos presented a plan to form a provisional, autonomous government of New Spain, with the current viceroy, José de Iturrigaray
, at its head. The justification for this was that the mother country was now occupied by foreign troops, and the royal family was being held prisoner. The plan was accepted by the viceroy and the Cabildo (city council), but not by the Audiencia. It was also vehemently opposed by the Peninsulares
(Spaniards resident in New Spain, but born in the mother country).
Viceroy Iturrigaray was overthrown in a coup on September 15, 1808 for his sympathy for the independence movement. He was replaced by Pedro de Garibay
. Among the first acts of Garibay's administration was the issuance of arrest warrants for leaders in the independence movement — Azcárate y Ledesma, Primo de Verdad y Ramos, José Beye Cisneros, the abbot of Guadalupe, Canon Beristáin, Licenciado Cristo, Iturrigaray's secretary, and Fray Melchor de Talamantes
. Azcárate remained in prison until 1811, when he was freed.
In 1821, he was among the signers of the Acta de Independencia of Mexico. On the fall of Emperor Agustín de Iturbide
, he served successive Mexican administrations, as a minister in the Supreme War Tribunal, as a member of the Mexico City government, and as secretary of the Hospital of the Poor.
In addition, he wrote poetry and prose, including:
The first two of these are poetical works inspired by the dedication of the equestrian statue of Charles IV
by Manuel Tolsá
in Mexico City in 1803.
He died in 1831 in Mexico City.
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
—January 31, 1831, Mexico City) was a lawyer, a Mexico City councilman, and a leader of the movement for Mexican independence from Spain.
Azcárate y Ledesma, born in Mexico City, was a Criollo
Criollo people
The Criollo class ranked below that of the Iberian Peninsulares, the high-born permanent residence colonists born in Spain. But Criollos were higher status/rank than all other castes—people of mixed descent, Amerindians, and enslaved Africans...
and a lawyer for rich clients. Shortly after obtaining his license to practice law, he became a lawyer at the Academia Teórico-Práctica de Jurisprudencia, and later its vice-president.
In 1808, he became a regidor (councilman) in the city government of Mexico City. News of the French occupation of Spain was received in Mexico on June 23, 1808, and the following July 14, news of the abdication of the Spanish king in favor of Napoleon was also received. On July 19, 1808, Azcárate, along with councilman Francisco Primo de Verdad y Ramos presented a plan to form a provisional, autonomous government of New Spain, with the current viceroy, José de Iturrigaray
José de Iturrigaray
José de Iturrigaray was a Spanish military officer and viceroy of New Spain, from January 4, 1803 to September 16, 1808, during a period of turbulence....
, at its head. The justification for this was that the mother country was now occupied by foreign troops, and the royal family was being held prisoner. The plan was accepted by the viceroy and the Cabildo (city council), but not by the Audiencia. It was also vehemently opposed by the Peninsulares
Peninsulares
In the colonial caste system of Spanish America, a peninsular was a Spanish-born Spaniard or mainland Spaniard residing in the New World, as opposed to a person of full Spanish descent born in the Americas or Philippines...
(Spaniards resident in New Spain, but born in the mother country).
Viceroy Iturrigaray was overthrown in a coup on September 15, 1808 for his sympathy for the independence movement. He was replaced by Pedro de Garibay
Pedro de Garibay
Pedro de Garibay was a Spanish military officer and, from September 16, 1808 to July 19, 1809, viceroy of New Spain.-Military career:...
. Among the first acts of Garibay's administration was the issuance of arrest warrants for leaders in the independence movement — Azcárate y Ledesma, Primo de Verdad y Ramos, José Beye Cisneros, the abbot of Guadalupe, Canon Beristáin, Licenciado Cristo, Iturrigaray's secretary, and Fray Melchor de Talamantes
Melchor de Talamantes
Melchor de Talamantes , was a Roman Catholic priest, a political liberal, and a leader in Mexico's movement for independence from Spain....
. Azcárate remained in prison until 1811, when he was freed.
In 1821, he was among the signers of the Acta de Independencia of Mexico. On the fall of Emperor Agustín de Iturbide
Agustín de Iturbide
Agustín Cosme Damián de Iturbide y Aramburu , also known as Augustine I of Mexico, was a Mexican army general who built a successful political and military coalition that was able to march into Mexico City on 27 September 1821, decisively ending the Mexican War of Independence...
, he served successive Mexican administrations, as a minister in the Supreme War Tribunal, as a member of the Mexico City government, and as secretary of the Hospital of the Poor.
In addition, he wrote poetry and prose, including:
- Poema heroica en celebridad de la colocación de la estatua ecuestre colosal de bronce del señor don Carlos IV (1804)
- Oda y soneto en el certamen poético formado con motivo de la colocación de la estatua ecuestre del señor don Carlos IV (1814)
- Breves apuntamientos para la literature del renio de Nueva España y Ensayos panegírico e histórico del mérito de los principales sujetos, así naturales como europeos, que han sobresalido en el reino
The first two of these are poetical works inspired by the dedication of the equestrian statue of Charles IV
Charles IV of Spain
Charles IV was King of Spain from 14 December 1788 until his abdication on 19 March 1808.-Early life:...
by Manuel Tolsá
Manuel Tolsá
Manuel Tolsá was a prolific Neoclassical architect and sculptor in Spain and Mexico.-Biography:...
in Mexico City in 1803.
He died in 1831 in Mexico City.