 After Mexico won its independence in 1821, and throughout the 19th century, an intense debate took place regarding the tenets of liberal philosophy and its application to Mexican reality. Liberals wanted the Mexican Constitution to resemble the Constitution of the United States, which defended individual rights, freedom of speech, and freedom of press. They also believed in the separation of church and state, and argued that the wealth and land owned by the Mexican Church should be expropriated to promote economic development. Liberals believed that everyone is equal before the law and they tried to erase the racial and cultural inequality that prevailed in the nation, particularly the position of indigenous communities. Among the authors who defended liberal ideas were José María Luis Mora (1794–1850), Melchor Ocampo (1814–1851), Ignacio Ramírez (1818–1879), and Ignacio Manuel Altamirano (1834–1893). (See the related entry on  liberalism in Latin America.)