José Joaquín de Arredondo
When Mexico achieved independence from Spain, Arredondo offered on July 3, 1821 to swear fealty to the new government if he could retain his office as commandant general; his offer was rejected by the citizens of Satillo, and Agustín de Iturbide's "Plan de Iguala" for Mexican independence led to his removal from power. Arredondo is remembered in Texas history as a "butcher" because of his executions of republicans.
When Mexico achieved independence from Spain, Arredondo endorsed the Plan of Iguala and swore allegiance to the Republic of Mexico on July 3, 1821. He surrendered his command, went into retirement in Havana, Cuba, and died in 1837 shortly after Texas had gained its independence.
Afro-Mexicans in the Mexican War of Independence
The war of independence was precipitated by events in Europe, specifically a failed coup against the viceroy Joseph Bonaparte. This encouraged small groups of rebels to take up arms against colonial rule. In September 1810, peasants and indigenous inhabitants of Dolores (Guanajuato) were called to action by the secular Catholic priest Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, former rector of the Colegio de San Nicolás Obispo. People of color were able to see that their independence was worth putting up a fight for it. However, Hidalgo was defeated. José Maria Morelos y Pavón, an Afro-Mexican himself, was dedicated to the cause and diligently recruited and trained an army consisting of free black peasants from various regions within the country. However, in 1815 he was also defeated and put to death.
José Maria Morelos had under his command the brothers Hermenegildo and Pablo Galeana who invited Vicente Guerrero to join the Independence movement, Guerrero became in charge of reinforcing the Pacific South Coast. Miguel Hidalgo, José Maria Morelos and Vicente Guerrero are the most important and recognized figures of the Mexican Independence movement, images of Miguel Hidalgo and Jose Maria Morelos are present in the one hundred and twenty pesos bills.