José Manuel Hidalgo y Esnaurrízar (6 April 1826 – 27 December 1896) was a

Mexican Mexican may refer to: Mexico and its culture *Being related to, from, or connected to the country of Mexico, in North America ** People *** Mexicans, inhabitants of the country Mexico and their descendants *** Mexica, ancient indigenous people ...

soldier, diplomat, and writer. He played a key role in the establishment of the

Second Mexican Empire The Second Mexican Empire (), officially the Mexican Empire (), was a constitutional monarchy established in Mexico by Mexican monarchists in conjunction with the Second French Empire. The period is sometimes referred to as the Second French i ...

Biography

Hidalgo was born in 1826 to Mercedes Esnaurrizar and Francisco Manuel Hidalgo, an Andalusian colonel that supported

Augustin de Iturbide Augustin may refer to: * Augustin (name), male name, variant of Augustine * Augustin (typography), English or 14-point type * Augustin, Brașov, a commune in Brașov County, Romania * Dacian fortress of Augustin, ruined Dacian fortified town ...

during the movement for Mexican Independence. One of his first major jobs was working under the Ministry of Finance, and in 1846 was able to serve as secretary to

Manuel Eduardo de Gorostiza Manuel María del Pilar Eduardo de Gorostiza y Cepeda (13 October 1789 – 23 October 1851) was a Mexican Spanish writer, dramatist and diplomat. He was the son of Pedro Fernández de Gorostiza, governor of the port of Veracruz, and the poet Ros ...

. During the

Mexican-American War Mexican Americans ( es, mexicano-estadounidenses, , or ) are Americans of full or partial Mexicans, Mexican heritage. In 2019, Mexican Americans comprised 11.3% of the US population and 61.5% of all Hispanic and Latino Americans. In 2019, 71% ...

, he fought under the command of Gorostiza at the

Battle of Churubusco The Battle of Churubusco took place on August 20, 1847, while Santa Anna's army was in retreat from the Battle of Contreras or Battle of Padierna during the Mexican–American War. It was the battle where the San Patricio Battalion, made up ...

and at the

Battle of Contreras The Battle of Contreras, also known as the Battle of Padierna, took place on 19–20 August 1847, in one of the final encounters of the Mexican–American War, as invading U.S. forces under Winfield Scott approached the Mexican capital. Americ ...

, was wounded and taken prisoner. He was appointed by president

Manuel de la Peña y Peña José Manuel de la Peña y Peña (10 March 1789 – 2 January 1850) was a Mexican lawyer and judge, who served two non-consecutive, but closely following terms as the president of Mexico during the Mexican American War. In contrast to many ot ...

to serve as a diplomat in London and was later sent to Rome. In Europe he made the acquaintance of Silvio Pellico,

Giacomo Antonelli Giacomo Antonelli (2 April 1806 – 6 November 1876) was an Italian cardinal deacon. He was the Cardinal Secretary of State from 1848 until his death; he played a key role in Italian politics, resisting the unification of Italy and affecting ...

Pope Pius IX Pope Pius IX ( it, Pio IX, ''Pio Nono''; born Giovanni Maria Mastai Ferretti; 13 May 1792 – 7 February 1878) was head of the Catholic Church from 1846 to 1878, the longest verified papal reign. He was notable for convoking the First Vatican ...

, Queen Victoria,

Pedro V Peter V ( pt, Pedro V ; 16 September 1837 – 11 November 1861), nicknamed "the Hopeful" ( pt, o Esperançoso), was King of Portugal from 1853 to 1861. Early life and reign As the eldest son of Queen Maria II and King Ferdinand II, Peter was a ...

Ludwig I en, Louis Charles Augustus , image = Joseph Karl Stieler - King Ludwig I in his Coronation Robes - WGA21796.jpg , caption = Portrait by Joseph Stieler, 1825 , succession=King of Bavaria , reign = , coronation ...

, and

Isabel II Isabella II ( es, Isabel II; 10 October 1830 – 9 April 1904), was Queen of Spain from 29 September 1833 until 30 September 1868. Shortly before her birth, the King Ferdinand VII of Spain issued a Pragmatic Sanction to ensure the successio ...

. It was his friendship with

Eugénie de Montijo ''Doña'' María Eugenia Ignacia Agustina de Palafox y Kirkpatrick, 19th Countess of Teba, 16th Marchioness of Ardales (5 May 1826 – 11 July 1920), known as Eugénie de Montijo (), was Empress of the French from her marriage to Emperor Napo ...

, the Spanish born wife of Napoleon III, that allowed him lobby for French support of establishing a Mexican monarchy, an effort which ultimately culminated in the French Intervention in Mexico, and the establishment

. After the fall of the Empire he left Mexico for France. To supplement his income during exile he published several novels. His novels were a mixture of realism and sentimentalism dealing with the aristocracy, the nobility, and the grand bourgeoisie. He died in Paris in 1896.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hidalgo y Esnaurrizar, Jose Manuel Mexican military personnel of the Mexican–American War Mexican monarchists Mexican diplomats 1826 births 1896 deaths

Biography

See also

References