The Battle of Zitácuaro was a battle of the
War of Mexican Independence
The Mexican War of Independence ( es, Guerra de Independencia de México, links=no, 16 September 1810 – 27 September 1821) was an armed conflict and political process resulting in Mexico's independence from Spain. It was not a single, co ...
that occurred on 2 January 1812 in the area around
Zitácuaro
Zitácuaro, officially known as Heroica Zitácuaro, is a city in the Mexican state of Michoacán. The city is the administrative centre for the surrounding municipality of the same name, which lies at the extreme eastern side of Michoacán and bo ...
,
Michoacán. The battle was fought between the
royalist forces loyal to the Spanish crown and the Mexican rebels fighting for independence from the
Spanish Empire
The Spanish Empire ( es, link=no, Imperio español), also known as the Hispanic Monarchy ( es, link=no, Monarquía Hispánica) or the Catholic Monarchy ( es, link=no, Monarquía Católica) was a colonial empire governed by Spain and its prede ...
. The Mexican insurgents were commanded by General
Ignacio López Rayón
Ignacio López Rayón (July 31, 1773 in Tlalpujahua, Intendancy of Valladolid (present-day Michoacán), New Spain – February 2, 1832 in Mexico City) was a general who led the insurgent forces of his country after Miguel Hidalgo's death, d ...
and the Spanish by
Félix María Calleja
Felix may refer to:
* Felix (name), people and fictional characters with the name
Places
* Arabia Felix is the ancient Latin name of Yemen
* Felix, Spain, a municipality of the province Almería, in the autonomous community of Andalusia, ...
. The battle resulted in a victory for the Spanish Royalists even in the face of overwhelming odds.
Context
The
viceroy
A viceroy () is an official who reigns over a polity in the name of and as the representative of the monarch of the territory. The term derives from the Latin prefix ''vice-'', meaning "in the place of" and the French word ''roy'', meaning " ...
of
New Spain,
Francisco Javier Venegas de Saavedra y Ramínez de Arenzana, ordered the retaking of the city of
Heroica Zitácuaro as it was the contemporary site of the ''"
Suprema Junta Nacional Gubernativa"'', the headquarters for the direction of the entire insurgency against the Spanish crown.
The battle
The two armies came to blows in and around the city of
Zitácuaro
Zitácuaro, officially known as Heroica Zitácuaro, is a city in the Mexican state of Michoacán. The city is the administrative centre for the surrounding municipality of the same name, which lies at the extreme eastern side of Michoacán and bo ...
. During the battle,
Ramón López Rayón, the younger brother of the supreme insurgent commander,
Ignacio López Rayón
Ignacio López Rayón (July 31, 1773 in Tlalpujahua, Intendancy of Valladolid (present-day Michoacán), New Spain – February 2, 1832 in Mexico City) was a general who led the insurgent forces of his country after Miguel Hidalgo's death, d ...
, lost his eye. After many hours of battle, the city eventually fell to Spanish forces despite the numerical superiority of the rebel forces.
Aftermath
In the wake of the rebel defeat at Zitácuaro, the members of the ''Suprema Junta Nacional Gubernativa'' were made to flee the city and relocated to the towns of
Tlalchapa and
Sultepec.
[Zárate, 1880; 274-275]
See also
*
Mexican War of Independence
The Mexican War of Independence ( es, Guerra de Independencia de México, links=no, 16 September 1810 – 27 September 1821) was an armed conflict and political process resulting in Mexico's independence from Spain. It was not a single, co ...
References
Bibliography
*
*
Zitacuaro
Conflicts in 1811
History of Michoacán
Zitacuaro
Zitacuaro
1811 in New Spain
July 1811 events
Zitácuaro
Zitácuaro, officially known as Heroica Zitácuaro, is a city in the Mexican state of Michoacán. The city is the administrative centre for the surrounding municipality of the same name, which lies at the extreme eastern side of Michoacán and bo ...
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