Francisco Morazán
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| Francisco Morazán | |
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President of Central America
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| In office 1835 – 1839 |
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| Preceded by | José Gregorio Salazar |
| Succeeded by | Diego Vigil |
| In office 1830 – 1835 |
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| President | President of Central America |
| Preceded by | José Francisco Barrundia |
| Succeeded by | Manuel José Arce |
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Head of State of Costa Rica
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| In office 1842 – 1842 |
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| Preceded by | Braulio Carrillo Colina |
| Succeeded by | Antonio Pinto |
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Head of State of El Salvador
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| In office 1839 – 1840 |
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| Preceded by | Antonio José Cañas |
| Succeeded by | José María Silva |
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Head of State of Honduras
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| In office 1827 – 1830 |
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| Preceded by | Miguel Eusebio Bustamante |
| Succeeded by | José Santos del Valle |
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| Born | October 3, 1792 Tegucigalpa, Honduras |
| Died | September 15, 1842 (aged 50) San José, Costa Rica |
| Political party | Liberal Party |
| Spouse | Josefa Maria Lastiri |
| Occupation | General, Lawyer, Stateman |
| Religion | Catholic |
General José Francisco Morazán Quezada (Tegucigalpa, Honduras, October 3, 1792 — San José, Costa Rica September 15, 1842) was a lawyer, orator, writer, general and Central American statesman, member of the Liberal Party: President of the Federal Republic of Central America (1830-1834;1835-1839); Head of state of Honduras (1827-1830), Guatemala (1829), El Salvador (1839-1840) and Costa Rica (1842).
General Francisco Morazán is considered one of the most important military leaders in the history of Central America. From his overwhelming victory, against the forces of president Arce, directed by colonel Justo Milla in 1827, to the liberation of Costa Rica in 1842, Morazán proved himself to be an excellent military strategist.
For more than a decade, Morazán dominated the political and military scene of Central America. Recognized as a great visionary, thinker, and politician, Francisco Morazán tried to transform Central America into a progressive nation by means of his liberal reforms. But the boldness of these changes for the times led to 1837 a revolution in Guatemala that culminated in the fall of the Federal Republic of Central America.
In the end, Morazán was betrayed by his own liberal ideology.[citation needed] His ideas did not materialize owing to the fact that much of the Central American people abandoned the liberal cause.[citation needed] This played in favor of the Conservative leaders who, in order to protect their own interests, ended up dividing Central America into five small nations.
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[edit] Life
José Francisco Morazán Quezada, was born in the Village of San Miguel of Tegucigalpa, Honduras, then part of the Spanish colony of New Spain on October 3, 1792. On October 16 of the same year, he was baptized in the church of Our Lady of the same place. His parents were: Eusebio Morazán Alemán, (descendant from Corsican emigrants) and the Central American Mrs. Guadalupe Quezada Borjas, members of the middle class. Morazán's grandfather; Juan Bautista arrived in Honduras in 1760 from the island of Corsica. His original family name was Morazzini. He later shortened it to Morazán.
Francisco Morazán had a brother and two sisters: Benito, Marcelina, and Cesarea Morazán. While, Francisco chose politics and the army; his brother Benito chose an ecclesiastic career. The wife of Francisco Morazán was the lady Maria Josefa Lastiri. The General married Maria on December 30, 1825 in the city of Comayagua .They had a daughter whom they named Adela. Outside of this marriage Morazán had two sons: José Antonio and Francisco.
All of those who knew Morazan describe him as a tall man, physically strong, intellectually gifted, self-disciplined, and at times controversial. He used of all his attributes to fight against all of those he considered, enemies of his ideal and of the 'Great Country'. - In March 1840, in the small town of Ahuachapan (El Salvador), Francisco Morazán was met by John Lloyd Stephens. In volume two of his book, Incidents of Travel in Central America, Chiapas, and Yucatan, Stephens describes a meeting with Morazán:
| “ | General Morazán, with several of his officers; was standing in the corridor of the cabildo; a large fire was burning before the door, and a table stood against the wall, with a candle and chocolate-cups upon it. He was about forty-five years old, five feet ten inches high, thin, with a black mustache and week's beard, and wore a military frock-coat, buttoned up to the throat, and sword. His hat was off, and the expression of his face mild and intelligent. Though still young, for ten years he had been the first man in the country, and eight President of the Republic. He had risen and had sustained himself by military skill and personal bravery; always led his forces himself; had been in innumerable battles, and often wounded, but never beaten. | ” |
[edit] Education
Francisco Morazán was for the most part a self educated man, he completed elementary school with the help of Fray José Antonio Murga, later on Morazán, mastered the French language. This allowed him to acquire a great knowledge of the French revolution, Montesquieu, and the social contract of Jean-Jacques Rousseau. The young Morazán Quezada, also familiarized himself deeply with the war of independence in Spain, the history of Europe in his diverse phases, as well as; the biographies of the Greek and Roman leaders. In the military field, Morazán did not have a formal preparation, all he knew was in a theoretical way, through the battles fought by Napoleon Bonaparte and other warriors.
When Central America declared its independence, Morazán was preparing himself in matters of public service in Tegucigalpa. The future commander, was employed at the town hall of that town; as assistant of the Mayor: Narciso Mayol. There, he performed as secretary of the mayor, defender of office in judicial cases of civil and criminal matter, among other things. This allowed Francisco Morazán to become very knowledgeable about the structure and functioning of the public administration of the province.
When the top authorities of Guatemala ran the official bulletin declaring their independence from Spain in 1821, the news was met with great joy in Honduras. But immediately thereafter arose the idea of the annexation of Central America to Mexico. Comayagua and its governing manager José Tinoco de Contreras supported this idea, but Tegucigalpa's people and authorities were against it.
For this reason, Tinoco decided to take repressive actions against the authorities of Tegucigalpa. Before this situation, a volunteers' army was organized in Tegucigalpa, in order to resist the aggressiveness of Tinoco. At the same time, the authorities of Tegucigalpa, were requesting reinforcements from Captain general of Guatemala Gabino Gaínza and nearby places like Olancho and Cantarranas and Texiguat.
It was during these events, that Francisco Morazán enlisted as volunteer. He quickly proved to be a real asset, reason why he was promoted to captain of one of the companies, by decision of the official chiefs who organized the militias. In spite of Tegucigalpa's opposition, Honduras and the rest of the Central American states were annexed by the Mexican empire of Agustín de Itubide on January 5, 1822.
During the time of the annexation to Mexico, little is known of what Francisco Morazán did. Some historical documents locate him in a meeting in 1823 that supported the Constituent Assembly of Central America as part of the commission that passed the bases of the electoral power of the new republic. Later, on September 28, 1824, Francisco Morazán was nominated a General Secretary of the government of his uncle and the first Head of state of Honduras, Dionisio de Herrera.
[edit] The Federal Republic
After the independence of Central America of Spain in 1821 and its later separation from the Mexican Empire on July 1, 1823, this nation was finally set free. Within the euphoria of independence in Central America, the new country was named the United Provinces of Central America and was comprised of the states of Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Costa Rica.
In the following year, the Constituent Congress of Central America met in Guatemala City, in which the objective was to decide which system of government would be adopted for the young nation. On the table of debates, two different proposals emerged: the members of the Liberal Party wanted a federalist government, similar to that of the United States of 1789. This type of government would provide every state significant autonomy of self-administration, freedom to create its own laws and reforms, among other things, but always, under the supervision of the federal government, keeper of the constitution.
The conservatives on the other hand, wanted a centralist government. In this system, the decisions and laws etc. adopted in the capital of the nation, apply equally to all the other states. After debating two proposals, the liberal who were the majority in Congress made their advantage be felt and gained the right to adopt the 'Federalist' thesis before the dissatisfaction of the conservatives. Later; on November 22, 1824, under the motto: "God, Union, Liberty", the constitution was approved, and the nation was renamed: Federal Republic of Central America.
Under the new constitution Manuel José Arce of the Liberal Party was elected president. He promised to transform the economy and Central American society through his liberal reforms. Within a few months, Arce met opposition from the country's conservatives. The conservatives, who had the greatest social influence and enormous economic power, did not allow him to advance his social programs. Once Arce recognized his limitations he abandoned his party and programs and allied himself with the conservatives, giving them near-complete control of the federal government. As result of this, a civil war that would last until 1829 exploded in Central America.
[edit] His Rise To Power
On January 19, 1827 by order of the federal government of Manuel José Arce, colonel Justo Milla, leaves from Guatemala city with a force of more than 200 men, and installs his barracks next to the city of Comayagua. From there, Mile throws a military offensive against the Head of state of Honduras; Dionisio de Herrera on May 10, 1827.
It is here; where Francisco Morazán at the head of the troops of the Honduran state, does his first appearance in the political and military scene of Central America. The captain of that time, resists the federal troops, but was taken prisoner in Ojojona. Meanwhile, Justo Milla manages to overthrow Herrera takes him prisoner and sends him to Guatemala. Milla then, it takes up office as Head of state of Honduras.
Meanwhile, Morazán manages to escape from the Federal Army and just when he was on the verge of going away to Mexico, the Liberals convince him to stay so that it takes the control of an armed group established in León, Nicaragua. This, with the intention of liberating Honduras. Francisco Morazán accepts the challenge, and with these men he confronts Justo Milla's troops on November 11, 1827 near Sabanagrande, Honduras. A this place, Morazan gives to them a crushing defeat during the famous " Battle of The Trinidad ". After his euphoric victory, Francisco Morazán and his troops left to Comayagua, where on November 27 he does his triumphal entry and occupies the headquarters of the state of Honduras of hands of José Eusebio Bustamante.
The victory in ' The Trinidad ', was for Francisco Morazán his window to the reputation as military genius. Also it allowed the 'General' to consolidate this battle as leader of the liberals in Central Americans. For these reasons the new Head of state of Honduras, received calls of help from El Salvador. This state had also been occupied by the Central Americans Federal Forces by order Manuel José Arce who had as intention; to protect the interests of the landowners and 'conservative' merchants in El Salvador.
[edit] Presidency
In 1830 Morazán was elected president of Central America in a general election which brought the Liberal party to power into the Federal Republic. Morazán enacted many reforms, including freedom of speech, the press, and religion, equality of people of all classes before the law, and trial by jury. All of this was objected to, with extreme prejudice, by the Conservatives wishing to maintain the old class system. The separation of Church and State, including allowing secular marriage and divorce and an end to government enforced tithing, made most all of the clergy an enemy of Morazán and his Liberals. General Morazán was further vilified when he ordered the clergy out of the country, and told them never to return or face certain death.
In 1834 Morazán oversaw the moving of the Central American Federal Capital from Guatemala City to San Salvador. Morazán was re-elected President in 1835.
In Guatemala, Rafael Carrera, an illiterate but shrewd and charismatic swineherd turned highwayman, pledged a vendetta against Morazán and the Federal government after undisciplined Federal soldiers killed his wife during a battle (neither side would take prisoners). Local conservative factions wishing to retain the old Spanish Roman Catholic system of caste titles and privileges, would prejudice the naive Carrera towards their own agenda. By 1838 Carrera, with the use of fanatciism of religion to urge on his hordes, became de facto ruler of much of Guatemala. Carrera's battle cry was "¡Viva la religión y muerte a los extranjeros!" (Long live religion and death to foreigners). Morazán repeatedly chased Carrera's forces out of cities and towns, but Carrera would simply retreat to the mountains and retake the places as soon as Morazán's army left.
The prolonged personal vendetta of the young Carrera against Morazán, who was twice his age, inspired other Conservatives to revolt, and soon Central America was at civil war. Rafael Carrera's existence was consumed by the defeat of Morazán, as he knew of nothing else.
In 1839 Morazán's second term as President of Central America ended and the civil war in several regions prevented a general national election. However Morazán was elected president of El Salvador, and continued as acting interim Head of State of Central America -- which by then consisted only of El Salvador, Costa Rica, Los Altos (a state in what is now western Guatemala and eastern Chiapas) and a few scattered communities elsewhere. Los Altos joined the Federal Union as the sixth state, but Carrera while possessed with an irate fury, had its government executed and forcibly annexed it to Guatemala. In the confusion, Mexico took control of the surrounding areas as the illiterate Carrera knew nothing of borders or boundaries comprising Los Altos. Also, it was during Carrera's dictatorship that Belize expanded its borders when he signed a treaty with the British. The treaty is now considered nulled and void by Guatemala since the British breached the contract.[citation needed] Guatemala refuses to recognize its borders and Rafael Carrera has never been forgiven for this act.
[edit] Exile
In late Spring 1840 Carrera's forces routed Morazán's smaller forces, and as a result Morazán went into exile in Colombia (in what is now Panama). While in the city of David he wrote his manifesto "Al Pueblo de Centro America". In this literary work he explains in detail the reasons why the Union had failed. He focuses his tirade against Carrera and the Conservative factions for failing to understand, and thus undermining, what he was trying to accomplish.
In 1842, having been repeatedly asked to intervene, he disembarked in Costa Rica and joined forces with General Vicente Villaseñor, opposed to local leader Braulio Carrillo, who had recently declared himself ruler for life via a coup d'etat. Morazán succeeded in ousting Carrillo and was proclaimed ruler of Costa Rica, which he intended to use as a base to reunite Central America. After he decreed that able-bodied male Costa Ricans would be subject to compulsory service in the new Central American armed forces, Costa Ricans quickly turned against Morazán. He was deposed and then executed in San José on the anniversary of Central American independence, September 15. His last words were to General Villaseñor: "La posteridad nos hara justicia" (Posterity shall do us justice.)
[edit] Legacy
Central American liberals still honor the memory of Francisco Morazán, who is also regarded as a national hero in Honduras. His name is inevitably brought up every time the question of a possible union of Central America is raised, as both are now synonymous with one another. Attempts have been made to restore the union, but it remains only his dream.
Two Central American countries have departments named after him: Francisco Morazán Department in Honduras and Morazán Department in El Salvador. Another remnant of the Central American Union is the Salvadoran department of La Unión. Its name was derived from the port established in the Gulf of Fonseca, Puerto de la Unión de Centroamérica, which was meant to serve the member countries. There is also a fairly large park named after Morazán in San José, Costa Rica. Very important roads have been named after him in different cities such as "Bulevar Morazán" in the Honduran cities of San Pedro Sula and Tegucigalpa and in San Salvador.
[edit] Statue controversy
Uruguayan writer Eduardo Galeano wrote in his work Open Veins of Latin America that Morazán's statue, which rises in the Central Square of Tegucigalpa, was not actually of Morazán, but instead of French marshall Michel Ney. According to him, the statue was bought at a flea market, because the persons entrusted to buy it spent the money in binges.
Later, the writer had to rectify, saying that his declarations were coming from writings that fell down in his hands. On having repeated his admiration for Morazán, Galeano emphasized that the real heroes "are not alive in the marble and the bronze, but in the land and in its people". Galeano also said that the unionist thought of Morazán lives and is born every day, and that the union for which Morazá fought is a "hanging task" of the Latin American countries.
Similar concepts on the same statue, also were expressed in the past by Gabriel García Márquez, Nobel Prize for Literature. "The monument to general Francisco Morazán erected in the biggest square of Tegucigalpa, is actually a statue of the Marshall Nay" the writer of 'One Hundred Years of Solitude' said.
[edit] Bibliography
Morazán, Laurel sin Ocaso Volumen II, by Miguel R. Ortega Central America and Mexico, by Alcee Fortier, John Rose Ficklen Incidents of Travel in Central America, Chiapas and Yucatan, by John Lloyd Stephens
[edit] See also
| Preceded by Miguel Eusebio Bustamante |
Head of state of Honduras 1827-1828 |
Succeeded by Diego Vigil |
| Preceded by Manuel José Arce |
President of Central America 1829 |
Succeeded by José Francisco Barrundia |
| Preceded by Diego Vigil |
Head of state of Honduras 1829 |
Succeeded by Juan Angel Arias |
| Preceded by Juan Angel Arias |
Head of state of Honduras 1830 |
Succeeded by José Santos del Valle |
| Preceded by José Francisco Barrundia |
President of Central America 1830-1834 |
Succeeded by Gregorio Salazar |
| Preceded by José Damián Villacorta |
Head of State of El Salvador (provisional) 1832 |
Succeeded by Joaquín de San Martín |
| Preceded by Gregorio Salazar |
President of Central America 1835-1839 |
Succeeded by Diego Vigil |
| Preceded by Antonio José Cañas |
Head of State of El Salvador 1839–1840 |
Succeeded by José María Silva |
| Preceded by Braulio Carrillo Colina |
Head of State of Costa Rica 1842 |
Succeeded by Antonio Pinto |
