Josefa Ortiz de Domínguez

Early life

Ortiz de Domínguez was the daughter of captain Juan José Ortiz of Los Verdes regiment and Manuela Girón Ortiz. Her father was killed in battle during her infancy, and her mother died soon after. Her sister María Sotera Ortiz raised her and secured her a place at the Colegio de las Vizcaínas in 1789. She married Miguel Domínguez, a frequent visitor to the college, on 24 January 1791 in Mexico City.

In 1802, Miguel Domínguez was appointed corregidor of Querétaro by the Viceroy of New Spain. During this period, Ortiz de Domínguez managed household chores and the education of their 14 children. She developed early sympathy for the oppressed Amerindian, mestizo, and criollo communities. Discontent among criollos led to secret literary societies discussing banned Enlightenment works.

Ortiz de Domínguez attended early meetings and convinced her husband to host political gatherings at their house, which soon turned to revolutionary issues.

War of Independence

The overthrow of King Ferdinand VII of Spain during the Peninsular War increased prospects for independence in the Spanish colonies. Meetings in Ortiz de Domínguez's house served as a cover for revolutionary conspiracy under the guise of a literary group, where insurgent planning, including gathering weapons and supplies, took place. The uprising was planned for 8 December 1810, but on 13 September a supporter betrayed the conspirators to Spanish authorities.

Unaware of her allegiance, colonial authorities asked the Corregidor to search the town for rebel leaders. He imprisoned his wife in her room to prevent her from communicating with conspirators. Ortiz de Domínguez managed to send a warning through Ignacio Pérez Álvarez, warden of the royal jail of Santiago de Querétaro. The traditional story says she alerted Pérez by striking the floor with her shoe, though historians report she struck a wall separating their residences.

The warning allowed rebel leaders to flee and prompted Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla to declare war earlier than expected, giving the Grito de Dolores on 16 September 1810. Eventually, the couple's role was uncovered; they were imprisoned separately. Ortiz de Domínguez was sent to the monastery of Santa Clara in Querétaro, then to Mexico City for trial. Despite her husband acting as her lawyer, she was found guilty and confined in the monastery of Santa Teresa.

Due to her rebellious character, she was transferred to the convent of Santa Catalina de Sena. She was released in 1817 under oath to refrain from supporting the rebellion.

Post-Independence

After independence in 1822, Emperor Agustín de Iturbide offered Ortiz de Domínguez the role of lady-in-waiting for his wife, but she refused, believing the establishment of a Mexican Empire contradicted the ideals she had fought for. In 1823, she was designated a woman of honor by the empress, an honor she also denounced. In her later years, she was involved with radical political groups and always refused any reward for her role in the independence movement, stating she was only doing her duty as a patriot.

She died in 1829 in Mexico City and was originally buried in the convent of Santa Catalina de Sena; her remains were later moved to Querétaro. The government of Querétaro declared her Benemérita del Estado. In 1910, she and Leona Vicario became the first women depicted on Mexican stamps. Her profile appeared on the five-centavo coin from 1942 to 1976 and on a five-peso coin issued in 2010 for the bicentenary of independence.

Did You Know?

• Her godmother was doña Ana María de Anaya.
• In 1791 Josefa Ortiz married Miguel Domínguez, who was working for the Secretary of the Revenue Service and in the office of Virreinato de la Nueva España.
• She was the second woman to be depicted on stamps in Latin America.