Juan Aldama

Juan Aldama was a Mexican revolutionary rebel soldier during the Mexican War of Independence in 1810. He was also the brother of Ignacio Aldama and the uncle of Antonio and Mariano, all of them criollos insurgents. He participated in the conspiracy of Querétaro, which aimed to overthrow the colonial authorities and replace them with a local autonomous government. He was in San Miguel when he heard that the conspiracy had been betrayed by a supporter who informed the Spanish colonial authorities. He traveled to Dolores (now Dolores Hidalgo) to inform Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla and Ignacio Allende. He witnessed the Grito de Dolores (Cry of Dolores) on the night of September 15, 1810, which started the armed conflict. Aldama was captured by the Spanish colonial authorities on March 21, 1811 at the Wells of Baján in Coahuila. He was court-martialed for insubordination towards the Spanish Crown and executed for treason, by firing squad on June 26, 1811, together with Allende and other members of the rebel army including Mariano Jiménez and Manuel Santa María. Aldama's body was decapitated and his head taken to the Alhóndiga de Granaditas where it was shown to the public inside a cage hung from one corner of the building. In 1824, his remains were moved to an altar in the Metropolitan Cathedral in Mexico City. Finally, in 1925, his remains were moved one last time to the mausoleum in the Independence Column in Mexico City. Aldama is a national hero of Mexico. In his honor, several towns and villages are named after him.