Jose Maria Morelos

José María Morelos was a Mexican Catholic priest and revolutionary leader who assumed the leadership of the Mexican War of Independence movement after the execution of Miguel Hidalgo in 1811. He organized a congress that declared Mexico's independence in 1813 and drafted a constitution that established a republic with equal rights for all citizens. He fought against the Spanish colonial forces in various regions of Mexico, winning several battles and controlling most of the south and west of the country. He was captured by the royalists in 1815 and tried by the Inquisition. He was defrocked, degraded, and executed by a firing squad. He is considered one of the founding fathers of Mexico and a national hero.