Josefa ortiz de dominguez

Josefa Ortiz de Domínguez (September 8, 1768 – March 2, 1829) was a conspirator and supporter of the Mexican War of Independence, who fought for independence against Spain, in theearly 19th century. She is frequently referred to as "La Corregidora".

Ortiz de Domínguez was the daughter of Don Juan José Ortiz; a captain of "Los Morados" regiment, and DoñaManuela Girón in Valladolid (present-day Morelia). Her father was killed in a battle early in her infancy and her mother died soon after. Maria Sotero Ortiz, Josefa's sister, tookcare of her upbringing and managed to secure a place for her in the prestigious Colegio de las Vizcaínas in 1789. She married Miguel Domínguez, a frequent visitor to the college, in1791.

In 1802, Miguel Domínguez was appointed by the Viceroy of New Spain to the office of "Corregidor" (a magistrate) in the city of Querétaro. During that period, Ortiz deDomínguez took care of household chores and the education of their 14 children.

Ortiz de Domínguez developed an early sympathy for the Amerindian, mestizo and the criollo community whowere oppressed by the Spanish colonial government. Amerindian people were oppressed; mestizos and criollos were often seen as second-class citizens and were relegated to secondaryroles in the administration of the colony. This obviously created discontent among many criollos who soon started to organize secret and literary societies where works of theEnlightenment banned by the Roman Catholic Church were discussed. Ortiz de Domínguez herself attended some of the early meetings and eventually convinced her husband to organize a numberof political meetings in their house. The meetings, attended by educated figures including Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla and Ignacio Allende, quickly turned to revolutionary issues.