Josefa Ortiz de Domínguez

Revolutionary heroine who triggered Mexico's independence movement through clandestine activism

Known as La Corregidora, Josefa Ortiz de Domínguez (1768-1829) became the architect of Mexico's independence conspiracy while serving as wife of Querétaro's colonial magistrate. Her clandestine salon gatherings enabled revolutionary planning under Spain's radar.

When authorities discovered the conspiracy in September 1810, Ortiz de Domínguez famously smuggled warnings to rebel leaders through ingenious methods - including tapping hidden messages on a prison wall. This triggered Father Hidalgo's Grito de Dolores proclamation days earlier than planned, launching the decade-long independence war.

Despite royalist imprisonment until 1817, she maintained revolutionary networks through coded letters written in orange juice ink. Modern feminists celebrate her as Mexico's first female political prisoner who challenged both colonial rule and gender norms.

Her legacy lives through México City's La Corregidora Monument and the constitutional guarantee of women's voting rights she inspired. Contemporary artists like Elena Poniatowska have reimagined her story for new generations.