Francisco Javier Mina - Biography

Biography

He was born in Otao, Navarre, to Juan Mina, a wealthy farmer, and Maria Lerrea. He studied at the Seminary of Pamplona. While he was in Pamplona he was living with his uncles Clemente and Simona Espoz. In the Seminary he studied Latin, mathematics and humanities. When he was 18 years old, he moved out to Zaragoza where he began his studies of law at the university.

On the occupation of Spain by French troops in early 1808 during the Peninsular War, Mina (then aged 19) fled to the hills and forests of his native region and formed a small guerrilla force. Starting with only ten men, it quickly grew in size to over 200. Launching raids on the French, Mina captured arms, ammunition and horses. Within a year Mina's forces grew to over 1,200 men and 150 cavalry, and he began to engage in full-scale military actions, rather than hit-and-run raids. Mina was captured in March 1810. He was sent to Vincennes prison in France, finally being released in April 1814 with the collapse of Napoleon's government.

On returning to Spain he was made a colonel of the Navarre Hussars by King Ferdinand VII. Despite this Mina was antagonistic to the King, since he had abolished the democratic government created under the Constitution of 1812 in years of Ferdinand VII's absence. After a planned coup against the King failed, Mina was forced to flee (ironically) to France, from Bayona he travel to England where he met Servando Teresa de Mier.

Servando Teresa de Mier, convinced him that it was possible to fight the absolute monarchy of Ferdinand VII in his own colonies.

Some English lords made possible the travel to America, they helped the expedition with money. In May 1816, 20 Spanish officers, Italians and English crew left Liverpool traveling first to the United States.

Mina took two ships, Mina and his crew left Baltimore to Puerto Principe, from Puerto Principe to Galveston where they arrived November 24, 1816. He was in New Orleans in March 16, 1817, they went back to Galveston, Texas, then part of Mexico. In April 1817, Mina took a force of about 250 men southwards, in ships provided by the privateer Louis-Michel Aury, they arrived to Soto la Marina, Tamaulipas. The Mina plan was to join the southern Mexican revolutionaries led by Guadalupe Victoria and others.

Mina began a period of the Mexican war of independence known as the resistance war, in May 24 of 1817, Mina left his base with 300 men, they went to Sierra de Tanchipa, after they went to: Horcasitas today Ciudad González, El Abra and Baltazar today Antiguo Morelos. All this in Tamaulipas. They were going to San Luis Potosí: Valle del Maíz, Peotillos, Real de Pinos. Finally he arrived to Fuerte del Sombrero, a fortification defended by Pedro Moreno. Mina published a letter in which he exposed that he was fighting the king tyranny and not the Spanish empire.

In August 1, marshal Pascual Liñán arrived to the fort with a powerful army, Mina escaped in August 8 and went to Fuerte de los Remedios to help José Antonio Torres.

In October 1817 Mina was captured and Pedro Moreno was killed in the ranch El Venadito, the prisoner was presented to Colonel Orrantia who traveled with him to Silao. Some days after Mina was sent to Pascual Liñán. In November 11 of 1817 he was executed by firing squad in del Bellaco hill or del Borrego hill close to the fort Fuerte de los Remedios region of the Sierra de Pénjamo close to Pénjamo, Guanajuato by the Zaragoza Battalion, (Batallón de Zaragoza). Mina was 27 years old.