Early Life
Almonte was born in Nocupétaro, Carácuaro district, in the state of Michoacán. He was allegedly the son of José María Morelos, a Roman Catholic priest who led the insurgents in the Mexican War of Independence from 1811 to 1815. His mother, Brígida Almonte, was said to be of pure Amerindian ancestry. On August 9, 1814, his father appointed him a brigadier general. In 1815 Almonte was sent to New Orleans, Louisiana, where he was educated and learned fluent English. While there, he worked as a clerk for hardware merchant Puech & Bein. His time in the United States was cut short when his father was executed on December 22, 1815 in the village of San Cristóbal Ecatepec.
Between 1822 to 1824, Almonte was on the staff of insurgent rebel leader José Félix Trespalacios in Texas and then was sent as a part of the Mexican delegation to London. Almonte assisted Ambassador José Mariano Michelena in negotiating a commercial and amity treaty with England. This was Mexico's first treaty as a new nation. In 1830, while serving in Mexican Congress, Almonte became an object of government attention as editor of "El Atleta". He accused President Anastasio Bustamante of allowing foreign intervention in national affairs. Because of his stance, Almonte's arrest was ordered on April 16, 1830. He was forced to seek refuge in New Orleans due to government pressure, and the paper collapsed due to heavy fines levied by Bustamante’s government. Later, Bustamante relented and appointed Almonte secretary of the Mexican Legation Extraordinary in 1831. His new job was to represent Mexico in the Republics of South America and the Empire of Brazil. Almonte married María Dolores Quesada on March 1, 1840 in Mexico City and they had a daughter named María de Guadalupe Anastacia Aleja Brígida Saturnina.
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