By Tere Ruiz
In México, as well as many other parts of the world, there are many streets named after famous people and phases of history. You can visit different cities, villages or towns and you will almost always find a street named after Chistopher Columbus (Colón), Benito Juárez, Cuauhtémoc, Miguel Hidalgo or others. Also, you will surely find a street called Independencia (Independence), Revolución (Revolution), Insurgentes (Insurgent), Niños Héroes (Hero Boys) and much more.
JUAREZ
Benito Juárez born in Oaxaca in March 21, 1806, was a Zapotec who served as President of Mexico for five terms. His parents were peasants who died when he was three years old. He worked in the corn fields and as a shepherd until the age of 12, when he walked to the city of Oaxaca looking to be educated and find a better life, being illiterate and speaking only Zapotec.
A Franciscan, Antonio Salanueva, impressed with young Benito's intelligence and desire for learning, arranged for his placement at the city's seminary. He graduated in 1827 and went on to gain a degree in law. In 1842 he became a judge. Then, he was governor of Oaxaca from 1847 to 1853.
Exiled for his objections to the military dictatorship, in 1854 he helped making a plan to remove the government. Later, Juarez took office on 1858 and then led the liberal side in the Mexican War of the Reform (Reforma: another common name for streets in Mexico, and one of the most beautiful and important in México City) a liberal political and social revolution with major institutional consequences: the expropriation of church lands, bringing the army under civilian control, liquidation of labor people communal land holdings and the separation of church and state in public affairs, among others.
During his government, Juárez resisted the French occupation, taking over the Empire, and restoring the Republic, he also contributed to modernize the country. He is remembered as a progressive reformer dedicated to democracy, equal rights for his nation's indigenous peoples, and the defense of national sovereignty.
FACTS
The anniversary of Juárez's birth (March 21) is a national holiday in México
His most famous quote: "Among individuals, as among nations, respect for the rights of others is peace."
It is said that Benito Mussolini was named after Benito Juárez.
Juárez was given the title of "Benemérito de las Américas" ("the meritorious one of the Americas") by the government of the Republic of Colombia, on May 1, 1865.
Warner Brothers produced the biographical film “Juarez”, in 1939. Juárez has also been played in movies by Jason Robards, Sr. (1940), Fausto Tozzi (1965), Helmut Schellhardt (1988), and Luis Valdez (1994)
As well as streets, there are many cities in Mexico named after him, as well as educational institutions.
There are monuments to Juárez not just in Mexico but in most countries in Latin America as well as the United States like Mexico City's Alameda Central, Guanajuato, Oaxaca, Querétaro, Colombia, New York, Washington D.C., Chicago, Guatemala.
Benito Juárez’s face appears on postage stamps and on the Mexican 20 peso bill.
In New Delhi, the government of India named a major road as Benito Juarez in his memory. The road is home to many institutes of higher education.
HIDALGO
Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, born in May 8, 1753, was a creole Roman Catholic priest and revolutionary rebel leader. He is recognized as the "Father of Independence", being the instigator of the Mexican War of Independence of Spain in 1810.
Being born in an hacienda in Guanajuato, and son of the superintendent, Hidalgo developed sympathy for the Indian workers. He became a priest and was very interested in the political and social matters.
In 1808, when Spain was invaded by French troops, many Mexicans started to form secret organizations looking forward to getting independent of Spain, among others was Hidalgo and a group of people in Guanajuato, conspiring in favour of mestizos and Indian peasants.
But on the night of September 15, 1810, Hidalgo and his co-revolutionaries were warned that authorities knew about their plans for rebellion and looking for them, so Hidalgo rang the bells of his church in the village of Dolores and called to arms in what is called Grito de Dolores (Cry of Dolores) demanding the people to fight for “Independence” (another common name for streets in Mexico).
On July 31, 1811 Hidalgo was executed after being found guilty for treason, but one of his soldiers, José María “Morelos” (another common name for streets in Mexico), took leadership of the army and continued the war of independence, which ended in 1821.
Every year on the night of September 15, the president of Mexico re-enacts the Grito de Dolores, ringing the bells of the National Palace in Mexico City, as well as the governors and municipal presidents in their own City Halls. They shout: “Viva México”, “Viva la Independencia”, “Viva Hidalgo”, “Viva Morelos”, among others.
Many streets all over Mexico are named after Hidalgo, as well as the state of Hidalgo and the city of Dolores Hidalgo. His image appears on the $1,000.00 bill.
Tere Ruiz-Rodarte: Director of Research and Development FocusOnMexico.
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