Ignacio López Rayón led the revolutionary government of his country after Miguel Hidalgo's death, during the first years of the Mexican War of Independence

Mexican War of Independence

The Mexican War of Independence was an armed conflict between the people of Mexico and the Spanish colonial authorities which started on 16 September 1810. The movement, which became known as the Mexican War of Independence, was led by Mexican-born Spaniards, Mestizos and Amerindians who sought...

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López Rayón was born in Michoacán and became a lawyer after studying at Saint Nicholas College in Valladolid (nowadays Morelia

Morelia

Morelia is a city and municipality in the north central part of the state of Michoacán in central Mexico. The city is in the Guayangareo Valley and is the capital of the state. The main pre-Hispanic cultures here were the P'urhépecha and the Matlatzinca, but no major cities were founded in the...

) and in Mexico City's Colegio de San Ildefonso

Colegio de San Ildefonso

In 1595, Fr. Antonio Sedeno, Fr. Pedro Chirino, and Antonio Pereira of the Society of Jesus established a grammar school attached to the Jesuit residence in Cebu City. In 1606, it was officially named as the Colegio de San Ildefonso...

. During the first months of the Mexican War of Independence, he joined Miguel Hidalgo's troops in Maravatío

Maravatío

Maravatío is a municipality in the Mexican state of Michoacán, representing 1.17% of its land area, or 691.55 km2.- Etymology :The modern word Maravatío comes from the P'urhépecha word Marhabatio, meaning a precious place or thing....

 and defended Zitácuaro

Zitácuaro

Zitácuaro is a city in the Mexican state of Michoacán. The city is the administrative centre for the surrounding municipality of the same name, which lies at the extreme eastern side of Michoacán and borders on the adjacent state of México...

. Later on, he became Hidalgo's private secretary and First Secretary of State and, as such, signed the emancipation of slaves on December 6, 1810. He organized, with Francisco Severo Maldonado, the first gazette of the rebellion: El despertador americano (in English

English language

English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...

: The American Watchclock).

After Hidalgo's death, he became the political leader of the movement and took part with José María Morelos

José María Morelos

José María Teclo Morelos y Pavón was a Mexican Roman Catholic priest and revolutionary rebel leader who led the Mexican War of Independence movement, assuming its leadership after the execution of Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla in 1811...

 in first National Congress at Chilpancingo

Chilpancingo

Chilpancingo de los Bravo is the capital and second-largest city of the state of Guerrero, Mexico. It is located at . In the 2005 census the population of the city was 166,796. Its surrounding municipality, of which it is municipal seat, had a population of 214,219 persons...

. Four years later, he was arrested and sent to prison until 1820. After the war, he became the state treasurer of San Luis Potosí

San Luis Potosí

San Luis Potosí officially Estado Libre y Soberano de San Luis Potosí is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 58 municipalities and its capital city is San Luis Potosí....

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López Rayón died on February 2, 1832, in Mexico City.

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Short biography