Serafin Olarte
Encyclopedia
Serafin Olarte was a Totonac
chief and general who led a revolt against Spanish
rule during the Mexican War of Independence
in (then province) Veracruz
.
His date of birth is unknown. Olarte first appeared in 1813, when he gathered a force of 400 Totonacs and fought against the Spanish in the area near Papantla
in the mountains of Coxquihui
. From 1812 until end of 1820 the countryside of northern Veracruz was hotbed of rebel activity and guerrilla fighting. Previous rebellions occurred in 1735, 1762, 1764, 1767, and 1787 and as a result Paplanta's inhabitants had a reputation among the royalist forces as troublemakers. The Olarte family was one of the most important ones in the area around due to their participation in many local Totonac cabildos
(councils) and ability to raise troops from the local indigenous population.
Serafin 1814 met Ignacio Lopez Rayon
in Zacatlan
and formally joined the fight for Mexican independence. He was able to gather together diverse tribes and groups in an overall coalition, which made him one of the most successful commanders in the area. His force soon grew to several thousand warriors, and even though they were lightly armed compared to their opponents, he repulsed several attacks by the Spanish royalists and kept them from controlling the region. Olarte and Vicente Guerrero
were the only independentist generals active during the low point of the war of independence after the execution of José María Morelos
in 1815. In 1816 he defended Tlaxcalantongo although eventually he was forced to retreat to Cerro el Blanco. In 1819 he tried to take Papantla but was unsuccessful and the Spanish burned the town in reprisal.
With the Treaty of Cordoba
in 1821 Mexico gained its independence from Spain. The same year however, Serafin Olarte was killed by Spanish troops in an ambush near Papantla
.
Serafin's son, Mariano Olarte fought alongside his father and then also led another rebellion in Veracruz in 1836–1838. In December 1935 the name of the city of Papantla de Hidalgo was officially changed to that of Papantla de Olarte in his honor.
Totonac
The Totonac people resided in the eastern coastal and mountainous regions of Mexico at the time of the Spanish arrival in 1519. Today they reside in the states of Veracruz, Puebla, and Hidalgo. They are one of the possible builders of the Pre-Columbian city of El Tajín, and further maintained...
chief and general who led a revolt against Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
rule during 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...
in (then province) Veracruz
Veracruz
Veracruz, formally Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave , is one of the 31 states that, along with the Federal District, comprise the 32 federative entities of Mexico. It is divided in 212 municipalities and its capital city is...
.
His date of birth is unknown. Olarte first appeared in 1813, when he gathered a force of 400 Totonacs and fought against the Spanish in the area near Papantla
Papantla
Papantla is a city and municipality located in the north of the state of Veracruz, Mexico, in the Sierra Papanteca range and on the Gulf of Mexico. The city was founded in the 13th century by the Totonacs and has dominated the Totonacapan region of the state since then...
in the mountains of Coxquihui
Coxquihui
Coxquihui in Veracruz, Mexico. It is located in montane central zone of the State of Veracruz, about 95 km from state capital Xalapa. It has a surface of 86.37 km2...
. From 1812 until end of 1820 the countryside of northern Veracruz was hotbed of rebel activity and guerrilla fighting. Previous rebellions occurred in 1735, 1762, 1764, 1767, and 1787 and as a result Paplanta's inhabitants had a reputation among the royalist forces as troublemakers. The Olarte family was one of the most important ones in the area around due to their participation in many local Totonac cabildos
Cabildo (council)
For a discussion of the contemporary Spanish and Latin American cabildo, see Ayuntamiento.A cabildo or ayuntamiento was a former Spanish, colonial administrative council that governed a municipality. Cabildos were sometimes appointed, sometimes elected, but were considered to be representative of...
(councils) and ability to raise troops from the local indigenous population.
Serafin 1814 met Ignacio Lopez Rayon
Ignacio López Rayón
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....
in Zacatlan
Zacatlán
Zacatlán is a city, and the surrounding municipality of the same name, in the northern region of the Mexican state of Puebla. It is renowned as one of the country's foremost apple-growing regions, and is so sometimes called "Zacatlán de las Manzanas"...
and formally joined the fight for Mexican independence. He was able to gather together diverse tribes and groups in an overall coalition, which made him one of the most successful commanders in the area. His force soon grew to several thousand warriors, and even though they were lightly armed compared to their opponents, he repulsed several attacks by the Spanish royalists and kept them from controlling the region. Olarte and Vicente Guerrero
Vicente Guerrero
Vicente Ramón Guerrero Saldaña was one of the leading revolutionary generals of the Mexican War of Independence, who fought against Spain for independence in the early 19th century, and served briefly as President of Mexico...
were the only independentist generals active during the low point of the war of independence after the execution of 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 1815. In 1816 he defended Tlaxcalantongo although eventually he was forced to retreat to Cerro el Blanco. In 1819 he tried to take Papantla but was unsuccessful and the Spanish burned the town in reprisal.
With the Treaty of Cordoba
Treaty of Córdoba
The Treaty of Córdova established Mexican independence from Spain at the conclusion of the Mexican War of Independence. It was signed on August 24, 1821 in Córdoba, Veracruz, Mexico. The signatories were the head of the Army of the Three Guarantees, Agustín de Iturbide, and acting on behalf of the...
in 1821 Mexico gained its independence from Spain. The same year however, Serafin Olarte was killed by Spanish troops in an ambush near Papantla
Papantla
Papantla is a city and municipality located in the north of the state of Veracruz, Mexico, in the Sierra Papanteca range and on the Gulf of Mexico. The city was founded in the 13th century by the Totonacs and has dominated the Totonacapan region of the state since then...
.
Serafin's son, Mariano Olarte fought alongside his father and then also led another rebellion in Veracruz in 1836–1838. In December 1935 the name of the city of Papantla de Hidalgo was officially changed to that of Papantla de Olarte in his honor.