Francisco Javier Mina
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Francisco Javier Mina (December 15, 1789, Navarre, Spain – November 11, 1817) was a Spanish lawyer and army officer. He was born in Otano, Navarrese, to Juan Mina, a wealthy farmer, and Maria Lerrea. He studied at the Seminary of Pamplona.
[edit] Spanish war of independence
On the occupation of Spain by French troops in early 1808, 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 begin 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.
On returning to Spain he was made a Colonel of the Navarre Hussars by King Ferdinand VII. Despite this Mina was antagonistic to the Spanish Crown, wanting a return to more democratic rule under the Constitution of 1812. After a planned coup failed Mina was forced to flee to safety (ironically) in France. He then travelled to England and made contact with Spanish Independencists from South America.
[edit] Mexican war of independence
Fray Servando Teresa de Mier, convinced him that it was possible to fight the absolute monarchy of Ferdinand VII in his own colonies.
In November 1816, Mina took three ships to attack Spanish shipping in the Gulf of Mexico, setting his base at Galveston Island, Texas. In April 1817, Mina took a force of about 250 men southwards, in ships provided by the privateer Louis-Michel Aury, where he hoped to join the southern Mexican revolutionaries led by Guadalupe Victoria and others. After several victories, he was finally defeated by Commandant Joaquin Arredondo. Mina escaped to join the Mexican rebels further south, but in October 1817 was captured. He was executed by firing squad in Mexico City, aged 28.
[edit] Notes
He is not to be confused with his uncle Francisco Espoz y Mina, generally known at the time as "Mina the Elder", while Javier was "Mina The Younger".
General Francisco Javier Mina International Airport or (IATA: TAM, ICAO: MMTM) is an international airport named after him, located at Tampico, Tamaulipas, Mexico.
