Juan Aldama
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Juan Aldama (January 3, 1774 in San Miguel el Grande, Guanajuato – June 26, 1811 in Chihuahua) was a Mexican insurgent during the Mexican War of Independence. He was brother of Ignacio Aldama.
At the beginning of the Mexican War of Independence Aldama was a captain of the cavalry regiment of the Queen's militia. He attended the conspiratorial meetings for independence in Querétaro despite having to travel from San Miguel el Grande (now San Miguel de Allende) in neighboring Guanajuato.
Aldama was in San Miguel when he heard news that the conspiracy had been discovered by Spanish authorities. He traveled to Dolores (now Dolores Hidalgo) to alert Miguel Hidalgo and Ignacio Allende. Thus, he prompted and witnessed the Grito de Dolores on the night of September 15, 1810, which started the armed conflict.
He was captured together with Allende, with whom he had fought during the campaign, in Acatita de Baján in 1811. He was tried for insubordination towards the Spanish Crown and executed by firing squad on June 26, 1811, together with Allende and other members of the insurgency such as Mariano Jiménez and Manuel Santa María.
Aldama's body was decapitated and his head taken to the Alhóndiga de Granaditas where it was shown to the public inside a cage hung from one corner of the building. In 1824, his remains were moved to an altar in the Metropolitan Cathedral in Mexico City. Finally, in 1925, his remains were moved one last time to the mausoleum in the Independence Column in Mexico City.
[edit] Places named after Juan Aldama
- The municipality of Juan Aldama, Zacatecas.
- The municipality of Villaldama, Nuevo León.
- The municipality of Aldama, Tamaulipas.
- The municipality of Aldama, Chihuahua.
- The city of León, Guanajuato, was officially renamed to "León de los Aldama" in honor of brothers Juan and Ignacio Aldama.
- The municipality of Los Aldamas, Nuevo León was also named after him and his brother.
