Symbol of Freedom in the 19th Century
By Oscar Quiroz
Francisco González Bocanegra was born in San Luis Potosí on January 8, 1824. His father was a realistic soldier of Hispanic origin, while his Mexican mother, a native of Aguascalientes, his uncle was Minister of Foreign Affairs in the cabinet of Vicente Guerrero and ephemeral interim president of the Republic in 1825.
Soon after independence, the Spanish suspicion dominated the environment in the new nascent country, so on December 20, 1827 the Spanish Expulsion Law was promulgated, which led to the banishment of Francisco Bocanegra’s family when He was only five years old. The family returned to San Luis Potosí until 1836, and some time later, the young Francisco left for Mexico City, where he discovered his vocation.
He joined the Lateran Academy, and in 1849 he participated in the founding of a literary society called Liceo Hidalgo, of which he was first vocal and then president.
In the great capital, Francisco Bocanegra began a career in public service, working as an archivist officer in the General Administration of Toll Roads, theater sensor director of the Official Gazette. He fell in love with Guadalupe González del Pino and Villalpando, his muse, cousin in the third degree, a figure of great importance for the composition of the anthem and with whom he married in 1854.
The vox populi that ran the last days of November and his girlfriend Guadalupe González, seeing Francisco undecided and insecure, locked him in a room in his house, some say that this house was located in the neighborhood of Tacuba others mention that it is in Tacuba street. However, it is a fact that is unknown to this day, in that place he was locked up until he had the composition ready, a few hours later the sheets of paper with the Patriotic poem that won the contest appeared under the door.
