José Matias Delgado

Widely considered to be the father of El Salvador's independence movement in the early 1800s, José Matias Delgado (1768–1832) was elected president of the national constitutional assembly of the newly established United Provinces of Central America in 1823.

Delgado was born in the city of San Salvador, in what is now El Salvador, on February 24, 1767 (some sources say 1768). His devout parents, Pedro Delgado and Ana Maria de León, encouraged their son's early interest in entering the Roman Catholic priesthood. He attended the seminary in Guatemala and was ordained there in 1797, obtaining a doctoral degree in theology and civil and canonical rights at the same time. In 1797 he was appointed the vicar of San Salvador.

Opposition to Royal Rule Led to Politics

After spending more than a decade in the role for which he was trained, and in which by all accounts he was a commendable example, Delgado was inspired by his intense opposition to the imposition of colonial rule at the hands of the Spanish Empire to organize and lead a rebellion in 1811. In doing so, he became the central figure in the first Central American bid for independence, as well as the founding father of El Salvador's independence movement.

By the late 1700s wars in Europe had reduced the amount of ship traffic to Central America, contributing to a downturn in Salvadoran exports of indigo, one of the region's most lucrative crops. Meanwhile, Spanish control over its colonies in the Americas had weakened as a result of the aggressions against Spain by the French emperor Napoleon Bonaparte, leaving the city of San Salvador free to become an increasingly influential center of liberal—read anticolonial—opinion. The region's Creoles—those who could trace their heritage back to both Spain and native peoples and who were often members of the group of artisans and other businessman who could be considered part of the growing middle class—were at the core of the group agitating for increased economic and political freedom from Spain.

On November 5, 1811, Delgado led a rebellion of Creoles against Spanish rule, but this uprising was swiftly and brutally crushed by a military force sent from the seat of colonial government in Guatemala. Dominated by conservative forces loyal to Spain, Guatemala ruled over not only its own territories but also those of El Salvador, Costa Rica, Honduras, and Nicaragua. With many of his followers severely punished by the Guatemalan authorities, Delgado was temporarily rendered powerless, but the cleric refused to give up hope of an independent El Salvador.

First Failed Uprising Strengthened
Resolve

With economic and military aid from the motherland decreasing, Spain's colonies weakened against the growing tide of political unrest. Hostilities between the government in Guatemala and the colony of El Salvador also had intensified as the two entities competed for recognition from religious authorities within the Spanish Church. Guatemala, already the seat of political power, had been elevated from a bishopric to an archdiocese—i.e., an archbishop rather than a bishop now held the country's top religious office—in 1743. San Salvador had neither designation. Following the rebellion of 1811, Delgado, who had become an influential liberal leader, was the top candidate for the position of bishop if it were to be created by Spanish decree. He freely advocated for the separation of El Salvador from Guatemala, believing that in separating from Guatemala in civil matters, San Salvador would more likely gain its own religious power.

Following the end of the Napoleonic Wars, political lines were being redrawn through out Europe, and colonial governments were undergoing fragmentation and collapse around the world. By 1820 the majority of Central Americans in the five-nation group were as adamantly opposed to Guatemalan rule as they were to remaining in the Spanish empire. Delgado was by this time managing San Salvador with fellow liberal Manuel José Arce. On September 29, 1821, Delgado and Arce signed a declaration declaring the independence from Guatemala of the city of San Salvador. They also proposed to two other regions that they should unite in opposition to the efforts of dictator Augustin de Iturbide to bring them under the sway of the newly created government of Mexico. Iturbide had been put in power by the Guatemalan council that also voted to create an independent Mexican empire, and Salvadoran Creoles had as little desire to be ruled by Mexico as they had by Spain via Guatemala. Delgado's declaration of independence, which helped to ward off that possibility as well, is considered to be the first formal suggestion for a Central American confederation.

Elected Governor, then President

The people of San Salvador elected Delgado governor in 1821 and spent the next several years defending their city from takeover efforts by Mexico. Civil war broke out in 1822 when Guatemala demanded that El Salvador come under Mexican rule. Arce, leading San Salvadoran forces into battle against Guatemalan troops, defeated Guatemala and consolidated power over El Salvador. After the Mexican empire collapsed, on July 1, 1823, Delgado declared the region an independent republic "free and independent" of both Guatemala and Mexico. He and other leaders dubbed the new alliance the "United Provinces of Central America," or the Central American Republic. Acting as president, Delgado established a constituent assembly to frame a constitution for El Salvador and its allies as an independent nation.

Delgado completed the country's constitution on November 22, 1824. Comprising Guatemala, Honduras, Costa Rica, El Salvador, and Nicaragua, the new political union almost immediately encountered difficulties after Guatemala, El Salvador's old enemy, received 18 of the 41 seats in the new congress. Although the distribution was in accordance with the democratic principle of proportional representation, other countries in the alliance were displeased that Guatemala now had the most powerful voice. Such resentments and conflicts built until civil war broke out; one by one the states dropped out of the union, finally causing its collapse in 1838.

Brief Tenure as Bishop

In 1825 Delgado was elected by the constituent assembly to fill the country's newly created bishopric of San Salvador. However, Pope Leo XII, who had not approved of the establishment of a new bishopric in the region, nullified it in 1826. During the last years of his life, Delgado broke with former colleague Arce after Arce moved toward a more conservative political position. Still revered as the most tenacious patriot of his time, Delgado died on November 12, 1832. He was buried at El Rosario Church in the city of San Salvador.

Books

Booth, John A., and Thomas W. Walker, Understanding Central America, Westview Press, 1999.

Karnes, Thomas L., The Failure of Union: Central America, University of North Carolina Press, 1961.

Olsen, James, editor, The Historical Dictionary of the Spanish Empire, 1402–1975 Greenwood Press, 1992.

Shepherd, William R., The Hispanic Nations of the New World: A Chronicle of Our Southern Neighbors, Yale University Press, 1921.

Online

"José Matias Delgado: Meritorious Founding Father of the Central American Nations," ElSalvador.org,http://www.elsalvador.org/ (December 27, 2003).