Who was Leonor Villegas de Magnón?
Leonor Villegas de Magnón (1876-1955) was a pivotal figure of the Mexican Revolution (1910-1920). Her involvement in revolutionary affairs during this important period of Mexican history is well-recorded in her autobiography, La Rebelde and in her collection of photographs,letters, and other documents. While her influence is undeniably relevant to the history of Mexico, her life and work are also key in understanding U.S.-Mexican border relations of the time.
Born in 1876, in Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Villegas de Magnón was nicknamed La Rebelde at birth, when Federalist soldiers entered her parent's home looking for "rebels." "Aquí escondo al único rebelde que hay en esta casa," her father told them, as he opened the door to the room where Leonor had just been born. Villegas de Magnón honored her nickname throughout her life.
In 1910, Villegas de Magnón made a trip to Laredo, Texas with her children to visit her dying father. Because of the revolutionary tumult in Mexico, she was not able to return to her home in Nuevo Laredo. She settled in Laredo and opened a bilingual kindergarten. There she became involved in revolutionary activism and stood firmly against the exploitation of the Mexican people under Porfirio Diaz and later, Victoriano Huerta. She wrote political pieces supporting the revolutionary cause and the democratic ideals that fueled it. She also wrote informational articles on the Revolution’s progress for La Cronica, El Progreso, and El Radical, alternative presses of the border region.
In 1913, Leonor Villegas de Magnón founded La Cruz Blanca Constitucionalista to treat injured soldiers during the bloodiest years of the Mexican Revolution. It was this role as nurse and leader of La Cruz Blanca that anchored her to the cause and through which she became an indispensable figure of the Mexican Revolution. Her correspondence, photos, and autobiographies provide irrefutable testament of her committment to the soldiers and the people of Mexico. Her exploits and experiences as nurse and trusted comrade of Revolutionary leaders are examples of the power and influence of women throughout history.