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It is better to die fighting than to die on your knees.Emiliano Zapata
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It is better to die on your feet than to live on your knees.Emiliano Zapata
3 Quotes & Sayings By Emiliano Zapata
Emiliano Zapata was a Mexican revolutionary, who fought in the Mexican Revolution, getting involved in the land reform movements in 1909. He was one of the most important figures of the Mexican Revolution, and has become one of Mexico's best-known folk heroes. The son of peasant farmers, Zapata was imprisoned for two years in the Zacatecas state penitentiary before joining Emiliano's brother, Pablo González. While in prison, Emiliano was influenced by socialist ideas and read Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels' book The Communist Manifesto
After the death of his brother in 1911, he was released from prison in 1912 due to rebellious behavior, and became acquainted with anarchist leader Ricardo Flores Magón. During the revolution he became a member of the Revolutionary Army of the North (Ejército Revolucionario del Norte), under General Zapata. He participated in battles against Federal forces sent to suppress peasant rebellions during agrarian reforms in Morelos. He was then transferred to Aguascalientes, where General Madero's government had been forced to retreat from its confrontation with Victoriano Huerta's reactionary forces.
In this area he came into contact with President Francisco I. Madero who had likewise been forced out of Guanajuato by Huerta's forces. Madero then sent him on a mission to Chihuahua City where he met his future comrade Pancho Villa and assisted Madero's diplomatic missions to Britain and France at the outbreak of hostilities between General Huerta supported by Villa and his forces and Madero supporters under Emiliano Zapata who supported Madero as president. On May 25, 1913 General Huerta's army invaded Morelos without resistance from Zapata's revolutionaries under Madero's orders.
In June 1913 Zapata led a successful attack on General Huerta's army which resulted in a number of prisoners being taken by Zapata as well as Villa himself being taken prisoner but both were soon released due to pressure from France on their behalf. The actions led some Liberals such as Librado Rivera to break ranks with Madero and support Huerta as a means to restore order against a chaotic situation which led to revolution but only for a time as they soon returned to support Madero once again after his resumption of powers due to Huerta’s resignation from power following his defeat by Victoriano Huerta’s forces at the Battle at Celaya (May