José Matías Delgado

Salvadoran independence leader

Born: February 24, 1767 · Died: November 12, 1832

José Matías Delgado — Image via Wikimedia Commons or Wikipedia.

Overview

Known for

Salvadoran independence leader (1767–1832)

Significance

José Matías Delgado y de León was a Salvadoran politician, priest, and independence leader who was the second political chief of El Salvador.

Who was José Matías Delgado?

José Matías Delgado y de León (24 February 1767 – 12 November 1832) was a Salvadoran politician, priest, and independence leader who was the second political chief of El Salvador. He also served as the president of the National Constituent Assembly of the United Provinces of Central America in 1823 and the president of the National Assembly of El Salvador in 1832. He was a prominent leader in the independence movement of El Salvador from the Spanish Empire. He opposed El Salvador's proposed merger with Guatemala or Mexico.

Statue of José Matías Delgado in San Salvador

Historical significance

From 28 November 1821 to 9 February 1823, he was the Political Chief of San Salvador. He later served as the President of the Constituent Assembly of the United Provinces of Central America from 24 June 1823 to 1 July 1823.

Related on thisDay

How did Delgado's bell ringing launch the 1811 revolt?

Salvadoran priest José Matías Delgado rang the bells of La Merced church in San Salvador, calling for insurrection and launching the 1811 Independence…

Sources and further reading

Use the dated article for the day-specific account; use these references to check the event record and explore its wider historical context.

Date article: How did Delgado's bell ringing launch the 1811 revolt?Wikipedia source

Cite this page

MLA

“José Matías Delgado.” thisDay, thisday.info/people/jos-mat-as-delgado/. Accessed 5 Nov. 2026.

APA

José Matías Delgado. (n.d.). thisDay. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://thisday.info/people/jos-mat-as-delgado/

Chicago

“José Matías Delgado.” thisDay. Accessed November 5, 2026. https://thisday.info/people/jos-mat-as-delgado/.

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