María Gertrudis Teodora Bocanegra Mendoza was a woman who fought in the Mexican War of Independence. Gertrudis was born on April 11, 1765, in Patzcuarco in Mexico. While many women joined in rebellions alongside their husbands, what is unique about Gertrudis was the fact that she had read enlightenment works.  It was uncommon for women to have been literate during this time and the access to enlightenment writings was restricted so for Gertrudis to have been literate and had access to these writings is a rare circumstance. When the Mexican War of Independence broke out, Lieutenant Pedro Advíncula Lazo de la Vega and their eldest son joined the efforts of Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla when insurgents passed through Valladolid in October 1810. Both died at the Battle of the Puente de Calderón, a decisive battle in the Mexican War of Independence. It was fought in January 1811 on the banks of the Calderón River, east of Guadalajara in present-day Zapotlaneio, Jalisco. Empowered with the intellectual thought that came along with reading enlightenment works of writing, Gertrudis joined Hidalgo’s army after the death of her husband and son. Gertrudis acted as a messenger for the insurgents in the region of Pátzcuaro and Tacámbaro. She helped form a communications network between the principal locations of the rebellion. Eventually, she was sent to aid the rebels in conquering the city of Pátzcuaro. During the attempt to capture the city, she was taken prisoner by the Spanish army. Under extreme torture and harsh conditions, Gertrudis never released information on Hidalgo’s army. Gertrudis was eventually tried, found guilty of treason, and sentenced to death. She and one of her fellow insurgents were executed on October 11, 1817, at the Plazuela de San Agustín in Pátzcuaro. Gertrudis Bocanegra was 52 years old.