Important Facts:

Manuela de la Santa Cruz y Espejo was born on December 20th, 1753, in Quito. Her parents were called Luis Chuzig, an indigenous person, and María Catalina Aldás. Her parents were the ones that inspired her to study medicine, and her brother helped her to become a nurse. After this, she became the first nurse in the country. She contributed in the newspaper "Las Primicias de la Cultura de Quito" writing about the rules stated by society, especially for women. She was the first woman to become a journalist in the country. Espejo died in 1829.

Professional Life:

Manuela was a nurse and a journalist. Lorenz Heister, a recognized scientist at the time, influenced in her medical education because he gave Manuela 26 volumes about medicine. Finally, she graduated as a nurse from Quito's University.

Her legacy in Independence:

Manuela Espejo participated in the Ecuadorian Independence, because he helped her brothers, Eugenio and Juan Pablo. 

Eugenio Espejo (1747-1785)

One of her main tasks was to serve as the messenger between the próceres. Also, she used the pen-name of "Europhilia" to write inside a newspaper about the equality between men and women. The owner of this newspaper was her brother, Eugenio. In the newspaper "Las Primicias de la Cultura de Quito" she offered her point of view about the city of Quito, especially talking about the middle and last class of the social hierarchy (artisans, writers, politicians and artists). She was against the systems that the Spanish Empire imposed. She also used this method to defend the próceres and especially her brothers, from the Spanish Empire.

But she didn't participate in the fight or strikes. She also defended the women in the revolutions, giving them the right to attend to a university and the strikes against the Spanish Empire. One of her important quotes is:

"Las mujeres somos las que damos el gusto a la ciencia, la materia a la urbanidad y el tono a todo sistema político",-Manuela Espejo. Translation: "We women are the ones that give taste to science, matter to urbanity and the tone to every single political system".

This means that women give class to the society, by not letting men to be savages. She thought that men would lose control without women's critical thinking. Manuela Espejo was the first Ecuadorian female journalist. Also, she criticized the unequal treatment of women, in a civilization that men are the strongest. Manuela Espejo in her writings spoke of the greatness of Quito, giving the city a special cultural sense.

She also helped Ecuador to find a way for independence. Many people find Manuela de la Santa Cruz y Espejo a great prócer for the Independence of Ecuador because of her sacrifices made during the process of the revolutions.

Word puzzle:

Quiz:

1: What were the two professions of Manuela Espejo?

A. Nurse and journalist

B. Doctor and commentator

C. Military and nurse

D. Lawyer and farmer

2: When Manuela Espejo was born?

A. 20 of December of 1754

B. 12 of December of 1753

C. 20 of December of 1752

D. 20 of December of 1753

3: What was the name of the newspaper in which Manuela Espejo

wrote?

A. El Tiempo

B. El Comercio

C. Primicias de la Cultura de Quito

D. La Hora

4: What was her full name?

A. Manuela de la Santa Cruz

B. Manuela de Santa Cruz y Espejo

C. María Catalina Aldás

D. Manuela Cañizares

5: What were the themes that she wrote about in the newspaper?

A. Medicine

B. Rules for men and women

C. Inequality

D. Rules stated by society

6: What was her inspiration to study medicine?

A. Her brothers and her parents

B. Her way of thinking

C. She always wanted to be a nurse

D. All of the above

7: How many brothers did Manuela Espejo had?

A. 10

B. 4

C. 6

D. 2

8: Did she participated in the fight and strikes of the

revolution?

A. Yes

B. No

9: What was her main work in the Ecuadorian Independence?

A. Find food

B. Being the voice mailer between the próceres

C. Give a show

D. Help her brother

10: Why Manuela Espejo was important for the Ecuadorian

history?

A. Representing the women in the independence

B. Being the first journalist

C. Being the first nurse

D. All of the above

Bibliography: 

1.    N/A. "Biografia De Manuela Espejo." N/D. Monografías Plus - Ejemplos De Tareas, Ensayos y Trabajos De Investigación. 27. mar. 2019. www.monografias.com/docs/Biografia-De-Manuela-Espejo-F3NN49JMZ 
2. N/A. "Manuela de la Santa Cruz y Espejo". 25. jun. 2018. Historia-biografia.com.27. mar. 2019. https://historia-biografia.com/manuela-de-la-santa-cruz-y-espejo/ 
3. N/A. "Historia y Biografía De Manuela De La Santa Cruz y Espejo." 25 June 2018. Historia y Biografía De.27/03/2019. https://historia-biografia.com/manuela-de-la-santa-cruz-y-espejo/ 
4. N/A. "Biografía De Manuela Espejo - ¡RESUMEN De Su VIDA!" 19/12/2018. Biografías https://biografiadee.com/biografia-de-manuela-espejo/ 
5. Cisneros, Diana. "Manuela Espejo: Grande De América." 9 Apr. 2010. Tu rincón cultural. 27. mar. 2019. https://tu-rincon-cultural.blogspot.com/2009/06/grande-de-america.html 
6. Falconí, Fander. "La Manuela Que Desafió Al Imperio." 30 Nov. 2001. El Telégrafo. 27. mar. 2019. www.eltelegrafo.com.ec/noticias/columnistas/1/la-manuela-que-desafio-al-imperio 
7. N/A. "Manuela De La Santa Cruz y Espejo: Biografía y Aportes." 2 Nov. 2018. Lifeder. 27. mar. 2019. www.lifeder.com/manuela-santa-cruz-y-espejo/ 
8. N/A. "Proyecto Personajes Emblemáticos." N/D. Presidencia De La República Del Ecuador. 27. mar. 2019. www.presidencia.gob.ec/manuela-espejo/ 
9. Salazar, Mateo. "Manuela de la Santa Cruz de Espejo." N/D. Blogspot. 27. mar. 2019 https://mujereshde.blogspot.com/2016/04/biografia.html 
10. N/A. "Manuela Espejo". N/D. Santa Bárbara EP. 27. mar. 2019 www.santabarbara.gob.ec/manuela-espejo/ 
11. N/A. "Bandera del Ecuador". 9. ene. 2018. Estudiantes. 27. mar. 2019. https://estudiantes.mas.ec/simbolos-patrios/bandera-del-ecuador-historia-de-la-bandera-bandera-para-colorear/attachment/bandera-ecuador-bandera-tricolor/ 
12. N/A. "Eugenio Espejo" mar. 2010. Íntag. 27/3/2019. https://intagnewspaper.org/articles/espejo 
13. Alvarado, Cinthya. "Primicias de la Cultura de Quito". S/F. Wordpress. 27/3/2019. https://primiciasfacso.wordpress.com/2015/07/26/primicias-de-la-cultura-de-quito/ 
14. N/A. "Generador de sopa de letras". N/D. Educima. 03/04/2019. https://www.educima.com/wordsearch/spa/