Which priest followed Hidalgo as a leader in Mexico's independence movement?

• A. Jose Maria Morelos
• B. Miguel Hidalgo
• C. Agustin Iturbide
• D. Fray Damian Massanet

Answer: (A)

After Hidalgo’s capture and execution, the next key priest to lead the independence movement was Jose Maria Morelos. He stepped into the role and kept the rebellion alive, directing campaigns in the south and moving toward a more organized political effort. Morelos helped unite the insurgent forces and authored a formal program for independence, including the ideas that would shape Mexico’s early constitutional efforts, until his own capture and execution. This is why he is the correct following leader. The other figures fit different moments or roles: Hidalgo began the revolt, Iturbide later emerged as a leader in a different phase, and Fray Damian Massanet was a missionary from an earlier era, not a leader in the independence movement.