In the history of 19th-century South America, few figures match the defiance of Ana Maria Martinez de Nisser, known today as the “Colombian Mulan.” Her transition from a private citizen to a decorated soldier was driven by the capture of her husband during a period of intense national conflict.
Born on Dec. 6, 1812, in the town of Sonson, Antioquia department, Martinez de Nisser was the daughter of an educator and received a refined home education that was rare for women of her era. She was proficient in both English and French and spent much of her youth immersed in literature.
In 1831, she married Pedro Nisser, a Swedish mining engineer who had traveled to Colombia in search of gold. The couple settled in Medellin, where they faced the early tragedy of losing two young children to the harsh conditions of the northern mining regions.
The Colombian Mulan fought in the War of the Supremes
The trajectory of her life shifted permanently with the outbreak of the War of the Supremes, a conflict that lasted from 1839 to 1842. The war was sparked by a government decision to close small convents, leading several regional leaders to rebel against the central administration.
While many women of the time were expected to remain in the domestic sphere, Martinez de Nisser was a staunch defender of the Constitution and the laws of the Republic.
In 1841, rebel forces led by Colonel Salvador Cordoba took control of the region, and Pedro Nisser was arrested and imprisoned in Rionegro, where he reportedly suffered torture. Refusing to remain a bystander while her husband was held captive, Martinez de Nisser took drastic measures. She cut her long black hair, donned a soldier’s uniform, and presented herself to Major Braulio Henao to enlist in the constitutional army.
She marched to battle along with her father and brother
Martinez de Nisser marched toward the battlefield alongside her father and two of her brothers. On May 5, 1841, she participated in the Battle of Salamina, an action that secured her place in Colombian history.
Historian Jose Manuel Restrepo later documented her bravery, noting that she joined the fray with a lance in hand, fearlessly encouraging her fellow combatants through both her words and her example.
Her involvement went beyond direct combat. She also coordinated with other women, including Raimunda Marulanda and Dolores Macias, to manufacture the munitions used by the government forces. Following the victory at Salamina, the Colombian Mulan was decorated by Congress and celebrated in Medellin during a popular coronation ceremony.
A literary pioneer
The Colombian Mulan’s legacy is as much literary as it is military. In 1843, she published her book, “Diario de los sucesos de la revolución en la provincia de Antioquia en los años de 1840 y 1841 (Diary of the Events of the Revolution in the Provincet of Antioquia in 1840 and 1841).” This work is widely recognized by historians as the first book published by a woman in the territory then known as New Granada.
The diary serves as a unique historical document, blending war chronicles with the Romantic literary movement. In her writing, she maintained a firm, autonomous voice, addressing the political origins of the conflict while reflecting on her own experiences as a woman navigating the world of men and war.
Following her brief but intense period of notoriety, Martinez de Nisser returned to a quieter life in Medellin. Her husband eventually left for Australia to continue his pursuit of gold, and he was still abroad when she died on Sept. 18, 1872. Despite his long absence, Pedro Nisser returned to Colombia years later to bring a gravestone sculpted in Sweden for her tomb. Her remains were eventually moved back to her birthplace in Sonson.