How did the state of Quintana Roo get its name?
Quintana Roo was named after Andrés Eligio Quintana Roo in 1902.
Andrés was born in Mérida in 1787 to José Matías Quintana and doña María Ana Roo de Quintana. José Matías founded and edited the pro-independence movement newspaper Clamores de la Fielidad Americana during 1813 and 1814. Considered a rebel-rouser by the Spanish Viceroy, José Matías Quintana was arrested and sent to prison in Fort San Juan de Ulúa.