friendship between the two, which would then transcend and prove crucial in later years to come. His years of wood cutting and commercial work allowed him to engage with multiple social sectors, thus allowing him to understand the social dynamics and the intricacies. But of course this was not just limited to the exploiters, but to the exploitative sector as well. In 1836, a 20 year old Mella married Josefa Brea, the daughter of a wealthy family. Together, they produced 4 children: Ramón María, Dominga América María, Antonio Nicanor, and Ildefonso. Antonio Nicanor would go on to father Julio Antonio Mella, a Cuban activist who was later assassinated in Mexico City, Mexico. A will revealed that the marriage lacked contributions from both sides of the union. It is alleged that some of his assets in which Mella acquired during the marriage may have been due to the inheritance he received after the passing of his father. Confusion about his name In his baptism certificate, marriage certificate as well as in his will and official documents such as his appointment as Minister of War and later Vice President of the Dominican Republic during the restoration government, it is stated that his name was Ramón Mella Castillo and he cannot be found. any historical support, except for a few documents that he signed as MR Mella and M. Ramón Mella, that his name was Matías Ramón Mella. In various letters that he shared with his relatives and collaborators of the independence cause, they never referred to him as Matías and in fact, they did not mention his middle name, so it is not known how or why in some history texts their first names have been exchanged. Because of this, it has led to historical confusion about his name. But in most cases, he is referred to as Matías Ramón Mella. Revolutionary leader First activities under Duarte At some point in 1838, Mella would be introduced to the revolutionary leader Juan Pablo Duarte, who at this time was looking to recruit new members for the nationalistic movement, La Trinitaria, a secret organization that seeks to establish an independent nation by liberating the Dominican people from Haitian rule under the dictatorship of Jean-Pierre Boyer. Mella happily accepted this recruitment. He would also be introduced to other newly recruited members such as José María Serra de Castro, Feliz Maria Ruiz, and Francisco del Rosario