Melchor Ocampo was a prominent Mexican lawyer, scientist, and politician known for his radical liberal views. A zambo by heritage, he became a leading intellectual figure during the early republic, establishing a reputation as a fierce anticlerical thinker whose writings frequently targeted the Catholic Church in Mexico.
Ocampo served in the administration of Benito Juárez and was notably involved in negotiating the McLane–Ocampo Treaty with the United States. In recognition of his contributions to the nation, the Mexican state where his hometown of Maravatío is located was renamed Michoacán de Ocampo.