Juana Inés de la Cruz was born around 1651 in a village near Mexico City. Juana was a bright child. When she was three, she followed her older sisters to school and asked the teacher if she could stay and learn. Juana quickly learned to read and write. At age eight, she wrote her first poem.

At that time, women could only continue studying if they joined a convent. A convent is a place where nuns live. Juana became a Catholic nun at age sixteen. She became known as Sor Juana.

At the convent of San Jerónimo, Sor Juana was able to continue her reading and writing. She wrote poems, plays, and stories. Often, her writing criticized public officials. In 1691, an angry bishop asked Sor Juana to stop writing. She sent a long letter back to the bishop that stated women have the right to an education. This letter is now known as Respuesta a Sor Filotea.