CONSPIRACIES AND INSURRECTION OF 1810 IN MEXICO - HISTORY - 2025

The conspiracies and insurrection of 1810 in Mexico were a series of events that occurred at the end of the 18th century and the beginning of the 19th century that laid the foundations for the war of independence that Mexico waged against the Spanish Empire, and that gave rise to Mexican autonomy..

The growing economic independence of the viceroyalty of New Spain, together with the criollismo and the enlightenment of the time, made the scene propitious for the dissemination of knowledge, angry discussions and the greed for freedom among the locals.

Mariano de Michelena, one of the leaders of the Valladolid Conspiracy

Additionally, the political and philosophical influence of the French Revolution and recent insurrectionary movements in the United States promoted liberal thought. The inhabitants of New Spain questioned the legitimacy of the power arbitrarily exercised by the kings of Spain over their territory, and the impositions of the Spanish Crown.

Thus, scattered cells of social and political revolts were produced in different towns, which evolved a few years later in the independence movement of the early nineteenth century.

Conspiracy of the Machetes (1799)

This movement was led by Pedro de la Portilla, a poor Mexican who belonged to the Creole social caste. De la Portilla was dedicated to collecting taxes in the market of Santa Catarina Mártir, and in his daily work he managed to form a group of 13 people with liberal ideals in common.

In essence, the conspirators were family members and close friends of Pedro de la Portilla who met in the Callejón de Gachupines in present-day Mexico City.

Motivations

In Mexico City these conspirators cultivated ideas about the proclamation of the independence of Mexico, the declaration of war before the Spanish Empire and the expulsion of the colonists.

Everything was raised under the insignia of Our Lady of Guadalupe, and with the ambition of obtaining full political, economic and social freedom throughout the entire Mexican territory.

The plans were conceived so that Pedro de la Portilla would serve as viceroy temporarily, while the people chose the most appropriate government mechanism and leader.

Plan discovery

One of the conspirators betrayed the rest of the group on November 10, 1799. Francisco de Aguirre, Portilla's cousin, reported the movement to the authorities.

The viceroy on duty, Miguel José de Azanza, ordered the arrest of all those involved to neutralize the promulgation of liberal ideas in Mexican society.

The conspiracy of the machetes owes its name to the precarious resources they had, including just two pistols and fifty machetes.

Conspiracy of Valladolid (1809)

In 1808 the invasion of Napoleon Bonaparte took place in Spain, who stripped King Ferdinand VII of power and imposed his brother, José Bonaparte, as an authority figure in that country.

The defensive reaction of the Spanish government consisted of reviving the courts. These parliamentary institutions were in charge of the political leadership of the New World kingdoms through representative assemblies.

Political meetings

After the invasion of Napoleon's troops, an important series of changes was generated that, in turn, transformed the literary gatherings into venues for political meetings and discussions.

In this context, informal assemblies took place in the houses of learned people in which, beyond exchanging scientific, cultural or literary notions, liberal ideas emerged as the order of the day.

This is how the Valladolid Conspiracy originated. This movement was led by the Creoles Mariano Michelena and José María García Obeso -both of military careers-, and Nicolás Michelena, Mariano's brother and lawyer by profession.

Purpose: create a national governing board

This clandestine movement took place in the current city of Morelia. Its purpose was to overthrow the Spanish authorities and establish a national governing board that would lead the Mexican territory autonomously.

This conspiracy brought together more than 30 direct and indirect stakeholders, including the indigenous people, who were represented through the Indian Pedro Rosales.

The Valladolid conspiracy was dismantled on December 21, 1809 and ended with the imprisonment of its members. However, the ideas of freedom spread throughout the Mexican territory.

Conspiracy of Querétaro (1810)

This movement unfolded in the city of Santiago de Querétaro, in 1810. It was the first armed conspiracy that opened the way to the Mexican War of Independence.

The group of conspirators was a diverse group made up of merchants, lawyers, military, religious and businessmen, among which the priest Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, and the magistrate José Miguel Domínguez stood out.

The group was very well organized and they guarded a significant amount of ammunition and knives under their care.

Insurrection discovered

The insurrection was scheduled for October 1, 1810, but the movement was discovered a month earlier by the intervention of a correspondence.

The news about a Mexican uprising spread rapidly throughout the national territory, and gradually more and more participants were added until the insurrection of September 16, 1810.

Insurrection of September 16, 1810

The priest of the town of Dolores and leader of the movement, Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, was able to remain in hiding for a few days after the frustration of the Querétaro conspiracy.

Pain scream

In the early morning of September 16, 1810, Hidalgo y Costilla dictated the town's employer's mass and enunciated the famous Grito de Dolores, with which he declared the beginning of the War of Independence.

There, Hidalgo y Costilla demanded the denouement of the Spanish yoke in Mexican lands, in addition to the redistribution of lands and the equal recognition of all social systems, castes and races.

The insurgents had as their banner of the revolution the image of the Virgin of Guadalupe. After the announcement of the war, they traveled to the mining center of Guanajuato to redesign the battle strategy.

However, the royalist army defeated the forces of Hidalgo and Costilla at the Calderón Bridge, on January 18, 1811. The independence struggle of Hidalgo and Costilla ended with his execution on July 30 of that same year.

References

1. 1799 Those involved in the so-called "conspiracy of the machetes" (nd) enter prison. Recovered from: memoriapoliticademexico.org
2. Conspiracy of Querétaro (nd). Recovered from: Independenciademexico.com.mx
3. Conspiracy of Valladolid, 1809 (sf). Recovered from: wikimexico.com
4. Guzmán, M. (sf). The Conspiracy of Valladolid, 1809. Recovered from: bicentenario.gob.mx
5. Mexican War of Independence (2014). New World Encyclopedia. Recovered from: newworldencyclopedia.org
6. Palerm, A., Bamford, H., Parkes and Others (2018). Mexico. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. London, UK. Recovered from: britannica.com
7. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia (2017). Machetes conspiracy. Recovered from: es.wikipedia.org