WHO WERE THE INSURGENTS AND ROYALISTS IN MEXICO? - HISTORY - 2025

The insurgents and royalists were the main protagonists of the independence movement in Mexico, a conflict that lasted more than ten years and that led to one of the most important stages in the history of the North American country.

The insurgents was the group in rebellion against the Spanish crown, while the royalists defended the monarchy and the authorities appointed by the kingdom of Spain, among whom were the viceroys of the so-called New Spain.

Execution of Morelos

The process of Mexican independence was led by the clergy, because several of the main leaders were priests who saw first-hand the hardships that the most vulnerable sectors of New Spain were going through.

It is estimated that more than a hundred priests fought in the different battles in favor of the insurgent army.

The main trigger for the rebellion in Mexico was the French invasion of Spain by Napoleon Bonaparte's troops. This caused some inhabitants of New Spain to refuse to be ruled by France.

This reality, coupled with the strong prevailing social inequality, was nourished by the ideas of the Enlightenment, which spoke, among other things, about the independence of powers, equal rights and respect for individual freedoms. All this context favored the generation of the Mexican independence movement.

Mexico was one of the first Spanish colonies to rebel, and its independence movement served as a starting point for rebel movements from other Spanish colonies.

Who were the insurgents?

The insurgents were those who rebelled against the monarchical approach implemented at the time after the invasion of Spain by Napoleon Bonaparte and the appointment of José Bonaparte, his brother, as King of Spain.

The insurgents were in search of independence, since they did not want to be ruled by the French and they wanted a government formed by the inhabitants of New Spain.

To the disgust of many peninsular Spaniards, with high economic and social level, a parallel government was created formed by the criollos (the children of the Spaniards who settled in New Spain, members of high social class), independent of the Spanish crown. to be able to be governed by themselves while appointing a legitimate Spanish king.

Three of the most prominent insurgent representatives of the Mexican independence movement will be listed below:

Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla

This priest is considered the first leader of the insurgents. He is credited with having taken the first step to the insurrection, the so-called "Grito de Dolores", on September 16, 1810, in Dolores, by calling for rebellion to the people of New Spain.

He was arrested in 1811 after several battles won, when he opposed entering Mexico City for fear of more bloodshed from his troops.

Ignacio María Allende and Unzaga

He was a Mexican Creole military man who fought alongside Hidalgo. These two characters had some differences because Allende was in search of actions carried out with greater strategy, and he described Hidalgo's actions as "guerrilla".

He was shot by the royalists in 1811 after being put on trial and found guilty.

Jose maria morelos and pavon

Jose maria morelos and pavon. Source: Anonymous (http://www.gobernacion.gob.mx/), via Wikimedia Commons

This priest becomes the leader of the independence movement once Miguel Hidalgo is assassinated, in the so-called second stage of the war of independence.

While Hidalgo lived, he named Morelos leader of the southern area of ​​Mexico, where he obtained several successes between 1811 and 1814 thanks to his solid army. He was shot in 1815.

Morelos was the author of "Sentimientos de la Nation", a political text that is considered one of the most important in Mexico and which was inspired by the guidelines proposed by Miguel Hidalgo.

Among the main statements are the desire to establish a republic, and highlighted the importance of sovereignty, the development of laws that were against poverty, the prohibition of slavery and taxes, among other precepts.

Who were the royalists?

The royalists were those who defended the interests of the king and the Spanish crown. His main motivation was to stop the independence movement.

The royalist army is considered an improvisedly generated troop, made up of people who favored the royalist cause and supported the monarchy.

Three of the main royalist representatives who fought against the Mexican independence movement are named below:

Felix Maria Calleja

He was a Spanish military considered the main representative of realism. In 1810, when the independence process evidently began, Calleja was the highest military authority in the kingdom.

Historians have described it as fierce, since it devastated entire towns and repressed very crudely.

Calleja was the one who led the advance against Allende and Hidalgo, whom he defeated. He also faced Morelos, and in this case he failed to subdue the insurgent army.

In 1813 he was appointed viceroy of New Spain and, although he was not leading the royalist army, he kept abreast of Morelos's outposts.

Morelos was arrested in 1815 and Calleja, as viceroy, sentenced him to death.

Antonio Riaño

He was mayor of the province of Guanajuato. He is considered one of the best intellectually prepared royalist leaders of the time. He died in 1810, before the advance of the army from Hidalgo to Guanajuato.

In the midst of the threat, realizing that defeat was guaranteed, he guarded in a fortified barn some valuable items and members of the elite of the province.

This was taken as treason by several inhabitants of Guanajuato, and favored the union of many people to the rebel cause.

Juan Ruiz de Apodaca and Eliza

He was viceroy of New Spain in 1816. He defeated the insurgent advance led by Francisco Javier Mina. This battle took place on a farm called Venadito; for this victory, Apodaca was given the title of Count of Venadito.

While he was viceroy, Apodaca granted pardons to hundreds of insurgents, who were in disarray after Morelos's death.

It is considered that the Apodaca period was one of pacification of New Spain and, at the same time, the scene of the decline of the insurgency movement, generated by the capture and elimination of its main leaders at that time.

References

1. "September 16, 1810 - The fight for the Independence of Mexico begins" (September 13, 2014) at the University of Guadalajara. Retrieved on July 31, 2017 from the University of Guadalajara: udg.mx.
2. Ávila, A., Guedea, V., Ibarra, A. "Dictionary of the independence of Mexico" in Academia. Retrieved on July 31, 2017 from Academia: academia.edu.
3. "Mexican timeline" in The New York Times. Retrieved on July 31, 2017 from The New York Times: nytimes.com.
4. "José María Morelos y Pavón exposes Sentiments of the Nation, September 14, 1813" (September 14, 2016) in History. Retrieved on July 31, 2017 from History: es.historia.com.
5. “José María Morelos, leader of independence, shot in Mexico” in History. Retrieved on July 31, 2017 from History: mx.tuhistory.com.