The priest Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla (1753-1811) started the Mexican war for independence from Spain in the 19th century. His famous "Grito de Dolores", issued on September 16, 1810, exhorted Mexicans to rise up against Spanish tyranny.
For almost a year Hidalgo led the independence movement, fighting against Spanish forces in central Mexico and its surroundings.
In 1811 he was captured and executed. However, this revolt against Spanish rule unleashed a sequence of political episodes and important military activities.
These events laid the foundations for the achievement of Mexican independence in 1821. Currently Hidalgo is considered the father of the Mexican homeland.
Before the revolt
Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla was born to a Creole family on a farm in the province of Guanajuato.
He was sent to a Jesuit college, but his education was interrupted by the expulsion of the Jesuits.
He then enrolled at another university and received his degree from the University of Mexico in 1774. His ordination as a priest occurred in 1778.
Over time, he became the rector of the prestigious San Nicolás College in Morelia. He studied Indian languages and was soon investigated by the Inquisition (1800).
Nothing could be proven against him, but he lost his position. Hidalgo was a true son of the Enlightenment: he read forbidden literature and questioned the dogma of the church.
It ended up in the town of Dolores. There he tried to improve the economic well-being of his parishioners. Also there he met others who would become the martyrs of independence.
Cry of pain
In 1808, Spain was invaded by French troops, and Napoleon I forced the abdication of King Ferdinand VII.
Spanish officials in Mexico were reluctant to oppose the new king, José Bonaparte.
However, many Mexicans formed secret societies. Some supported Fernando, while others sought independence from Spain.
Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla joined an independence group in San Miguel, near Dolores.
This group had hatched a plan to achieve the independence of Mexico. When the Queretaro Conspiracy - as it was called - was discovered, several members were arrested. Already warned, Hidalgo decided to advance the plan.
On September 16, 1810, the church bell rang in Dolores to call his parishioners to rise up against the Spanish.
His speech, in addition to promoting the insurrection, demanded racial equality and redistribution of the land. His battle cry became known as the Cry of Dolores.
Insurrection
Hidalgo, with several hundred followers, takes the city of San Miguel. In the course of two weeks it easily takes the cities of Celaya, Guanajuato, Valladolid and Toluca.
Their ranks grow with each victory. Despite having no military training, this revolutionary priest becomes the leader of the improvised army.
In March 1811, Hidalgo and other revolutionaries were ambushed and captured by the Spanish. Soon they were executed.
However, the independence movement found other leaders. By 1821 the Aztec nation was free and independent.
References
- Minster, C. (2017, November 05). Miguel Hidalgo Kicked off Mexico's War of Independence From Spain. Retrieved on December 6, 2017, from thoughtco.com
- Totally History. (s / f). Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla. Retrieved on December 06, 2017, from totallyhistory.com
- Foster, LV (2009). A Brief History of Mexico. New York: Infobase Publishing.
- Encyclopædia Britannica. (2017, August 11). Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla. Retrieved on December 6, 2017, from britannica.com
- Werner, M. (2015). Concise Encyclopedia of Mexico. New York: Routledge.
- National Institute for Historical Studies of the Revolutions of Mexico / Bicentennial Office. (s / f). Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla (1753 - 1811). Retrieved on December 6, 2017, from bicentenario.gob.mx