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Mexican War for Independence

Cry of Dolores

Readings from Modern Mexican Authors (by Starr, Frederick)
Mexico of the Mexicans (by Spence, Lewis)
Morelos Priest Soldier Statesman Of Mexi... (by Wilbert H. Timmons)
The Life and Times of Miguel Hidalgo Y C...
A Complete History of the Mexican War : ... (by Brooks, Nathan Covington)
Outline of the Revolution in Spanish Ame... (by Palacio Fajardo, Manuel)
Old Mexico and Her Lost Provinces: A Jou... (by Bishop, William Henry)

A great flare broke out in New Spain on September 16th, 1810, in a small town called Dolores. What began as covert meetings led by Roman Catholic priest Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla and former military leader Ignacio Allende quickly became an open revolt against the Spain's foreign governance.

After 300 years under foreign rule, New Spain was not Spain at all—it was Mexico. Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla and his companions' meetings were discovered; but, instead of fleeing into hiding, Father Hidalgo rang the bell at the church and gave his famous Grito de Dolores. It was a call to arms, to his congregation, to the town of Dolores, and to the entire country:

My Children, a new dispensation comes to us today…Will you free yourselves? Will you recover the lands stolen 300 years ago from your forefathers by the hated Spaniards? We must act at once. Will you defend your religion and your rights as true patriots? Long live Our Lady of Guadalupe! Death to bad government! Death to the gachupines (native Spaniards)!

These are the words claimed to have been spoken by Father Hidalgo (there is no known recorded account of his actual speech), which became known as the Cry of Dolores. His words rang true in the hearts of the indigenous and mestizos of the land, and over 600 peasants came directly to his side. It was the beginning of the Mexican War for Independence.

The populist army soon marched for the capital, Mexico City, but was defeated at Calderón. Father Hidalgo escaped, but was later captured and executed by Spanish forces. The uprisings continued under leadership of other revolutionaries, such as Jose Maria Morelos, Vincente Guerrero, and Mariano Matamoros. The war did not end until the Mexicans won their independence in 1821.

Mexico celebrates the Cry of Dolores with parades, music, special programs, and the commemorative speech:

¡Mexicanos!
¡Vivan los héroes que nos dieron patria!
¡Viva Hidalgo!
¡Viva Morelos!
¡Viva Josefa Ortiz de Domínguez!
¡Viva Allende!
¡Viva Aldama y Matamoros!
¡Viva la Independencia Nacional!
¡Viva México! ¡Viva México! ¡Viva México!

For more on the Mexican War for Independence, check out Mexico of the Mexicans by Spencer Lewis, Morelos: Priest, Soldier, Statesmen of Mexico by Wilbert H. Timmons, and The Life and Times of Miguel Hidalgo Y Costilla by Arthur Howard Noll.

By Thad Higa