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Period: to
Initiation - The Conspiracy in Queretaro
The corregidores Josefa and Miguel Dominguez, of Queretaro; Ignacio Allende, Juan Aldama, Mariano Abasolo, all military men; Miguel Hidalgo, a parish priest; and several other criollos plotted an uprising against Government in the New Spain. These meetings were held at the house of the corregidores under the guise of a literary club. The day set for the insurrection was set December 8, 1810. -
Initiation - The Conspiracy Discovered
Joaquin Arias, a member of the conspiracy, seeing how there had been reports made to the authorities and feeling that the whole venture was compromised decided to confess. This led to the arrest of the Gonzalez brothers and later of the Corregidores. Thankfully, Josefa Ortiz de Dominguez was able to send Alcalde Ignacio Pérez to Dolores to warn the rest. -
Initiation - Grito
Some hours before dawn, Miguel Hidalgo woke up the townspeople and, from the church in Dolores, incited them to join him in his cause. This is where our traditional “Grito” comes from. He was successful and proceeded to march on Atotonilco and then San Miguel el Grande with a constantly growing mob of followers. -
Initiation - Battle for the Alhóndiga
The Insurgent Army reached the city of Guanajuato. Here they asked the populace to surrender, but the Spanish, fearing the angry mob, decided to defend themselves in the local granary, the Alhóndiga de Granaditas. After several unsuccessful assaults, the rebels were to break into the building and slaughtered the “gachupines” inside. -
Initiation - Battle at Monte de las Cruces
After having taken the cities of San Miguel, Celaya, Guanajuato, Zacatecas, Valladolid and San Luis Potosí, Hidalgo and his army advanced on Mexico City. A spanish force went out to meet them, lead by lieutenant Torcuato Trujillo. The ensuing battle was an overwhelming defeat for the spanish as their discipline and better weapons were no match for the sheer numbers Hidalgo relied upon. The path to the Capital was clear. -
Initiation - Battle at Puente de Calderón
After a decision was made to retreat northward, instead of taking Mexico City, Hidalgo and Allende’s army was met by that of Felix Calleja. He defeated them at Puente de Calderón in what would be the first defeat of the insurgency and forced them further northward. -
Initiation - Hidalgo Executed
Betrayed by Ignacio Elizondo, an Army officer who had promised them support, the main leaders of the Independence movement were captured at Acatita de Baján in Coahuila and executed. Hidalgo had to wait for an ecclesiastical trial after which he was found guilty of high treason, defrocked and executed on the last day of the month. His head would adorn one of the corners of the Alhóndiga at Guanajuato, as a warning to other rebels. -
Consolidation - Morelos is captured
After being on the run for several months, Morelos was captured on the fifth at Tezmalaca, Puebla. He was moved to Mexico City where he was defrocked on the 27th. José María Morelos y Pavón, leader of southern rebel army and author of the Sentimientos de la Nación is killed on December 22, 1815. -
Consummation - Plan de Iguala Issued
Vicente Guerrero and Agustín de Iturbide agreed on the terms for an independent Mexico and issued the Plan de Iguala, which proclaimed the three guarantees: Mexico would be a constituational monarchy, the official religion would be Roman Catholic, and peninsulares and criollos were to be equal before the law. These compromises would become the banner behind which all Mexicans would unite. -
Consummation - Army of the Three Guarantee's triumphal entry into Mexico City
After having signed the Cordoba Treaties with Juan de O’Donojú. Iturbide and his army marched on Mexico City and entered triumphantly in September. This was cause for much celebration and joy, since Mexico was now officially and de facto independent from Spain. This would not mean peace however, as was later seen.
