-
Brewing Independence: Early Months
In the early months of 1810, Miguel Hidalgo (living in Dolores), met Ignacio Allende, a captain in the Queen’s Cavalry Regiment in nearby Guanajuato. Allende introduced Hidalgo to people like Aldama (a military man), Miguel Domínguez (former corregidor of Querétaro), and his wife Doña Josefa Ortiz de Domínguez. They formed “literary clubs” together, rather than discussing literature, they were really secret meetings in which they discussed their goal of having New Spain separated from the old. -
Period: to
The Wars of Independence
-
The Uncovering
The plan formed by these leaders had matured, and a fixed date for the independence movement had been established. However, on September 13, their plans had been revealed to Spanish authorities, and they searched the house of Epigmenio González, where they found many weapons. The counteroffensive by the Spanish now in action, the Independence movement leaders were now in danger of being apprehended. -
The Call to Action
Doña Josefa had entrusted Ignacio Pérez to carry the news of the arrest to Allende. This heroic act gave Hidalgo, Aldama, and Allende a warning that they weren’t safe and this allowed them to react in time. So, on September 16 of 1810, Miguel Hidalgo delivered his famous speech “El Grito de Dolores”, that motivated Indians and mestizos alike to rise up against the Spanish. This is how Hidalgo’s army started, and he led the people under the banner of the Virgen de Guadalupe. -
Battle at the Alhóndiga de Granaditas
The Indian army that was following Hidalgo had slaughtered and pillaged every city ruled by Spaniards they had encountered. That’s precisely the reason why juan Antonio de Riaño refused to surrender, and locked himself with his forces in the Alhóndiga de Granaditas. They were able to hold their ground for a while, but El Pípila took down their main door, and it was all over from there. The Indians killed many gachupines, and looted without restraint. -
Battle at Monte de las Cruces: A Costly Desicion
There was a large-scale battle at the Monte de las Cruces, and the sheer number of the rebels were able to overpower the Spaniards, who had to retreat to the city. That day, the Wars for Independence could have ended if Hidalgo had attacked as Allende insisted, but he held back. It was an incredibly big missed opportunity, that might have spared them another eleven more years of fighting. The indecisiveness allowed the Spaniards, under General Calleja, to regroup and gather strength. -
A Disastrous Defeat
In January 1811 the royalist troops from the south caught up with the rebels, and this time, General Calleja was able to defeat Hidalgo and Allende. He conducted his military tactics superbly and even had the luck of hitting an ammunition wagon that caused fire and chaos in the rebel troops. Hidalgo, Allende, and other leaders tried to escape by regrouping and moving northwards. -
An Execution and a Substitution
The Spaniards had executed Allende and other rebel leaders, all that was left was for the Holy Office to remove the priesthood of Hidalgo before executing him, which was done in July 31, 1811. The heads of the leaders were hung on the granary in Guanajuato, as a lesson to other rebels. This was a devastating blow for the rebels, and José María Morelos y Pavón was left to lead the movement: taking it a slightly different direction than Hidalgo had done, because he wanted equality for the Indians. -
The Brief Leadership of Morelos
Morelos was trying to discuss terms of independence with other delegates in Chilpancingo, before moving to Apatzingán to do so. There, the constitution of Apatzingán was formed, which was evidently ignored by the viceroy’s army, because they quickly captured Morelos and executed him for treason. This event paved the way for a new form of fighting for independence: one that was more disorganized and relied heavily on guerrilla tactics. -
Plan de Iguala
Agustín de Iturbide negotiated with the rebel leader, Vicente Guerrero, his terms for reaching peace and independence, behind the viceroy's back. They finally reached an agreement by coming up with the Plan de Iguala, which had three major guarantees, and counted with an army to protect them. They were: Mexico would be organized as a constitutional monarchy, the Roman Catholic Church would have more authority, and the criollos and peninsulares would be equal. -
Breaking the Chains?
Iturbide’s triumphal entry into Mexico City in September 1821 marked the end of eleven years of war. The army had converted the dream of independence into reality but was not ready to step aside and allow civilians to control the nation’s destiny. The concerns of most of the people were ignored, and their privations increased after the independence. Overall, what followed was a time of drastic instability.
