The Mexican War of Independence, which lasted from 1810 to 1821, was Mexico's struggle for independence against Spanish colonial rule. It started as an idealistic peasants' rebellion against their colonial masters but finally ended as an unlikely alliance between liberales (liberals) and conservadores (conservatives) fighting together for Mexico's independence as a sovereign nation. 1810 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... 1821 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... Spanish colonization of the Americas began with the arrival in the Americas of Christopher Columbus in 1492. ... Liberalism - Wikipedia /**/ @import /skins/monobook/IE50Fixes. ... Conservatism is any of several historically-related political philosophies or political ideologies. ...

Miguel Hidalgo and the beginning of the independence movement

The head figure and chief instigator of the Mexican Independence movement was Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, the parish priest of the small town of Dolores. Soon after becoming a priest, Hidalgo began to promote the idea of an uprising by the native and mixed-blood peasantry against wealthy Spanish land-owners and aristocrats. He realized the need for diversification of industrial activities in an area that had the mines of Guanajuato as its major business. At the same time, during his seven years at Dolores, Hidalgo promoted discussion groups at his house, where indígenas, mestizos, criollos, and peninsulares were all welcomed. The themes of these discussions were current events, to which Hidalgo added his own input of social and economic concerns. The independence movement was born out of these informal discussions and was directed against Spanish domination of political and economic life in New Spain. December 8, 1810, was set for the beginning of the uprising. Statue of Miguel Hidalgo, Coyoacán, DF Don Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla (8 May 1753 – 30 July 1811) was the chief instigator of Mexicos war of independence against Spain. ... A parish is a subdivision of a diocese or bishopric within the Roman Catholic Church, the Anglican Communion, the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Church of Sweden, and of some other churches. ... Roman Catholic priest A priest or priestess is a holy man or woman who takes an officiating role in worship of any religion, with the distinguishing characteristic of offering sacrifices. ... Dolores Hidalgo is a small city in the state of Guanajuato, Mexico. ... Categories: 1911 Britannica | Historical stubs | Feudalism ... Aristocracy is a form of government in which rulership is in the hands of an upper class known as aristocrats. ... This article is about the city of Guanajuato. ... -1... Mestizo (Portuguese, Mestiço; Canadian French, Métis: from Late Latin mixtcius, from Latin mixtus, past participle of miscre, to mix) is a term of Spanish origin used to designate the peoples of mixed European and Amerindian racial strain inhabiting the region spanning the Americas, from the Canadian prairies in the north... The term Creole is used with different meanings in different contexts, which can generate confusion. ... The term Creole is used with different meanings in different contexts, which can generate confusion. ... Flag of New Spain New Spain (in the Spanish language Nueva España) was the name given to the Spanish colonial territory in North America from c. ... December 8 is the 342nd day (343rd in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1810 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ...

Beginning of the War

The plans were disclosed to the central government, and the conspirators were alerted — famously, by Josefa Ortiz de Domínguez, la Corregidora, the wife of a local official in Querétaro — that orders had been sent for their arrest. Pressed by this new development, on September 16, 1810, Hidalgo decided to strike out for independence without delay (this date is celebrated as Mexico's independence day). The church bells summoned the people, and Hidalgo asked them to join him against the Spanish government and the peninsulares in the famous Grito de Dolores (Cry of Dolores): "Long live Our Lady of Guadalupe! Death to bad government! Death to the gachupines!" The crowd responded enthusiastically, and soon an angry mob was marching toward the regional capital in Guanajuato. The miners of Guanajuato joined with the native workers of Dolores in the massacre of all the peninsulares who resisted them, including the local chief colonial official, the intendente. Santiago de Querétaro is the capital city of the state of Querétaro, Mexico. ... September 16 is the 259th day of the year (260th in leap years). ... 1810 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... The Grito de Dolores was the call for the independence of Mexico given by Miguel Hidalgo on September 16, 1810 in the town of Dolores, near Guanajuato. ... Our Lady of Guadalupe (reproduction) San Juan Bautista, Coyoacán, DF Our Lady of Guadalupe is the title given to the Virgin Mary after appearing, according to legend, to Saint Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin, an Aztec convert to Catholicism, in the village of Guadalupe (the present-day Gustavo A. Madero, D... There are numerous offensive terms given to people, depending on their nationality. ... Plaza de la Paz and the Basílica Colegiata de Nuestra Señora de Guanajuato (2004) The city of Guanajuato is the capital of the state of the same name. ...

From Guanajuato, the independence forces marched on to Mexico City after having captured Zacatecas, San Luis Potosí, and Valladolid. On October 30, 1810, they encountered resistance at Monte de las Cruces, and, despite a rebel victory, lost momentum and failed to take Mexico City. After a few more victories, the revolutionary forces moved north toward Texas. In March of the following year, the insurgents were ambushed and taken prisoner in Monclova (in the present-day state of Coahuila). Hidalgo was tried as a priest by the Holy Office of the Inquisition and found guilty of heresy and treason. He was later condemned to death. On July 31, 1811, Hidalgo was executed by firing squad. His body was mutilated, and his head was displayed in Guanajuato as a warning to other would-be insurgents. Mexico City (Spanish: Ciudad de México) is the federal capital of, and largest city in, Mexico. ... Zacatecas is the name of a city and a state in Mexico. ... The city of San Luis Potosí is the capital of the Mexican state of the same name. ... This article is about the city. ... October 30 is the 303rd day of the year (304th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 62 days remaining. ... 1810 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... State nickname: Lone Star State Other U.S. States Capital Austin Largest city Houston Governor Rick Perry Official languages None. ... Monclova is a city in the northern Mexican state of Coahuila. ... Other Mexican States Capital Saltillo Other major cities Torreón Piedras Negras list of municipalities Area 149,982 km² Ranked 3rd Population (2000 census) 2,295,800 Ranked 17th Governor (1999-2005) Enrique Martínez y Martínez (PRI) Federal Deputies (7) PRI = 6 pending = 1 Federal Senators PAN = 2... Holy Roman Catholic Church officials presiding over the torture of a man suspected to be homosexual before his subsequent execution during the Spanish Inquisition. ... July 31 is the 212th day (213th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 153 days remaining, as the final day of July. ... 1811 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ...

José María Morelos y Pavón

After the death of Hidalgo, José María Morelos y Pavón assumed the leadership of the revolutionary movement. Morelos took charge of the political and military aspects of the insurrection and further planned a strategic move to encircle Mexico City and to cut communications to the coastal areas. In June 1813, Morelos convoked a national congress of representatives from all of the provinces, which met at Chilpancingo in the present-day state of Guerrero to discuss the future of Mexico as an independent nation. The major points included in the document prepared by the congress were popular sovereignty, universal male suffrage, the adoption of Roman Catholicism as the official religion, abolition of slavery and forced labor, an end to government monopolies, and an end to corporal punishment. Despite initial successes by Morelos's forces, the colonial authorities broke the siege of Mexico City after six months, captured positions in the surrounding areas, and finally invaded Chilpancingo. In 1815 Morelos was captured and met the same fate as Hidalgo. Portrait of José María Morelos, oil painting José María Morelos y Pavón (30 September 1765 - 22 December 1815) was one of the main early leaders of Mexicos struggle for independence from Spain. ... Chilpancingo is a city in the Guerrero state of Mexico, located at 17. ... Other Mexican States Capital Chilpancingo Other major cities Acapulco, Taxco, list of municipalities Area 64,281 km² Ranked 14th Population (2000 census) 3,075,080 Ranked 11th Governor (1999-2005) René Juárez Cisneros (PRI) Federal Deputies (10) PRI = 6 PRD = 4 Federal Senators PRI = 2 PRD = 1 ISO 3166... The Roman Catholic Church, most often spoken of simply as the Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with over one billion members. ... A monument celebrating the emancipation of slaves in the British Empire in 1834, erected in Victoria Tower Gardens, Millbank, Westminster, London Wiktionary has a definition of: Slavery Slavery can mean one or more related conditions which involve control of a person against his or her will, enforced by violence or... 1815 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ...

Guadalupe Victoria and guerrilla war

From 1815 to 1821, most of the fighting by those seeking independence from Spain was done by isolated guerrilla bands. Out of these bands rose two men, Guadalupe Victoria (whose real name was the more prosaic Manuel Félix Fernández) in Puebla and Vicente Guerrero in Oaxaca, both of whom were able to command allegiance and respect from their followers. The Spanish viceroy, however, felt the situation was under control and issued a general pardon to every rebel who would lay down his arms. 1815 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... 1821 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... Guerrilla (also called a partisan) is a term borrowed from Spanish (from guerra meaning war) used to describe small combat groups. ... Guadalupe Victoria, born in Durango, Mexico, was the President of Mexico from 1824 to 1829. ... Puebla is the name of a city and a state in Mexico. ... he sucked ... Oaxaca is the name of a city and a state in Mexico. ...

After ten years of civil war and the death of two of its founders, by early 1820 the independence movement was stalemated and close to collapse. The rebels faced stiff Spanish military resistance and the apathy of many of the most influential criollos. The violent excesses and populist zeal of Hidalgo's and Morelos's irregular armies had reinforced many criollos' fears of race and class warfare, ensuring their grudging acquiescence to conservative Spanish rule until a less bloody path to independence could be found. It was at this juncture that the machinations of a conservative military caudillo coinciding with a successful liberal rebellion in Spain made possible a radical realignment of the proindependence forces. 1820 was a leap year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... Irregular soldiers in Beauharnois, Quebec, 19th century Irregular military refers to any non-standard military. ... Caudillo is a Spanish (caudilho in Portuguese) word designating a politico-military leader at the head of an authoritative power. The related caudillismo is a cultural phenomenon that first appeared during the early 19th century in revolutionary South America, as a type of militia leader with a charismatic personality and...

In what was supposed to be the final government campaign against the insurgents, in December 1820, Viceroy Juan Ruiz de Apodaca sent a force led by a royalist criollo officer, Agustín de Iturbide, to defeat Guerrero's army in Oaxaca. Iturbide, a native of Valladolid, had gained renown for the zeal with which he persecuted Hidalgo's and Morelos's rebels during the early independence struggle. A favorite of the Mexican church hierarchy, Iturbide was the personification of conservative criollo values, devoutly religious, and committed to the defense of property rights and social privileges; he was also disgruntled at his lack of promotion and wealth. Juan Ruiz de Apodaca (Cádiz, 1754 – Madrid, 1835) was a colonial official in the last days of Spains American empire. ... Agustín Cosme Damián de Iturbide y Arámburu ( September 27, 1783 – July 19, 1824) was Emperor of Mexico from 1822 to 1823. ... Oaxaca is the name of a city and a state in Mexico. ...

Ferdinand VII of Spain

Iturbide's assignment to the Oaxaca expedition coincided with a successful military coup d'état in Spain against the new monarchy of Ferdinand VII. The coup leaders, who had been assembled as an expeditionary force to suppress the American independence movements, compelled a reluctant Ferdinand to sign the liberal Spanish constitution of 1812. When news of the liberal charter reached Mexico, Iturbide saw in it both a threat to the status quo and an opportunity for the criollos to gain control of Mexico. Ironically, independence was finally achieved when conservative forces in the colonies chose to rise up against a temporarily liberal regime in the mother country. After an initial clash with Guerrero's forces, Iturbide switched allegiances and invited the rebel leader to meet and discuss principles of a renewed independence struggle. A coup détat, or simply a coup, is the sudden overthrow of a government, usually done by a small group that just replaces the top power figures. ... Ferdinand VII (October 14, 1784 - September 29, 1833) was King of Spain from 1813 to 1833. ...

While stationed in the town of Iguala, Iturbide proclaimed three principles, or "guarantees", for Mexico's independence from Spain: Mexico would be an independent monarchy governed by a transplanted King Ferdinand or some other conservative European prince, criollos and peninsulares would henceforth enjoy equal rights and privileges, and the Roman Catholic Church would retain its privileges and religious monopoly. After convincing his troops to accept the principles, which were promulgated on February 24, 1821, as the Plan de Iguala, Iturbide persuaded Guerrero to join his forces in support of the new conservative manifestation of the independence movement. A new army, the Army of the Three Guarantees, was then placed under Iturbide's command to enforce the Plan of Iguala. The plan was so broadly based that it pleased both patriots and loyalists. The goal of independence and the protection of Roman Catholicism brought together all factions. February 24 is the 55th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1821 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... The Plan de Iguala — the Iguala Plan, also known as Plan of the Three Guarantees (Plan Trigarante) — was proclaimed on 24 February 1821 in the final phases of Mexicos War of Independence from Spain. ...

Independence secured

Iturbide's army was joined by rebel forces from all over Mexico. When the rebels' victory became certain, the viceroy resigned. On September 27, 1821, representatives of the Spanish crown and Iturbide signed the Treaty of Córdoba, which recognized Mexican independence under the terms of the Plan of Iguala. Iturbide, a former royalist who had become the paladin for Mexican independence, included a special clause in the treaty that left open the possibility for a criollo monarch to be appointed by a Mexican congress if no suitable member of the European royalty would accept the Mexican crown. September 27 is the 270th day of the year (271st in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 95 days remaining. ... 1821 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... The Treaty of Córdoba gave Mexico independence from Spain at the conclusion of the Mexican War of Independence. ...

See also

• History of Mexico
• Mexican Empire
• Antonio López de Santa Anna