Miguel Hidalgo.

Miguel Gregorio Antonio Ignacio Hidalgo y Costilla Gallaga Mondarte Villaseñor (May 8, 1753 – July 30, 1811), also known as Cura Hidalgo ("Priest Hidalgo"), was a Mexican priest and revolutionary rebel leader. He is regarded as the founder of the Mexican War of Independence movement; who fought for independence against Spain in the early 19th century. The state of Hidalgo in Mexico is named after him. Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (494x717, 45 KB) From The Library of Congress http://hdl. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (494x717, 45 KB) From The Library of Congress http://hdl. ... is the 128th day of the year (129th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1753 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... is the 211th day of the year (212th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the US Federal Agent designation, see Special agent. ... Combatants Mexico Spain Commanders Miguel Hidalgo José María Morelos Vicente Guerrero Spanish colonial authorities Strength  ?  ? Casualties  ?  ? Mexican War of Independence (1810-1821), was an armed conflict between the people of Mexico and Spanish colonial authorities, which started on September 16, 1810. ... Hidalgo is a state in central Mexico, with an area of 20,502 km². In 2000 the state had a population of some 2,231,000 people. ...

Background

He was born to a criollo family (historically, any Mexican of unmixed Spanish ancestry). Growing up in an hacienda, where his father Cristóbal Hidalgo y Costilla was employed as a superintendent, Hidalgo developed an early sympathy for the unskilled Indian workers. He was reportedly a keen reader of banned French literature and an avid nonconformist. Though he trained as a priest, he retained an interest in political and social questions, which he carried with him to his first parish in the town of Dolores, now called Dolores Hidalgo, in the modern-day central Mexican state of Guanajuato. He learned several indigenous languages, wrote texts in the Aztec language and organized the local communities in Michoacan. Criollo, in the Spanish colonial Casta system (caste system) of Latin America, was a person born in the Spanish colonies deemed to have purity of blood in respect to the individuals European ancestry. ... Hacienda is a Spanish word describing a vast ranch, common in the Pampa. ... Dolores Hidalgo (in full, Dolores Hidalgo Cuna de la Independencia Nacional) is a small city and its surrounding municipality in the north-central part of the Mexican state of Guanajuato. ... Guanajuato is a state in the central highlands of Mexico. ...

It is impossible to say exactly when Hidalgo turned his thoughts towards rebellion against the colonial power, but the break is thought to have come sometime after Joseph Bonaparte replaced Ferdinand VII on the throne of Spain. This was one of the decisive moments in Mexican history, breaking a political link that had united the country with Spain for three hundred years. Literary clubs began to emerge, expressing a whole range of radical views, united by a general discontent against the new political realities in the Spanish Empire. Hidalgo, a priest of unconventional views, attended one such provincial group in Guanajunto. It was there that educated criollos started conspiring for a large-scale uprising of mestizos and indigenous peasants. Joseph Bonaparte Coat of arms of Joseph Bonaparte as King of Spain (1808-1813). ... Ferdinand VII (October 14, 1784 - September 29, 1833) was King of Spain from 1813 to 1833. ... An anachronous map of the overseas Spanish Empire (1492-1898) in red, and the Spanish Habsburg realms in Europe (1516-1714) in orange. ... Language(s) Predominantly Spanish, (with a minority of other languages), while Mestiços speaks Portuguese Religion(s) Christianity (Predominantly Roman Catholic, with a minority of Protestant and other Religions) Related ethnic groups European (mostly Spanish, Portuguese, French and Italian), Amerindian people, Austronesian people, Hispanics and Latinos Mestizo (Portuguese: Mestiço... In a detail of Brueghels Land of Cockaigne (1567) a soft-boiled egg has little feet to rush to the luxuriating peasant who catches drops of honey on his tongue, while roast pigs roam wild: in fact, hunger and harsh winters were realities for the average European in the...

Uprising

Main article: Grito de Dolores

Statue of Miguel Hidalgo in front of his church at Dolores Hidalgo, Guanajuato.

By 1809 Hidalgo's sense of discontent was turning openly to revolutionary politics, and the possibility of a uprising against the vice-regal government of what was then New Spain. He was joined by Ignacio Allende, a young officer from the nearby town of San Miguel, also a Creole, frustrated by the inherent chauvinism in the colonial administration, which preferred to advance immigrant Spaniards, rather than people born in Mexico, no matter how "pure" their blood. The fall of Ferdinand created a vacuum which Allende and other ambitious Creoles were determined to fill. Statue of Miguel Hidalgo in front of church, Dolores Hidalgo, Guanajuato The Grito de Dolores was the call for insurrection against the authorities of Mexico given by Miguel Hidalgo on September 16, 1810, in the town of Dolores, near Guanajuato. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 450 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1536 × 2048 pixel, file size: 816 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Photo taken March 2004 by Paige Morrison. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 450 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1536 × 2048 pixel, file size: 816 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Photo taken March 2004 by Paige Morrison. ... Dolores Hidalgo is a small city in the Mexican state of Guanajuato. ... map of New Spain in red, with territories claimed but not controlled in orange. ... Ignacio Allende. ... Panoramic view of San Miguel de Allende. ... Chauvinism (IPA:) is extreme and unreasoning partisanship on behalf of a group to which one belongs, especially when the partisanship includes malice and hatred towards a rival group. ...

Early on the morning of Sunday September 16, 1810 Hidalgo and Allende received from Doña Josefa Ortiz de Domínguez ("La Corregidora" from Querétaro) a warning that the authorities had intelligence of the planned insurgency. Hidalgo's parishioners had been coming in from the surrounding countryside, expecting to hear mass; instead they heard a call to arms (the Grito de Dolores). As well as invoking the name of King Ferdinand and the Virgin of Guadalupe, he denounced the Gauchupines, a derogatory term for the Spanish-born overlords, specifically designed to appeal to an Indian audience. is the 259th day of the year (260th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1810 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... Josefa Ortiz de Domínguez (September 8, 1768 – March 2, 1829) was a conspirator and supporter of the Mexican War of Independence. ... Santiago de Querétaro is the capital city of the state of Querétaro, Mexico. ... Statue of Miguel Hidalgo in front of church, Dolores Hidalgo, Guanajuato The Grito de Dolores was the call for insurrection against the authorities 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 an aspect of the Virgin Mary, who, according to legend, appeared to Saint Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin, an Aztec convert to Catholicism, in the current borough of Gustavo A. Madero, in Mexico City in 1531. ...

War of Independence

Main article: Mexican War of Independence

Lithograph of Miguel Hidalgo in his military uniform.

From Dolores, the rebel force moved on San Miguel, gathering support along the way like a rolling avalanche. In the process the movement began to be openly anti-Spanish rather than pro-Ferdinand, and Hidalgo dropped his own pretence to loyalism in favour of outright support for Mexican independence. So, what began as a conservative reaction turned into a popular, largely Indian, anti-colonial revolution. The army then moved on Guanajuato, the provincial capital, where Antonio Riano, the governor, attempted to organise a defense. But he was only able to assemble some 500 men, Creole and Spanish, against an Indian force now estimated at 20,000 strong. The town fell to onslaught on 28 September, during which many of the defenders were massacred. Combatants Mexico Spain Commanders Miguel Hidalgo José María Morelos Vicente Guerrero Spanish colonial authorities Strength  ?  ? Casualties  ?  ? Mexican War of Independence (1810-1821), was an armed conflict between the people of Mexico and Spanish colonial authorities, which started on September 16, 1810. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 407 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (420 × 618 pixels, file size: 71 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Faithful reproductions of two-dimensional original works cannot attract copyright in the U.S. according to the rule in Bridgeman Art Library v. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 407 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (420 × 618 pixels, file size: 71 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Faithful reproductions of two-dimensional original works cannot attract copyright in the U.S. according to the rule in Bridgeman Art Library v. ... Lithography is a method for printing on a smooth surface, as well as a method of manufacturing semiconductor and MEMS devices. ... is the 271st day of the year (272nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

The rebel army then moved south-east towards Mexico City, close to which General Felix Calleja had placed some 3000 cavalry and 600 infantry at the pass of Las Cruces. In the ensuing Battle of Las Cruces the tiny defending force faced 80,000 rebels. The Royalists managed to hold off the advance in two days of hard fighting, assisted by the fact that Hidalgo's men had scarcely any firearms. But in the end they were defeated by sheer weight of numbers, and 200 survivors of the battle fell back on Mexico City, now virtually defenceless. As he did not have confidence in the discipline of his newly recruited army and did not feel he could control looting or useless violence, Hidalgo did not press his advantage, and the rebels moved away from the capital, to the north-east in the direction of Valladolid, present-day Morelia, and from thence on to Guadalajara. Mexico City (in Spanish: Ciudad de México, México, D.F. or simply México) is the capital city of Mexico. ... Don Félix María Calleja del Rey, conde de Calderón Félix María Calleja del Rey, 1st Count of Calderón (Spanish: Félix María Calleja del Rey, primer conde de Calderón) (November 1, 1753, Medina del Campo, Spain—July 24, 1828, Valencia, Spain) was... Las Cruces is a city located in Doña Ana County, New Mexico, USA. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 74,267, making the city the second largest in the state. ... This article is about the city. ... Coordinates: , Country State Foundation 1542 Government  - Mayor Alfonso Petersen Farah ( PAN) Area  - City 187. ...

Defeat and execution

Calleja, with an enhanced Royal army, followed in close pursuit, finally forcing Hidalgo and Allende to make a stand on the banks of the Calderon River, where a battle was fought on the morning of January 16, 1811. Although numerically weaker, Calleja's force was far better armed. Hidalgo, moreover, had organised his own forces badly, ignoring the advice of the more experienced Allende. Under sustained attack by cavalry, infantry and artillery, the rebel army collapsed in panic when one of the Royalist shells struck an ammunition wagon. Calleja's victory was complete. is the 16th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the US Federal Agent designation, see Special agent. ...

Miguel Hidalgo, 1937
by José Clemente Orozco
Jalisco Governmental Palace, Guadalajara, Mexico

Allende, who had grown increasingly frustrated with Hidalgo during the campaign, a mood that was compounded by the murderous indiscipline of the Indian army, promptly relieved his chief of command, and carried him northwards with his tiny remaining force, towards the American border, where he hoped to gain the help and support of President James Madison. However, on March 21, he was intercepted by Royalist forces, and the two leaders taken prisoner. Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 450 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (600 × 800 pixels, file size: 144 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Image is a photograph taken of Orozcos mural of Hidalgo in the stairwell at the Jalisco governmental palace in Guadalajara, Mexico. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 450 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (600 × 800 pixels, file size: 144 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Image is a photograph taken of Orozcos mural of Hidalgo in the stairwell at the Jalisco governmental palace in Guadalajara, Mexico. ... José Clemente Orozco (born November 23, 1883, in Zapotlán el Grande (now Ciudad Guzmán), Jalisco; died September 7, 1949, in Mexico City) was a famous Mexican social realist painter, who specialized in bold murals, which co-established Mexican Mural Renaissance. ... James Madison (March 16, 1751 – June 28, 1836), was an American politician and the fourth President of the United States (1809–1817), and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. ... is the 80th day of the year (81st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

The four leaders of the revolution – Hidalgo, Allende, Jiménez and Aldama – were held in the Federal Palace of Chihuahua and executed by firing squad, three of them on June 26, 1811 and Miguel Hidalgo on July 30, 1811 at Chihuahua's Government Palace. Prior to his death, Hidalgo expressed regret for the bloodshed unleashed by the revolt, though he remained firm in his conviction that Mexico had to be free. The corpses of the four leaders were decapitated and their heads were put on the four corners of the Alhóndiga de Granaditas in Guanajuato, intended as a way to intimidate the insurgents. José Mariano Jiménez (August 18, 1781 – June 26, 1811) was a Mexican engineer and rebel officer active at the beginning of the Mexican War of Independence. ... Juan Aldama is a small town in northwestern [Zacatecas], located along Mexican Highway 49 some 32 miles (51 kilometers) northwest of Nieves along the border of Durango. ... Federal Palace during restoration The Federal Palace of Chihuahua is an early 20th-century building in the city centre of Chihuahua City, Mexico. ... Execution by firing squad is a method of capital punishment, especially in times of war. ... is the 177th day of the year (178th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the US Federal Agent designation, see Special agent. ... is the 211th day of the year (212th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the US Federal Agent designation, see Special agent. ... This article is about the state in Mexico. ... The Alhóndiga de Granaditas The Alhóndiga de Granaditas (public granary) is an old grain storage building in Guanajuato City, Mexico. ... Guanajuato is a state in the central highlands of Mexico. ...

Hidalgo and the other three leaders' heads were on display in the city until 1821, when Mexico finally won its independence. Hidalgo's decapitated body was disinterred from his burial place in the San Francisco Temple in Chihuahua and re-buried in Mexico City after independence had been won. San Francisco Temple the first time it was fully iluminated The San Francisco Temple is one of the main catholic places of worship in the city of Chihuahua, Chihuahua, Mexico, it is now recognized as one of the most valuable buildings in the city as one of the few still... Mexico City (in Spanish: Ciudad de México, México, D.F. or simply México) is the capital city of Mexico. ...

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla

• Hamill, Hugh M. Jr. The Hidalgo Revolt: Prelude to Mexican Independence. University of Florida Press, 1966.
• The Birth of Modern Mexico, 1780-1824, ed by C. I. Archer. Scholarly Resources Inc., 2003.
• Hamnett, Brian. Concise History of Mexico. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1999.