Mexican War of Independence

The Mexican War of Independence was the 1810-1821 continuous armed struggle of the Mexicans against the Spanish colonial rule. He ended with the independence of Mexico.

Uprising of Miguel Hidalgo in 1810

First it was the uprising of a Miguel Hidalgo (1753-1811), a priest from Dolores, and conducted by Juan Aldama group of Creole farmers who on September 16, 1810 by Dolores with the cry " Viva México " the fight against the Spanish-born peninsulares recorded ( Grito de Dolores, dt: Cry of Dolores).

In neighboring San Miguel de Allende, the quickly grown to tens of thousands of willing fighters quantity of Lieutenant Ignacio Allende joined. On September 21, the insurgents Celaya took a non-violent and moved to Guanajuato, the capital of the Intendency before.

There the Intendente Juan Antonio de Riano y Barcena entrenched in the urban grain storage, which could be occupied by Hidalgo but people in the storming of the Alhóndiga de Granaditas on September 28. The city was subsequently sacked two days.

Hidalgo took Valladolid ( today Morelia) and Guadalajara, where he established his seat of government, a. However, the royalist forces gained strength and also conquered under the leadership of Félix María Calleja back on 24 November Guanajuato. On January 17, 1811 Calleja suggested in the Battle of the Puente de Calderon, the insurgents devastating.

The leaders of the uprising were captured by the Spanish and executed on July 30, 1811 in Chihuahua. The severed heads of the leaders Hidalgo, Allende, Aldama and José Mariano Jiménez were the co-conspirators ten years exhibited at the four corners of the Alhóndiga de Granaditas.

Outcome

Another priest - Jose Maria Morelos (1765-1815) - called on November 6, 1813 the Congress of Chilpancingo in the state capital of Guerrero 's independence from - spurred by the abdication of King Charles IV and Ferdinand VII in Spain and the occupation of Spain by France. But the following rebellions were by Spanish troops - put down in the years 1814 to 1816, after the restoration in Europe had also strengthened the Spanish colonial power in Mexico again - still led by Agustín de Iturbide.

Iturbide was a typical representative of the conservative upper class of Mexico, who belonged to the colonial masters of the Spanish " mother country " or was allied with these, as well as with the conservative church, while the rebellion was driven by simple local people, as well as liberals and freethinkers. However, events in Spain had an unexpected paradoxical effect on these Mexican upper class. With a military revolt in January 1820, the Spanish king Ferdinand VII was forced temporarily to re-establish the liberal constitution of 1812, so many Mexican conservatives were convinced that they could preserve their society as an independent state better. Therefore Iturbide took on secret negotiations with the rebel leader Vicente Guerrero and moved 1820 with the rank of colonel and with the greater part of his troops to the rebels. In February of 1821 he and Guerrero worked out the plan of Iguala, also known as Plan de las tres Garantías (Plan of the Three Guarantees ), who formulated the idea of a united, independent and religious freedom in Mexico.

Mexico gained independence

Now that almost all the rebels were united into a force Spain moved the " hostilities " of the military on the legal level. On August 24, 1821 Iturbide signed as head of the new government's Council with the Spanish Viceroy Juan O'Donojú the Treaty of Córdoba, who implemented the Plan de Iguala and the independence of Mexico at a high price sealed: The Spaniards withdrew to their property were but generous pay out. Since the Spaniards were among the best soils in the country, Mexico was bleeding whether this clause rapidly - with consequences for the entire subsequent history of the 19th century.

Holidays

The beginning of the struggle for independence is celebrated today as " El Grito de Dolores " or simply " El Grito " on September 15 and 16. The respective Mexican President takes part in the second last year of his presidency at festivities in Dolores, to commemorate the beginning of the fight. Dolores referred today by the way the Dolores Hidalgo and " Forge of independence", the neighboring town of San Miguel de Allende as the "cradle of Independence ." May 8 is celebrated as the anniversary in honor of the birthday of Miguel Hidalgo (1753 ); September 30, the anniversary in honor of the birthday of Jose Maria Morelos; November 6th is a holiday in honor of the announcement of independence by the Congress of Chilpancingo (1813 ).