El Grito de Dolores & Mexican Independence Day

 

Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla – Grito de Dolores
Art by GENZOMAN: https://genzoman.deviantart.com


For over 300 years between 1519 and 1821, the entire country we now know as Mexico was enslaved under the colonial power of Spain. Our people, the natural resources, the land and our government were all controlled directly under the kings of Spain, who sent their agents out throughout our lands to carry out whatever the kings ordered them to do. During that period in history the Spaniards had all the power over our gente, and they did whatever they wanted with us. They treated the great majority of our people like slaves on our own land, and they stole everything they could to take it back with them to Europe, especially native gold and silver.

It has been said that so much silver was stolen from Mexico and other regions of Nuestra América, that a bridge made of pure silver could have been built over the Atlantic Ocean, so a person could walk from Mexico City to Europe and not get their feet wet. In order to erase their thievery from our historical memory, Spaniards spent at least 300 years trying to destroy our indigenous culture, hoping to make us forget the greatness of our native heritage. They burned books, they destroyed pyramids and artifacts, and they forced many of our ancestors to think that Spaniards were superior to Mexicans. The consequences of this colonial violence survives today, so much so that we all know some Mexicans who still deny their indigenous heritage and pretend that they are Spanish.

Spanish colonizers stole as much of the natural wealth we had in Mexico (silver, gold, jewels, different foods and spices, animal skins, birds, etc.) and took it back to Spain. By doing so, they made Spain the richest country in Europe for over 100 years. In fact, the birth of modern European capitalism was financed with the massive theft of native wealth and centuries of enslavement of African people – a historical moment known as the “primitive accumulation” stage of global capitalist development. For hundreds of years our people lived in extreme poverty, enslaved and exploited at the hands of the Spanish Europeans. Indigenous temples and pyramids were destroyed, and on top of the ruins of these indigenous pyramids, Spanish government buildings and Catholic cathedrals were built, often using the same stones pulled off of the original pyramids. Structures and artifacts of the Nahuatl, Maya, Mixtec, Zapotec, and other great civilizations of Mexico were blown apart or burnt to ashes. Though they tried everything they could to wipe out our indigenous heritage, the roots of the Mexica people survived in the rebellious Mexican spirit. The Spanish colonizers, like all colonizers who came after them, refused to understand that you can’t build a stable future when that future depends on the oppression of a native people. When oppression exists, resistance will, sooner or later, always be a decisive factor.

Late into the night of September 15, 1810, in the small pueblo now called Dolores in the State of Guanajuato, an important event took place that was led by a priest named Miguel Hidalgo de Costilla. That night, and into the early morning of the 16th of September, Miguel Hidalgo rang the bells of his church to wake up the people of the pueblo and the surrounding areas. When people gathered to find out what was going on, Hidalgo made a revolutionary declaration for the people to fight for freedom – “El Grito de Dolores” – and his call was heard throughout the country. He yelled out for everyone to hear: “Today we reclaim our lives and our future. Today we reclaim a revolution! ¡Viva Mexico!”

The next day, the 16th of September, Hidalgo announced major social and economic reforms, and declared an end to slavery throughout Mexico. To enforce these radical changes, Hidalgo and his followers began a revolutionary march throughout the State of Guanajuato until reaching the capital, Guanajuato City. There the “Insurgentes” engaged Spanish colonial soldiers in a fierce battle, and in the end they secured the first major victory of the War of Independence at the military fortress called the “Alhóndiga de Granaditas.”

This city and this fortress were extremely important to Spanish colonial power. Guanajuato was the location of “Mina La Valenciana,” which was at that time one of the richest silver mines in the world. During the 100 years before Mexican Independence, over 60% of all silver production in the entire world came from “La Valenciana.” Mexican silver filled bank vaults across Europe, and because the city was so important, the Spanish kings kept their most well-armed and well- trained elite military forces posted in Guanajuato City.

Inspired by their major victory in Guanajuato, the Insurgentes continued their revolutionary march to Mexico City. Led by Hidalgo and other insurgent leaders, the revolutionaries marched through the Mexican States of Querétaro, Michoacán, Estado de Mexico, Jalisco, Aguascalientes, Coahuila, and Chihuahua. Along the way the Mexican people responded to this call to fight for freedom from Spain, and soon after the Insurgentes had gathered a massive army of over 60,000 poor people.

After numerous other victories the Insurgentes were ambushed. Hidalgo was captured and beheaded by the Spaniards on July 30, 1811. After Hidalgo’s execution, José María Morelos took command of the insurgent army. Morelos was a brilliant military leader, gaining 22 victories within nine months. Using guerrilla tactics, he won the liberation of most of Southern Mexico from Spanish oppression. Morelos then called together the first Mexican Congress, which soon after declared Mexico’s independence and drafted the first Constitution. Morelos was defeated and captured in 1815 by Spanish troops, who then executed him by firing squad.

For a time, the Spanish forces regained control of Guanajuato, and in an attempt to terrorize people and keep them from joining the ongoing rebellion, the heads of Hidalgo, Allende, Aldama and Jimenez (other revolutionary leaders) were hung from the outside four corners of the Alhóndiga de Granaditas fortress in Guanajuato City for ten years. Despite the widespread use of this kind of Spanish terrorism, the Mexican people continued to resist, and finally, after years of fighting, they won the war in 1821 and Mexico proclaimed its independence from Spain. This history is why “El Grito de Dolores” and “El 16 de septiembre” continue to be very important commemorations to all Mexicans. This is also why on every September 15th, even 200 years later, we celebrate “El Grito”:

¡Que Muera El Mal Gobierno! ¡Que Viva Mexico!


Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla was 57 years old when he became the initiator of the Mexican War of Independence. Even though he was poor, he was very well educated and was a priest and college pro- fessor. Padre Hidalgo was an expert on the French Revolution, and even spoke Nauhtl fluently.

The early morning of the 16th of September, 1810 he and Ignacio Allende decided to make the call for battle against the Spanish in the town of Dolores. From the church square the bells rang as he called out “¡Viva Nuestra Independencia!, ¡Viva América!, ¡Viva México! ¡Muera el mal gobierno!, ¡Mueran los gachupines!” Since then we celebrate “el Grito de Independencia” also known as “el Grito de Dolores.”

Hidalgo is credited with raising the spirit of rebellion of Mexicans against oppression. Because of his patriotism, his championing of human rights and his personal courage, he is considered “el padre de la Patria.”


 

 

Josefa Ortíz de Domínguez

is condsidered the maximum female leader of the war of independence. She was born in the present day city of Morelia, Michoacán on March 19, 1771. She supported the struggle led by Hidalgo and from her home was organized the first rebellion against the Spanish.


José María Morelos y Pavón was an insurgent leader and follower of Hidalgo. He was known as the “servant of the motherland.” He was born very poor on September 30, 1765 in Morelia, Michoacán (which was named in his honor). Morelos was of Indigenous and African descent.

A former priest, he later become the greatest military and political leader of the war of independence. After
Hidalgo was assassinated, Morelos fought to liberate the states of Michoacán, Guerrero, Oaxaca, Puebla, Estado de México, Veracruz and Morelos from Spanish control.

One of his well know statements was: “Que la esclavitud se proscriba para siempre y lo mismo la distinción de castas, quedando to- dos iguales y sólo distinguira a un americano de otro el vicio y la virtud.” – “May slavery be forever forbidden as well as the separation of our peoples by caste, thereby leaving all equal, and the only difference among one American and another shall be our vices and our virtues.”


 

 

Mariano Matamoros,

also a priest and military leader, was born in Mexico City on August 14, 1770. He was the right hand of Morelos. He fought and liberated the present day state of Morelos.


El Pípila: The first major victory of the Insurgentes against the Spanish forces was at the Alhóndiga de Granaditas fortress in Guanajuato City. This victory inspired others to join the insurrection. It was there that the Spanish colonial soldiers had locked themselves in after Hidalgo and 20,000 poor Mexicans had surrounded them. It was the last stronghold of royal troops in Guanajuato. The Insurgents found it impossible to take the fortress until one poor mine worker named Juan José de los Reyes Martinez volunteered to bring down the main gate of the fortress on his own.

Juan José, known as el Pípila, was well known and respected for his unusual strength. Hidden from Spanish gunfire, el Pípila lifted a massive stone onto his back, and picked up a torch with his other hand. Using the massive stone as a shield, he then walked up to the main gate of the fortress, and set it on fire. The gunfire of the Spanish colonial troops would just bounce off the stone. When the main gate was burned and fell, and the insurgents took control of the fortress, and soon after that they took control of the entire city of Guanajuato as well.

Today this monument to El Pípila overlooks the city of Guanajuato. At its base it reads:

“Aun Hay Otras Alhóndigas Por Incendiar.”


 

Vicente Guerrero

was the son of an indigenous mother and African father. He was born in the present day state of Guerrero (named in his honor) on August 10, 1783. After all the other insurgent leaders had been captured and assassinated, Guerrero was the only one that continued to fight against the Spanish invaders.


by H.L. Simón Salazar. Originally posted on 09/15/2017. Revised 09/11/2018.


This and other Escuelita Aztlan/ Somos Raza Political Education Histories are available as paper booklets and downloadable PDFs that can be printed and shared. All donations collected in the purchase of the booklets goes to fund the work of Somos Raza Youth Project & Unión del Barrio.

To order, visit us online at @UnionDelBarrio,

https://uniondelbarrio.org,

info@uniondelbarrio.org or call 619-398-6648