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Scheduled Uprising
Miguel Hidalgo and a group of other disgruntled citizens formed a "club" where they would discuss the difficulties faced by New Spain. The group was not pleased with the Spanish response to problems occurring in the colonies. This group of progressive thinkers in the Bajío began plotting a separation from Spain and scheduled an uprising for December 8, 1810 -
The Plot is Exposed
Marino Galván, a postal clerk, leaked the information about the uprising and when the audiencia in Mexico City learned of the plot, they began moving on the dissenters. Epigmenio González in Querétaro was the first stop for the Spanish authorities. His home was searched and he was arrested after weapons and ammunition were found. -
Taking San Miguel
Hidalgo, after being warned of the Spanish authorities' movements, rallied rebels and the local militia and together they were able to take control of San Miguel, imprisoning the Spaniards there. That night, against the wishes of Hidalgo, the rebels began ransacking and pillaging the local towns. This day is considered the official start of the Mexican War for Independence. -
Battle of Monte de las Cruces
On the trek to Mexico City, a battle took place between Hidalgo's troops and Spanish royalist troops led by General Torcuato Trujillo. The battle was ultimately won by the rebels, but with heavy casualties. Between the loss of troops and ammunitions, Hidalgo decided not to march on Mexico City and instead steered his numbers toward Guadalajara. -
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The Capture and Execution of Miguel Hidalgo
On March 21, 1811, Hidalgo was captured by Spanish forces. Because of his priesthood, he was subjected to a trial by the Inquisition. He was found guilty of treason, stripped of his priesthood, and sentenced to execution. On July 30, 1811, Hidalgo was executed via firing squad and his body was desecrated and displayed as a warning to rebels. -
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José María Morelos
Following the execution of Hidalgo, José María Morelos took up the mantle as leader of the rebellion. He focused on the use of guerilla tactics to make up for the smaller forces compared to the Spanish army. By 1813, Morelos had surrounded Mexico City and was able to call together a congress to create a Constitution and declare independence from Spain. However, the Spanish troops began pursuing Morelos' rebels and the congress with ferocity and the rebels were forced to go on the run. -
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The Lull
In the 5 years following the death of Morelos, the war became more sporadic with few large-scale battles. Most of the fighting was done via guerrilla warfare due to the dwindling numbers of the rebel forces. Two of the most prominent leaders at this time were Guadalupe Victoria and Vicente Guerrero, who were both able to achieve many small victories, but did not have the manpower to overthrow major cities. -
The Execution of José María Morelos
Morelos was captured in November of 1815 and like his predecessor, he was stripped of his priesthood and sentenced to execution. He was killed on December 22, 1815. -
Restoration of the Constitution of 1812
In 1820, King Ferdinand VII was compelled to restore the Constitution of 1812. This upset many conservative loyalists in New Spain and caused many to begin questioning their loyalty to the crown. This caused many former royalists to switch sides and call for Mexican independence from the mother country. -
Agustín de Iturbide
One of the most important turncoats was Agustín de Iturbide. Iturbide was a colonel in the royalist army that the current Viceroy sent to oppose the forces of Vicente Guerrero. After a few fights with the rebel forces, Iturbide changed his motives and offered to meet with Guerrero for peace talks. The stipulation was that Iturbide would be allowed to have input on the terms of independence. -
Plan de Iguala
Guerrero and Iturbide created their Plan de Iguala and began to reach out to other leaders to support the plan for independence. The main 3 points of the plan were:- Mexico would be a constitutional monarchy
- The Catholic Church would maintain the power that it held in Mexico
- Criollos and peninsulares would be treated equally, no longer favoring those born in Spain. (Mestizos and full-blooded Indians would continue to have less rights)
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Mexico Gains Independence
Viceroy Juan de O’Donojú signed the Treaty of Córdoba and acknowledges Mexico as an independent nation with a constitutional monarchy. When no suitable European monarch claimed the crown, a congress appointed Iturbide to be the first Emporer of Mexico.