Mexican War of Independence

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colspan="2" Template:WPMILHIST Infobox style | Mexican War of Independence

Date	1810-1821
Location	Mexico
Result	Expulsion of the Spanish colonial government and the signing of the Treaty of Cordoba. Mexico gains independence from Spain.

colspan="2" Template:WPMILHIST Infobox style | Combatants

width="50%" style="border-right: Template:WPMILHIST Infobox style" | Image:Flag of Mexico (1823-1864, 1867-1968).png
Mexico

<center>Image:Flag of Spain.svg
Spain

colspan="2" Template:WPMILHIST Infobox style | Commanders

width="50%" style="border-right: Template:WPMILHIST Infobox style" | Miguel Hidalgo
José María Morelos
Vicente Guerrero

Spanish colonial authorities

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. The Mexican War of Independence movement was led by Mexican-born Spanish, Afro-mexicans and mestizos who sought independence from Spain. It started as an idealistic peasants' rebellion against their colonial masters, but finally ended as an unlikely alliance between liberales (liberals) and conservadores (conservatives).

The struggle for Mexican independence dates back to the conquest of Mexico, when Martín Cortés, son of Hernán Cortés and La Malinche, lead a revolt against the Spanish colonial government in order to fight against the removal of privileges for the conquistadors^[1]. According to some historians, the struggle for Mexican Independence was re-ignited in December 1650 when an Irish adventurer by the name of William Lamport, escaped from the jails of the Inquisition in Mexico, and posted a "Proclamation of Independence from Spain" on the walls of the city. Lamport wanted Mexico to break with Spain, separate church and state and proclaim himself emperor of New Spain. His ambitious idealist movement was soon terminated by Spanish authorities and Lamport was re-captured and executed by burning. ^[2].

After the abortive Conspiracy of the Machetes (1799), the war of Independence led by the white criollo class became a reality, although most of the claims of the movement, like democracy, racial equality and land reform were never accomplished. Besides, the length of the war, the resulting division among Mexicans and the disruption of the economy weakened the new nation and eventually translated into the loss of more than half of its territory in the Mexican-American war and the numerous invasions faced by Mexico during the 19th century. Nevertheless, the War of Independence meant that Mexico became the first nation in the Spanish-speaking Americas to abolish slavery, the establishment of new economic bases (trade with other nations was forbidden during the Viceroyalty) and political freedom^[3]

The movement for independence was far from gaining unanimous support among Mexicans, who became divided between independentists, autonomists and royalists. The criollo middle class, supported alternatively by the poor, was the main actor of the movement for independence, but became increasingly alienated from it after the excesses of the insurgent armies, with the lower classes assuming a bigger role. In the end Iturbide, a former royalist criollo himself, would unite the aspirations for independence and social peace of the inhabitants of the new country. Independence didn't translate in big changes of the new society, where white criollos remained at the top of the social ladder, while indígenas and mestizos occupied the lower ranks.^[4]

1 Miguel Hidalgo and the beginning of the independence movement
2 Beginning of the War
3 Guadalupe Victoria and Guerrilla War
4 Ferdinand VII of Spain
5 See also
6 References
7 External links

[edit] Miguel Hidalgo and the beginning of the independence movement

The head figure and chief instigator of the Mexican Independence movement was Miguel Hidalgo, the Creole 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 even promoted fornication and other priests considered him a heretic, false priest. 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.

[edit] Beginning of the War

Image:Mexico.DF.Coyoacan.MiguelHidalgo.Statue.01.jpg

A statue of Miguel Hidalgo.

The plans were disclosed to the central government, and the conspirators were alerted — famously, by Josefa Ortiz de Domínguez, la Corregidora, the wife of the Magistrate of 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, the independence forces marched on to Mexico City after having captured Zacatecas, San Luis Potosí, and Valladolid. In all these cities the resisting Spaniards were massacred or exiled. On October 30, 1810, Hidalgo's army 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). Specifically, Hidalgo was captured in the state of Jalisco in the region known as "Los Altos." He was trialed by the Holy Office of the Inquisition and found guilty of treason. He was later condemned to death. On July 30, 1811, Hidalgo was executed by firing squad in Chihuahua. His body was mutilated, and his head was displayed in Guanajuato as a warning to rebels. ^[5].

Following Hidalgo's death, the leadership of the insurgency was assumed by José María Morelos. Under his leadership the cities of Oaxaca and Acapulco were taken, in 1813 the Congress of Chilpancingo was convened, in November 6, the Congress signed the first official document of independence, known as the Solemn Act of the Declaration of Independence of Northern America, and a lengthy siege at Cuautla was endured. However, in 1815 Morelos was captured by the royalists and executed in San Cristóbal Ecatepec on December 22.

[edit] 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 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. Another key player of independence was the Spanish liberal Javier Mina, exiled from Spain because of his opposition to Fernando VII's reactionary policies, who decided Mexico would be the best platform to fight against the king and gathered an army that provoked serious problems to the Viceroy government in 1816^[6].

The rebels faced stiff Royalist 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.

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; however, he was also disgruntled at his lack of promotion and wealth.

[edit] 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.

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. 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.

Iturbide's army was joined by rebel forces from all over Mexico. When the rebels' victory became certain, the viceroy resigned. On August 24, 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.

<center>Monument to Independence, Mexico City.