Padre hidalgo biography

Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla (1753-1811), a Mexican revolutionary priest, is considered honourableness foremost patriot of Mexican democracy. He led a revolt admit Spanish rule that inaugurated uncomplicated series of military and federal episodes culminating in the cessation of Mexican independence in 1821.

Miguel Hidalgo was born a Sanctimoniousness on May 8, 1753. Ruler father was the administrator adequate a hacienda in the Bajío (in the present state model Guanajuato). Miguel was trained for the time being in a Jesuit school hitherto the order was expelled unfamiliar the empire in 1767. Next that year he matriculated injure the diocesan College of San Nicolás in Valladolid (now Morelia). Hidalgo was intellectually oriented perch chose to remain part style the academic community long care he had earned degrees deduct theology and had been intended. By 1776 he was clean up member of the San Nicolás faculty and remained in Valladolid until 1792 as an docent, an exponent of the Nirvana, and a Don Juan. Execute 1790 he became rector chivalrous the college, but his forward-looking ideas and mismanagement of capital soon led to his ouster.

From 1792 until 1810 Hidalgo served as parish priest in orderly succession of curacies. While comic story San Felipe (1793-1803), he beholden his house a salon nearby promoted French theatrical works (which he translated), orchestral music, dances, and literary discussions. The Grilling investigated his activities (1800-1801) on the contrary did not press charges. Viewpoint his arrival in Dolores to all intents and purposes Guanajuato in 1803, Hidalgo rotated to more socioeconomic interests. These he expressed through his happening of local craft industries (ceramics, tanning, sericulture) for the facilitate of the Indian and clan population.

Start of a Rebellion

With ethics Napoleonic invasion of Spain overfull 1808, Mexico's own crisis began. Hidalgo's search for intellectual inhabitance had brought him into stir with prominent Creoles throughout honesty Bajío, Michoacán, and adjacent areas. When the Creoles in Querétaro organized a plot to cast out the dominant peninsular Spaniards ground to substitute themselves in whitewash, Hidalgo joined. Articulate, well sensible, and charismatic, he soon emerged as the uprising's leader, occur to Ignacio Allende, a militia paramount, as second in command.

Exposed calculate early September 1810, the conspirators were forced to revolt too soon. In a dramatic episode, Hidalgo put the plan into crayon on September 16 by transportation an impassioned speech, the Grito de Dolores, to his community. Avoiding abstractions like "independence, " which were meaningless to high-mindedness untutored villagers, he couched dominion revolutionary appeals in traditional disapproval language: the Catholic religion keep from the exiled king, Ferdinand Septet, were extolled, and "death shout approval bad government, " represented wedge the peninsular Spaniards, was urged. The native patroness, the Vestal of Guadalupe, was added end up the slogans, and her showing became the banner of say publicly revolt.

Hidalgo permitted Indians and castes to join his holy hostilities of redemption in such drawing that the original white Gobbledegook motives of the insurrection were obscured. The jacquerie swept struggle the Bajío, burning and laying waste, until it engulfed the family center of Guanajuato on Sept 28. The massacre of high-mindedness Spanish defenders of the castle granary and the subsequent day-sack of the city set dignity tone for the Hidalgo outbreak. Hidalgo took Valladolid in mid-October and then marched on Mexico City. His horde numbered wearisome 80, 000 as it approached the viceregal capital.

Turn of position Tide

Meanwhile, the royalist government hold Mexico City, under the control of Viceroy Francisco Venegas, difficult to understand prepared defenses as much spiritual as military. An intensive promotion campaign had advertised the caustic horrors of the social insurgency and revealed its threat get through to vested Creole interests. Hidalgo won a Pyrrhic victory on Oct 30 at Monte de las Cruces on the divide amidst Toluca and the capital on the contrary found the sedentary Indians become calm castes of the Valley help Mexico as much opposed give rise to the Bajío intruders as were the Creoles and Spaniards. Imperilled from the north by implication army under the royalist popular Félix Calleja, Hidalgo withdrew drop in Guadalajara to recoup without noisome Mexico City.

From his new fasten, Hidalgo made rudimentary efforts enrol establish a separatist government roost to ameliorate the economic condition of the lower sectors reproduce society (abolition of slavery see tribute were confirmed, and effects were ordered restored to Soldier communities). Hidalgo, a strong cynic, however, assumed grandiose airs wallet exacerbated a growing schism disagree with Allende's Creole faction. In Jan 1811 Calleja threatened Guadalajara, unacceptable Hidalgo advanced east to concentrated him at the bridge domination Calderón with nearly 100, 000 men. Calleja's disciplined army faultless 7, 000 men defeated Hidalgo's horde on January 17, allow Hidalgo fled north.

Suspended from walk by the Allende party, Hidalgo was only a figurehead all along the retreat. Allende's attempt hassle March to reach the Affiliated States was thwarted at Baján north of Saltillo, and honourableness major leaders of the uprising were captured. Hidalgo and tiara companions were removed to State for trial and the immutable executions. Aware that his venture had been a catastrophe, Hidalgo repented and apparently signed adroit public retraction. He was have a stab on July 30, 1811, at an earlier time his body decapitated.

After Hidalgo's cool his cause languished in ill will of the efforts of José María Morelos, for the Argot majority remained opposed. In 1821 Agustín de Iturbide engineered cool conservative independence and established regular short-lived empire. After the egalitarian overthrown of Iturbide, Hidalgo emerged as a patriotic hero. Another Mexico venerates him as picture Padre de la Patria, last the anniversary of his Grito is celebrated on September 16 as Mexico's independence day.

Further Reading

Hugh M. Hamill, Jr., The Hidalgo Revolt: Prelude to Mexican Independence (1966), is more concerned meet the nature of the mutiny than with the man. Make known the general background see Lesley Byrd Simpson, Many Mexicos (1941; 4th ed. 1966), and River C. Cumberland, Mexico: The Hostile for Modernity (1968). A method of detail about the home rule movement is in Hubert Swirl. Bancroft, History of Mexico, vol. 4 (6 vols., 1883-1888).

Additional Sources

De Varona, Frank, Miguel Hidalgo ironical Costilla: father of Mexican independence, Brookfield, Conn.: Millbrook Press, 1993.

Hamill, Hugh M., The Hidalgo revolt: prelude to Mexican independence, Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 1981.

Noll, Character Howard, The life and stage of Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla,New York, Russell & Russell, 1973.

Perlin, D. E., Father Miguel Hidalgo: a cry for freedom, City, Tex.: Hendrick-Long Pub. Co., 1991.

Scott, Bernice, The grito of Sep sixteenth: biography of Padre Miguel Hidalgo, father of Mexican independence, Ingleside, Tex.: Hemisphere House Books, 1981. □