Thread by @bonesoflasalle

Today in 1810 the Mexican 🇲🇽 priest Father Miguel Hidalgo rang his church bell and gave the Grito de Dolores, an event considered the beginning of the long struggle for Mexican independence. Padre Hidalgo would become a national icon and hailed as the “Father of Independence”👇🏻

This sparked what was essentially a race war by the mixed blood majority population against the Spanish-born ruling minority. It was also this uprising that cemented the Virgin Mary of Guadalupe as the preeminent symbol of Mexican nationalism. The war, however, was finally lost👇🏻

Padre Hidalgo 🇲🇽 was defeated by the Spanish and the Mexican criollos, defrocked and finally executed by firing squad for treason to the Spanish crown. However, the fire 🔥 he lit would not be extinguished. However, the racial aspect would have to change to gain independence 👇🏻

Every regime of Mexico 🇲🇽 ever since independence has celebrated Padre Hidalgo as Padre de Independencia and repeated the Grito de Dolores on 16 September (yes, Maximilian too) as the beginning of the beginning of modern Mexico 🇲🇽.

Father José Maria Morelos took up the Mexican 🇲🇽 revolutionary banner after the execution of Fr Hidalgo in 1811. He too was ultimately defeated, defrocked and executed by the Spanish in 1815. One of his children was Juan Almonte, famous for his service under Santa Anna & Emp. Max

Vicente Guerrero 🇲🇽 became a rebel leader under Father Morelos and after his death became leader of the movement. By 1816 he was commander of the revolutionary forces and was eventually the only one left standing, refusing an offer of amnesty brought by his loyalist father.

Guerrero presided over a significant change in the struggle for Mexican 🇲🇽 independence. The mixed-race and native rebels had always been defeated by the Spanish and Spanish-blood Mexicans. However Guerrero appealed to the criollo leader, Iturbide, to join forces against Spain.

The fate of Spanish rule in Mexico 🇲🇽 was sealed by the Abrazo of Acatempan, the embrace of the two leaders of different races Guerrero and Iturbide, the revolutionary and the conservative. A liberal government in Spain caused Mexican elites to join the movement for independence.

Juan O'Donojú was the last Spanish 🇪🇸viceroy of Mexico 🇲🇽but the country was already practically in the hands of the Guerrero-Iturbide coalition for independence when he arrived. He backed their movement and used his authority to withdraw most Spanish troops from Mexico 🇲🇽

Today, his birthday, September 27, 1821 General Agustín de Iturbide marched into Mexico City at the head of his “Army of the Three Guarantees” 🇲🇽, the coalition forces of left and right represented by Guerrero, Iturbide and Guadalupe Victoria.

🇲🇽The Army of the 3 Guarantees (unity, independence & religion) was an uneasy coalition of forces who only really agreed on breaking away from Spain. Their plan eliminated the racial class system but still preserved the existing social order leaving the form of govt undetermined.

May 19, 1822 crowds gathered in the street in front of Palacio de Iturbide to proclaim the general Emperor of Mexico 🇲🇽. Protesting that he was answering the public call, he accepted. However, his former partners Guerrero and Victoria were not pleased.

The situation was further complicated by King Fernando VII regaining control in Spain 🇪🇸, ending the regime Mexican elites had objected to, and making it clear he did not agree to an independent Mexico 🇲🇽 and desired bringing it back within the Spanish empire.