Thursday, September 17, 2009

Mexican Independence Day

Yesterday, September 16, was Mexican Independence Day. On September 16, 1810, the creole priest Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla led a revolt against Spanish rule in Guanajuato province. Hidalgo's force quickly swelled to 80,000 creoles, Indians and mestizos, but was defeated by a small Spanish force in November before they could reach the capital. The following year Hidalgo was captured and executed, but the revolt continued under the leadership of Jose Maria Morelos and led to the formal declaration of Mexican independence from Spain on November 6, 1813.

Source: Langer, William E. The New Illustrated Encyclopedia of World History, vol. 2. New York: Harry N. Abrams, 1972:792.

For more information about the struggle for Mexican independence try subject searches in the catalog for Mexico -- history or Latin America -- history.

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