Mexican Independence Day: History, celebration, and all you need to know about this day

September 16 marks an eventful day in the history of Mexico. It was on this day in 1810 that Miguel Hidalgo declared Independence from Spain, which is celebrated even today.

Miguel Hidalgo was a Catholic priest who gave the clarion call for Independence from Spain after a moving speech he made after midnight in a small town known as Dolores. Dolores today is the bustling town renamed Dolores Hidalgo, which still retains the quaint architecture of those days.

The priest had rung the bell in the town’s church to announce his decision and sow the seeds of Independence. The priest’s call to arms is today known as the “Grito de Dolores.” Then the 11-year war between Mexico and Spain began, called the Mexico War of Independence. The war brought to a close the Spanish rule of Mexico, which lasted 300 years.

Details of Mexican Independence Day:

Mexico gained its freedom from Spain, but it came in a rather haphazard manner. In the sense that the ordinary people didn’t get the Independence that they anticipated they would get.

Historians have recorded the Mexican Independence as totally under Spanish rule, where the coloniser had tremendous power over the indigenous people of Mexico and who were treated as second-class citizens. So when Grito made the clarion call to Dolores, people derived hope that they would be free. The result was that 15,000 Mexican people died at the altar of freedom. Mexico became a war-torn country and had to be rebuilt from scratch. The basic amenities were absent, and so were necessities. The war destroyed the economy as all forms of work came to a complete halt. This weakness resulted in America taking advantage of the situation in Mexico and occupying the southwestern states of the USA. Mexico couldn’t govern itself, let alone protect its territory, thus underlining the difference.

Like every year, the President of Mexico stands on the balcony of the National Palace in Mexico city and waves the flag after giving a speech similar to what Miguel Hidalgo did 200 years ago.

Cinco De Mayo and the Battle of Puebla in 1862

The Independence Day of Mexico is often confused with Cinco De Mayo, when Mexico, a weak country, defeated France in battle in 1862. If one thinks of that day, Mexico was a country struggling to find sense after Independence from Spain and got into a war against France, which was a superpower. The Battle of Puebla in 1862 was led by Benito Juarez, an indigenous inhabitant of Mexico and the first President of Independent Mexico.

FAQs

What is the capital of Mexico?
ANSWER: Mexico City

What are the states that are known as Mexican lands in the USA?
ANSWER: California, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, Nevada, Wyoming, and Colorado.