Mexican War of Independence

The Mexican War of Independence began in the year 1810 and continued till 1821. Spanish explorers came to Mexico in search of land and gold, in the early 1500s and the land became New Spain. The Spanish colonizers enslaved the locals. The New Spain had a class society. At the top of the hierarchy were the Spaniards. They were followed by the Creoles, people born to Spaniards in Mexico. Then were the Mestizos, children born from a Spaniard and a Native. At the end of the hierarchy were the native Indians. This caused unrest among the Creoles who could not hold office, and triggered the need for independence. The Mexican War of Independence began on September 16, 1810, initiated by a Roman Catholic priest, Miguel Hidalgo Y Costilla, who is also known as the founder of the Mexican War of Independence Movement. Hidalgo was very upset with the oppressive Spanish colonial government for its treatment of the lower class. He and his followers captured large portions of Mexico but could not take Mexico City. Hidalgo was executed. The leadership of the struggle for independence was taken up by Jose Maria Morelos, another Roman Catholic priest. Morelos, who declared the official document of independence, which provided equal rights to the native-born Mexicans. In the year 1820, the Viceroy of New Spain ordered Agustin de Iturbide, a loyalist Creole, to defeat the revolutionaries, at the same time, King Ferdinand VII, was forced to sign a liberal Spanish constitution with its republic values and practices. Iturbide felt that it might affect the status of the Creoles in Mexico and also realized that if Mexico achieves independence from Spain, the Creoles might get a chance to rule the country. This made him join forces with the revolutionaries and he came up with the 'Plan of Iguala'. The Plan of Iguala read that Mexico would get its independence from Spain; Roman Catholicism would be its official religion; and all the Spanish-born people in Mexico would gain equal status With Agustin’s support, the revolutionaries won in 1821. It was only in 1836 that Spain declared Mexico as an independent country. Mexico celebrates its independence day on September 16, the day when Hidalgo summoned his followers to fight.