On September 16, 1810, Catholic priest Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla called on residents of Dolores in New Spain to rise against Spanish rule, launching the revolt that became Mexico’s War of Independence. Known as the Grito de Dolores, or Cry of Dolores, the call to arms came after Spanish authorities uncovered a conspiracy in Querétaro and Hidalgo learned that the plotters faced arrest.
Hidalgo and his supporters moved toward Guanajuato, attracting a large following as the rebellion spread. Although Hidalgo was captured and executed in 1811, fighting continued for another decade before Mexico achieved independence in 1821. September 16 is now Mexico’s Independence Day and commemorates the beginning of that struggle.
