A Brief Overview of Mexican Independence Day

1
A Brief Overview of Mexican Independence Day

• September 16, 2005
• By Eugene Berger
• Assistant Professor
• Social Sciences (History)

2
As part of our Mexico Semester I would like to
wish all of you a Happy Mexican Independence Day!

• If you thought May 5th was Mexican Independence
  Day, read on!

3
September 16th and 5 de Mayo

• Mexican Independence Day is celebrated on
  September 16th, not May 5th.
• Mexican Independence Day commemorates the Grito
  de Dolores or Cry of Dolores of September
  16th, 1810.

4
El Grito de Dolores

• Dolores was (and still is) a small hamlet in the
  agricultural, mining and manufacturing region
  northwest of Mexico City.
• The regions population had been growing around
  the turn of the century and was suffering the
  strains of unemployment, and poverty.

5
(Dolores, cont.)

• Economic difficulties were compounded by a series
  of droughts that created unrest among the
  regions large peasant population.

6
Father Miguel Hidalgo

• Father Miguel Hidalgo was a parish priest in
  Dolores who, moved by the suffering of his
  parishioners and his own political views, sparked
  the brewing rebellion.
• On September 16th, Father Hidalgo rang the bells
  of his church, calling on the gathered masses to
  join him in a revolt against the Spanish colonial
  government.

7
El Grito de Dolores
8
Father Miguel Hidalgo
9
One of the bells today.
10
Guanajuato

• Hidalgo led his followers to the large mining
  city of Guanajuato where they killed the local
  governor, sacked the city and raided its food
  warehouses.
• However, two thousand insurgents were killed in
  the battle for the city (only 300 defenders were
  killed) and Father Hidalgo realized that his
  revolt was disintegrating into mob violence.

11
The Revolt Breaks Down

• After Guanajuato, Hidalgo and his followers
  marched to the outskirts of Mexico City, which
  they could have taken.
• However, Father Hidalgo did not want to see a
  repeat of the bloodshed in Guanajuato and
  retreated.

12
(No Transcript)
13
The end of the revolt.

• The retreating Father Hidalgo was captured by
  royal troops, defrocked and executed in 1811.
• Mexico did not actually achieve its independence
  for another 10 years, but Father Hidalgos
  actions were an important first step to ending
  Spanish rule in Mexico.
• To this day the Grito de Dolores inspires Mexican
  national pride and campaigns for social justice.

14
Epilogue 5 de Mayo

• 5 de Mayo on the other hand celebrates the
  Mexican victory over the French at the Battle of
  Puebla on May 5, 1862.
• The French under Napoleon III had taken Mexico,
  in an attempt to make Mexico a French colony now
  that the Spanish had been driven out.
• The Battle of Puebla was the beginning of the end
  for the French in Mexico.

15
Puebla
16
5 de Mayo (cont.)

• This was an important day in Mexican history, but
  the holiday remains largely a regional
  celebration.
• In the United States this day has become an
  important one for the recognition of Mexican
  culture (and for some, drinking Corona Beer) but
  its historical significance has been lost.
• To prove my point, when I did an internet search
  of 5 de Mayo I came up with this image. (Next
  slide)

17
(No Transcript)
18
But when I searched for Battle of Puebla, I
found this.
19

• Thank you for your time, and Happy Mexican
  Independence Day!
• Eugene Berger
• Berger-e_at_MSSU.edu