Biography of Miguel Hidalgo: from cure to revolutionary

Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla is one of the great protagonists of the Independence of Mexico whose Bicentennial is commemorated on September 15 and 16 through an imposing celebration.In History Today Online we recall the biography of this Latin American procer.

Biography of Miguel Hidalgo

Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla was born on May 8, 1753, in the hacienda of Corralejo, located in the Penjamo jurisdiction, Guanajuato.During his youth he studied at the Colegio de San Nicolas, in Valladolid (Morelia) . He later graduated as a bachelor of theology in Mexico City in the year 1773, and five years priest was later ordered.Hidalgo was priest of the village of Dolores in the previous years of the re volucion .When the conspiracy of Valladolid occurred in 1809, and after its failure the conspirators took refuge in Queretaro .From this moment the priest Hidalgo enters in contact with revolutionary ideas, but without joining them.It is ignored when Hidalgo joined the conspirators.But in early September 1810, promoted by Allende, Hidalgo finally joined the independentistas.But the Queretaro conspiracy was denounced and many of its participants jailed.The priest Hidalgo summoned the town of Dolores in the early morning of September 15 to 16 and made the famous " Scream of Dolores " urging the population to rise against the government.

It was a decisive moment in the History of Mexico, the beginning of his long struggle for independence.From that moment, other areas join the uprising and the revolution is spreading rapidly.In the south another religious would stand out as a ringleader who later also went to be decisive in the second part of the process of Independence, Jose Maria Morelos.The revolutionary troops got some important first conquests, including their first victory in a direct confrontation with the realistic army.At the end of October 1810, the troops led by Miguel Hidalgo is headed for the capital.They defeat the realistic bank in the famous Battle of Monte de las Cruces , but instead of moving forward and taking Mexico City, he decides to retire and disperse.1810 forms the first revolutionary government in Guadalajara that promotes, among other laws, an agrarian reform.However, realistic troops gain strength and prepare a tremendous offensive at the hands of the General Calleja that leaves the troops of the priest Hidalgo very depleted.At this point, the relations between Hidalgo and Allende, two of the main revolutionary figures, are more deteriorated than ever, to the point that Allende would have recognized trying to poison Hidalgo After having to flee to Aguascalientes, Hidalgo met with the opposition of Allende, Aldama and some others, who had decided to withdraw him from the command of the operations.Finally, after being betrayed by Ignacio Elizondo, Hidalgo and some of his more direct collaborators such as Allende, are arrested.

Capture of Miguel Hidalgo

Between Hidalgo and Allende, who were the main leaders of the insurrection , differences began to appear until the point that Allende came to develop a plan to poison the priest but finally only agreed to remove Hidalgo from the military post of the Hacienda de Pabellon de Aguascalientes.

On February 25, when the insurgents met They were preparing to go to the United States to buy new weapons and continue with the armed struggle, Allende receives a message from Elizondo, another revolutionary militant but who was only a spy from the Spanish government.Elizondo convinced the leaders of the insurection to stop in the area of ​​the Norias de Acatita de Bajan and so did Hidalgo, to rest and follow the road to California.

First Abasolo and his soldiers fell.Later and without realise these captures by the Spanish army, Allende, his son Indalencio, Jimenes and Aldama got out of the car to rest.The soldiers offered them food to deceive them and finally they could catch them.Allen wanted to escape and it was when they killed his son.mounted on horseback and protected by few men so they had no major problem or resistance in capturing them too.

Death of Miguel Hidalgo

After a series of military defeats, Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla was arrested and sent to Chihuahua, where he would be shot Before he was taken to the courtyard of the Jesuit College, he was confessed, so there was no excommunication.It is said that he asked his executors not to be shot in the back; instead he asked to be shot on his right hand, which he placed over his heart.After being shot, his head was cut off with a single machete by one of the members of the Spanish army, to earn 20 extra pesos. His head, along with that of Mariano Allende, Mariano Jimenez and Juan Aldama, was sent to Guanajuato , where he was put in a cage and displayed in the Alhondiga de las Granaditas , where he remained 10 years as a symbol of what would happen to the traitors to the Spanish government.Ten years later his body was exhumed and buried next to his head in the Metropolitan Cathedral of Mexico.He is currently in the Independence Monument or Angel of Independence, in Mexico City.Now, finally, we leave you with a video and some links that could be interesting to complement the information of the article. Useful links

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Bibliography:

• The Independence of Mexico by Lucas Aleman
• Six centuries of graphic history of Gustavo's Mexico Casasola
• Chronology of the Independence of Jaime Del Arenal Fenochio ISBN 978-607-7916-10-9