Grito de Dolores
The Cry of Dolores occurred in Dolores, Mexico, on 16 September 1810, when Roman Catholic priest Hidalgo y Costilla rang his church bell and gave the call to arms that triggered the Mexican War of Independence. The Cry of Dolores is most commonly known by the locals as El Grito de Independencia.
Every year on the eve of Independence Day, the president of Mexico re-enacts the cry from the balcony of the National Palace in Mexico City while ringing the same bell Hidalgo used in 1810. During the patriotic speech, the president calls out the names of the fallen heroes who died during the War of Independence and ends the speech by shouting "¡Viva México!" three times, followed by the Mexican National Anthem.
History
In the 1810s, what would become Mexico was still New Spain, part of the Spanish crown. Following Napoleon's overthrow of the Spanish Bourbon monarchy in 1808, Spain's American possessions rose in rebellion, refusing to accept Napoleon's brother, Joseph Bonaparte, as king. In New Spain, the criollo leadership attempted to set a course of autonomy in support of the legitimate heir to the throne, Ferdinand VII, but the peninsular elite, fearing the loss of the colony, carried out a coup, also in the name of Ferdinand. Almost immediately, groups of creoles formed various plots around the viceroyalty, including in Querétaro, of which Father Hidalgo became a part. When the plot was discovered in early September 1810, some plotters decided to proceed with the uprising. Around 2:30 am on 16 September 1810, Hidalgo ordered the church bells to be rung and gathered his congregation. Flanked by Ignacio Allende and Juan Aldama, he addressed the people in front of his church, urging them to revolt. His speech became known as the "Cry of Dolores".The liberated country adopted Mexico as its official name. Mexico's independence from Spain took a decade of war. Independence was achieved by the Declaration of Independence of the Mexican Empire 11 years and 12 days later, on 28 September 1821. However, Hidalgo is credited as being the "father of his country".
Exact words and meaning
Scholars have not been able to reach a consensus on the exact words Miguel Hidalgo said at the time. Michael Meyer has noted:The exact words of this most famous of all Mexican speeches are not known, or, rather, they are reproduced in almost as many variations as there are historians to reproduce them.
Meyer also argues that:
In contrast, William F. Cloud divides the sentiments above between Hidalgo and the crowd:
Many believe that Hidalgo's Grito condemned the notion of monarchy and criticized the current social order in detail. However, his opposition targeted Spain and its viceroy in Mexico: that is, not against the monarchy in general but against "bad government". The Grito also emphasized loyalty to the Catholic religion, a sentiment with which both Mexican-born Criollos and Peninsulares could sympathize. However, the strong anti-Spanish cry of "Death to Gachupines" would have shocked Mexico's elites.