INDEPENDENCE

On the eve of September 15, 1810, a church full of people first heard the cry that has come to signal Mexican independence. Instead of giving mass, Father Miquel Hidalgo y Castillo took the flag and a painting of the Virgen of Guadalupe and waved it in front of the congregation as he discussed the oppression Spain was inflicting on Mexico. With a loud cry, he called Mexicans to fight for their freedom and began the war that gained independence for Mexico.

Miquel Hidalgo y Castillo never saw the end of the war or an independent Mexico. He was held prisoner and beheaded during the early years of the war. Today, Las Fiestas Patrias celebrate Mexican independence, the heroic actions of Miquel Hidalgo y Castillo, the hero kids of Chapultepec and thousands of soldiers who sacrificed themselves for their country.

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