El Grito de Dolores

“El Grito de Dolores” or also known as “Cry of Dolores” is one of the most iconic moments in the history of Latin America. “El Grito” is one of the most iconic and most important moments in the history of Mexico. This is due to the fact that it initiated a fight for independence between the Indian and Mestizo population from the Spaniards. 

On September 16, 1810, Father Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla was the one who started the fight for independence by ringing the church bells in Dolores. He said to everyone, “My Children, a new dispensation comes to us today…Will you free yourselves? Will you recover the lands stolen 300 years ago from your forefathers by the hated Spaniards? We must act at once.” (PSN). Not only was this a way to revolt but he also wanted to fight for racial equality and wanted land to be redistributed. Since he was a priest, he was able to create deeper connections with his parishioners and ultimately know more about their lives. He put a lot of work into helping the ones around him, he wanted everyone to be economically stable. 

This led the group to Guanajuato, this is where things took a turn, the war became worse, people were getting injured and dying. In this instance there were a total of 2,700 deaths, 2,200 were Indians and Mestizos, 500 were Spaniards. Hidalgo’s army had won this encounter in Guanajuato and his army had continued to grow. Soon enough Hidalgo was captured and executed but the army continued to fight and soon won their independence from Spain.

Today, Mexicans all over the world celebrate September 16th in order to keep this moment alive and to celebrate our independence. We usually celebrate this day by being with family and having a cookout. I know here in Chicago, everyone places the Mexican flag on their cars and they drive around downtown through the night playing Mexican music, just enjoying everyone’s company, sometimes it even gets to the point where we get out of our cars and dance in the middle of the street. 

Works Cited:

“Today In History: El Grito de Dolores- Mexican Independence Day”, Citizen U Primary Source Nexus, September 16, 2011. https://primarysourcenexus.org/2011/09/today-in-history-mexican-independence-day/

“Today In History-September 16”, Library of Congress, accessed February 3, 2021. https://www.loc.gov/item/today-in-history/september-16

“The Wise Guide: El Grito De Dolores”, Library of Congress, September 2009. https://www.loc.gov/wiseguide/sept09/independence.html

By Penelophe Pintor