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A Brief Overview of Mexican Independence Day

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Mexican Independence Day is celebrated on September 16th, not May 5th. ... This was an important day in Mexican history, but the holiday remains largely a ... – PowerPoint PPT presentation

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Title: 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
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