Miguel Hidalgo's Influence

Miguel Hidalgo was a Roman catholic priest, activist, and folk hero to some and revolutionary leader who is called the father of independence due to the major role he played in the wars of independence. It all began when Hidalgo was born, 8th of May 1753in Penjamo, Guanajuato.He was the second born son of Cristóbal Hidalgo y Costilla and Dona Ana Maria Gallaga, born into the social class as a criollo. In his teen years Hidalgo served in the army and a professor at the college de San Nicolas Obispo before serving the church. Once realizing the corruption, due to the enlightened man he had become he began to question the churches ideas, like the power of the popes, the virgin birth, and celibacy, he did not lead the traditional 18th century Mexican priest life, especially his personal life. Instead his studies of enlightenment era ideas challenged the political and religious views of the king, his actions resulted in a hearing in the court of the inquisition but not found guilty. Hidalgo later settled in Dolores because of the injustice to the indiginous people, for example, when a drought in 1807–1808 caused a famine in the Dolores area, rather than releasing stored grain to market, Spanish merchants chose instead
to block its release, focusing on yet higher prices. Hidalgo lobbied against these practices, and devoted himself to helping the poor and other humanitarian activitiesi. He wanted to better this community he was an entrepanur he built buisnesses that the people in dolores could take advantage of. Hidalgos goal was to make the Indians and mestizos more self-reliant and less dependent on Spanish economic policies . These activities violated policies designed to protect agriculture and industry in Spain, and Hidalgo was ordered to stop them.Anticipating his arrest he called on his brother mauricio hidalgo and other armed men to make the sheriff relase prison inmates on september 15, 1810 and manage to release eighty people! Hidalgo then called mass by ringing the church bells, atteneted by 300+, this was known as the "Grito De Dolores", calling people out of their homes and to join him in a rebellion against the current government and the rules the spanish held them to.
He carried a banner with the vigin de guadalupe and used her image as their sign, "viva la guadalupe". From guanjuato, hidalgo set off to valladoilid on the 10th of october 1810 with 15000 and there he was titled his most serene highness and had the power to legislate.hidalgos initial goal at this point was tosend the "gachpines" back to the motherland because there was no place for their tyranny and greed in mexico, because all that would do was degrate the mexicans on a spiritual and temporal
level. Marching under the banner of our lady of guadaluped, Hidalgo continued his movment for independence, but most of his followers are captured in the city of Guanajuato and other major cities west of Mexico City. Soon Hidalgo was at the gates of the capital, at Calderón Bridge, outside Guadalajara, on January 17, 1811... he hesitated, and the opportunity was gone causing him to lose his followers and instilling fear in the indiginouse people once again. Hidalgo fled north, hoping to escape but was caught, expelled from the priesthood, and executed by firing squad as a rebel. His head was cut off and hung in guanjuato for 11 years as an example. Although he failed, His name became the symbol of the independence movment for mexicans.