In 1808, Spain is taken over by Napoleon Bonaparte. Napoleon disposed of the existing monarchy and installed his brother, Joseph, as head of state. The resulting war against France and Britain lasted nearly to the Mexican Revolution as Napoleon’s government falls into disarray and the revolutionaries began to gain momentum.
Father Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla was a middle aged priest living in the parish of Dolores. Hidalgo was a Crillo by birth, and had a pro-Indian sentiment. He organized his revolution through a so called “Literary Club”. The club plotted their uprising to take place in December; however, the plot was uncovered in early September and Hidalgo’s collaborators were arrested. Word reached Hidalgo and he rang his church bells …show more content…
He organized and trained a small army in guerrilla tactics and succeeded in cutting Mexico’s City communication with both coasts by 1813. He believed in a caste free republic with all lands restored to the Indians. He summoned a group at Chilpancingo, in the western mountains, to write a declaration of independence and a constitution. Meanwhile, the royalist army broke out of Mexico City and reclaimed the other cities the rebels had captured. Eventually, they reached Chilpancingo. Morelos was forced into the countryside. A year later, he was captured and executed. He is defeated by the royalist forces of the mestizo general Agustin de Iturbide and the revolution’s leadership is passed to Vicente …show more content…
These areas; however, were not densely populated. Only about twenty three hundred lived in Texas. To encourage further settlement, the Mexican government offered land to any American willing to become a Mexican citizen. This meant adopting the Catholic religion, and bringing at least two-hundred families to the area. Those that agreed to this were known as empresarios. A land speculator from Missouri known as Moses Austin would come to own over 18,000 acres. By 1835, there were more than fifty thousand people now living in Texas. Thirty thousand were white Americans, another five thousand were black slaves, thirty thousand Hispanics, and fourteen thousand Native Americans. White Americans outnumbered Mexicans at least 8:1. However, the Americans never wished to be a part of Mexican culture. They ignored laws and refused to convert to
Father Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla was a middle aged priest living in the parish of Dolores. Hidalgo was a Crillo by birth, and had a pro-Indian sentiment. He organized his revolution through a so called “Literary Club”. The club plotted their uprising to take place in December; however, the plot was uncovered in early September and Hidalgo’s collaborators were arrested. Word reached Hidalgo and he rang his church bells …show more content…
He organized and trained a small army in guerrilla tactics and succeeded in cutting Mexico’s City communication with both coasts by 1813. He believed in a caste free republic with all lands restored to the Indians. He summoned a group at Chilpancingo, in the western mountains, to write a declaration of independence and a constitution. Meanwhile, the royalist army broke out of Mexico City and reclaimed the other cities the rebels had captured. Eventually, they reached Chilpancingo. Morelos was forced into the countryside. A year later, he was captured and executed. He is defeated by the royalist forces of the mestizo general Agustin de Iturbide and the revolution’s leadership is passed to Vicente …show more content…
These areas; however, were not densely populated. Only about twenty three hundred lived in Texas. To encourage further settlement, the Mexican government offered land to any American willing to become a Mexican citizen. This meant adopting the Catholic religion, and bringing at least two-hundred families to the area. Those that agreed to this were known as empresarios. A land speculator from Missouri known as Moses Austin would come to own over 18,000 acres. By 1835, there were more than fifty thousand people now living in Texas. Thirty thousand were white Americans, another five thousand were black slaves, thirty thousand Hispanics, and fourteen thousand Native Americans. White Americans outnumbered Mexicans at least 8:1. However, the Americans never wished to be a part of Mexican culture. They ignored laws and refused to convert to