Spanish Arrival
In 1502, Christopher Columbus sailed off the
coast of Panama. Soon after, Vasco Núñez de
Balboa arrived in Panama and then Hernán
Cortés arrived in Mexico (later traveling as far
South as Honduras). The Spanish arrived and
planned to seek wealth and to convert Indians to
Christianity. The arrival of the Spanish marks the
beginning of what is called the Colonial period.
Mexican Independence
Mexico's Independence from Spain started in 1810 and ended in
1821.
The movement went through several leaders, including Father
Miguel Hidalgo and Jose Maria Morelos.
Father Miguel Hidalgo kicked off Mexico's
struggle for independence from Spain on
September 16, 1810 when he issued his famous
"Cry of Dolores" in which he exhorted Mexicans
to rise up and throw off Spanish tyranny.
The conspirators selected early December 1810 as their
time to strike. They persuaded many to join their cause.
On the morning of the 16th, Hidalgo rang the church bells,
summoning the workers from the nearby fields. From the
pulpit he announced the revolution: "Know this, my
children, that knowing your patriotism, I have put myself at
the head of a movement begun some hours ago, to wrest
away power from the Europeans and give it to you".
Hidalgo would battle royalist forces right to the gates of
Mexico City itself, although his “army” was never much
more than a poorly-armed and uncontrolled mob more
interested in murdering hated Spaniards. The army would
fight against General Félix Calleja at the Battle of
Calderon Bridge in January of 1811. Hidalgo and Allende
were captured and executed.
Hidalgo led the independence movement,
battling Spanish forces in and around Central
Mexico.
He was captured and executed in 1811, but
others picked up the struggle.
Hidalgo is today considered the father of the
country.
The Cry of Dolores marked the beginning of the long
and bloody Mexican War of Independence, which
would not conclude until 1821.
The combination ineptitude from Spain with longstanding abuses and exploitation of the poor was
enough to drive tens of thousands of Indians and
peasants to join Hidalgo and his army.
After Hidalgo was executed, there were already many in place to pick
up his cause, most notably his former student José Maria Morelos.
Today, Mexicans celebrate their Independence
Day with fireworks, food, flags and decorations.
In the public squares of most cities, towns and
villages, local politicians reenact the Grito de
Dolores, standing in for Hidalgo. In Mexico City,
the President traditionally reenacts the Grito
before ringing a bell: the bell from the town of
Dolores rung by Hidalgo in 1810.
Many foreigners mistakenly assume that May
fifth, is Mexico’s Independence Day, but that
date actually commemorates the 1862 Battle of
Puebla. The real day is 16 of September.
(September 16, 1810 – September 27, 1821)
Central America
Independence
On September 15th, five Central American
nations: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala,
Honduras, and Nicaragua celebrate
independence from Spain.
Colonial Period
The indigenous peoples of Central America did
not felt well. In fact, the colonial period was
quite disastrous for them. Most of the Indians
either died from European diseases, such as
smallpox, or were subjugated by the Spaniards
to back-breaking labor.
In 1811, independence movements broke out in El
Salvador and again in 1814 after the restoration
of Ferdinand VII. Both revolts were easily suppressed and
the political unrest was subsumed into the general
political process in the Spanish world that led to
the Spanish Constitution of 1812.
Between 1810 and 1814, the Captaincy General elected
seven representatives to the Cádiz Cortes, in addition to
forming a locally-elected Provincial Deputation. In 1821 a
congress of Central American Criollos declared their
independence from Spain, effective on 15 September of
that year.
That date is still marked as the independence day by most
Central American nations. The Spanish Captain
General, Gabino Gaínza, sympathized with the rebels and it
was decided that he should stay on as interim leader until a
new government could be formed.
Independence was short-lived, for the conservative leaders in
Guatemala welcomed annexation by the First Mexican
Empire of Agustín de Iturbide on 5 January 1822. Central
American liberals objected to this, but an army from Mexico
under General Vicente Filisola occupied Guatemala City and
quelled dissent.
When Mexico became a republic the following
year, it acknowledged Central America's right to
determine its own destiny. On 1 July 1823, the
congress of Central America declared absolute
independence from Spain, Mexico, and any other
foreign nation, including North America and
a Republican system of government was
established.
The Colonial period came to an end in 1821
when Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras,
Nicaragua, and Costa Rica became
independent. From 1823-1838, these five
countries formed the United Provinces of
Central America.
Thank You!