The original plan for Independence was made by Hidalgo and Ignacio Allende. It was a good plan which they were going to put into action in October. Allende was the military strategist, and Hidalgo had the ideas; giving land back to the owners, freeing the slaves, and abolishing tributes paid by Indians. Unfortunately they were found out in September, and were left with the options of running, or starting the war there and then. They started as a violent and disorganized mob, which grew quickly, and after bloody battles they managed to take several cities and get to Mexico City. At this point Hidalgo ordered a retreat to Guanajuato. An odd move, which stumped many people, and Allende was pretty pissed off about it. After despairing at this mistake from Hidalgo he took over. Unfortunately for both of them they were caught in Chihuahua soon after this and shot (in 1811).

But this was not the end of the fight for Independence. It had been a popular idea for many years, and plots were widespread. Another famous hero is Morelos, also a priest, he managed to last three years. He took over Acapulco and with the Anáhuac Congress he came up with a constitution. Which is great, except it was never put into practice because Morelos was defeated near Mexico City by the same guy who got Hidalgo and Allende (General Callejo). He was executed in 1815.

Morelos was a pretty strange looking guy.

Groups of Indians and Mestizos, along with Mina, a guy from Spain who switched sides, and another of our heroes, Vicente Guerrero, continued to fight. But the rich Creoles hated them and their criminal ways. The idea of Independence was almost finished when in 1820 things changed in Spain. The Spanish constitution was changed by the liberals; they were looking to share out some of the wealth enjoyed by the church, and implement social reforms. The aristocracy in Mexico realized that Independence would be a good way of getting out of giving away any of their money, and it started looking like a great idea. Colonel Iturbide, who was hired to crush the troops of Guerrero, made a deal with him instead. Together they won a brief military campaign and the Treaty of Córdoba was signed with the Spanish viceroy on August 24, 1821. The next day Iturbide was in charge.

You can visit the remains of these independence heroes (not Iturbide, he wasn't a hero.. but all the other names mentioned) in the bottom of the Angel of Independence on Reforma, in Mexico City.

Some more gruesome details....

After Hidalgo and Allende were captured, the Spanish in Guanajuato took their heads. They were pissed about having been beaten in one of the early battles, and hung four heads in total in cages from the corners of a building in which many Spanish died. The heads were left there for 10 years (!!!) until 1821 when independence was officially achieved.

Mestizo = a mixture of European and Indian

Creol = a white European born in Mexico