111 Father Hidalgo Facts: Family, Accomplishments, Speech And More

Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla was born on May 8, 1753.

Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla is also commonly known as Father Miguel Hidalgo. He is remembered for his free-thinking and bravery against the Spanish regime in Mexico.

Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla was not just a priest. He was an intellectual, a rebel, and an educator as well. Throughout his life, Miguel Hidalgo worked for the betterment of the less fortunate ones. He always challenged the traditional rigid norms of the church, unlike other priests. A great lover of French literature, Hidalgo was a master of many languages. His knowledge was not just restricted to the elites only. He taught and trained the poor and the indigenous people as well. This, however, earned him resentment from the Spanish government. However, that did not stop Hidalgo from doing what he thought needed to be done. The most notable moment of his life was his speech, which is known as the Cry of Dolores. This speech of Hidalgo marked the beginning of the war of Mexico that ultimately led to Mexican Independence. In honor of Hidalgo, the Independence Day of Mexico is celebrated on September 16 as well. Although he ultimately lost his life in 1811, his legacy continues to live on today. Many artworks featuring Hidalgo can be seen on the walls of Mexico City even now.

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Father Hidalgo Facts

Born on May 8, 1753, Miguel Hidalgo, also known as Don Miguel Hidalgo Y Costilla, was a Mexican Catholic priest. His revolt against the Spanish rule in Mexico led to its independence, and he was given the title of Father of the Nation.

Besides being a priest, Father Miguel Hidalgo was also a professor of theology, Latin art, and grammar. He was not an only child; he had three other brothers and a stepbrother as well. Miguel Hidalgo, right from his childhood, had a knack for academics. He mastered many languages, including French and Italian, which was not a very common subject to study during his time, especially in the Mexican state. At the mere age of 25 years, Miguel Hidalgo became a priest. Unlike other traditional priests, Miguel did not adhere to traditional norms and culture. Instead, he challenged the religious and traditional notions and opposed the dominance of the Spanish crown. His role in the Mexican revolution against Spanish authority is still talked about today. The Cry of Dolores is the most notable moment of history that ultimately led to the Mexican War. The Cry of Dolores is a historical speech by Miguel Hidalgo that occurred in the small city of Mexico named Dolores.

An interesting fact about Miguel Hidalgo is that he, along with his fellow conspirators who shared the same vision, had planned on the month of December to start their movement against Spain. However, the plan had to be preponed to September 16, as by then, the Spanish royalist forces had already been made aware of the plot against them. Since then, Mexico has continued to celebrate this date as Mexican Independence day.

Father Hidalgo's Family

Miguel Hidalgo Y Costilla, popularly known as Father Miguel Hidalgo, lost his mother at a very young age. He was only nine years old when his mother died. He had three other brothers and a stepbrother. Unlike other priests of the Catholic Church, he did not follow the rules of priesthood and opposed many religious and political views. He hailed from a middle-class Criollo family.

Father Miguel did not believe in the vow of celibacy and had formed relations with a few women during his lifetime. As a parish priest, he also fathered as many as eight children, something which went against the Catholic religion. Ultimately, he had to stand in front of the Court of Inquisition, where he was declared not guilty and was eventually released. The legacy of Miguel Hidalgo Y Costilla continues today. In remembrance of this parish priest, modern Mexico celebrates its independence day on September 16. September 16 marked the date when he gave his most famous speech, known as the Grito de Dolores, where he urged his followers to take up arms and revolt against the Spanish regime.

Father Hidalgo's Accomplishments

An intellectual, educator, and rebel, Father Hidalgo had a lot of accomplishments throughout his life. He was a master of many languages as well as a teacher. He became a priest at a very young age of only 25. For his role during the war against the Spanish dominance in Mexico, he has been given the title of Father of the Nation as well.

Academically, Miguel Hidalgo has achieved a lot. The College of Saint Nicholas appointed him as their dean. At that time, Miguel Hidalgo Y Costilla was 39 years old. His education and teaching were not restricted to the elites only. He used his knowledge and experience for the betterment of the peasants and the indigenous people as well. Throughout his life, he continued to develop various ways so that the less fortunate people could make a living of their own and would not have to depend on the Spanish economic policies. He taught them silkworm raising, grape cultivation, and bee-keeping, among various other things. Hidalgo also established various industries of pottery and carpentry and taught them the art of making leather. These activities, however, gained him much resentment from the Spanish government, and he was also asked to stop these activities. At that time, in Mexico, living was hard, especially for the natives. They were denied even the basics of life. During the drought of 1807-1808 that struck the city of Dolores in Mexico, people were not given the basic means of survival, like food. Instead, Spanish merchants saw this as an opportunity to make a profit and stopped all releases of food to the area. On top of that, they also increased the prices, thus making it more difficult for these people. All these atrocities were too much for Hidalgo to bear, and he continued to oppose them in various ways.

Father Hidalgo's Speech

Perhaps one of the most important moments of Miguel Hidalgo's life is his speech of September 16, 1810, which is known as the Grito de Dolores. Mexican Independence Day is also celebrated on this date.

At a time when Mexico was regarded as New Spain under Spanish dominance, the independence movement was already underway. Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, along with his fellow insurgent leaders, was preparing for a revolt to overthrow the Spanish government. Initially, the revolt was scheduled to take place in the month of December. However, by September, the Spanish government had already discovered their plan, and in fear of getting arrested, Miguel Hidalgo Y Costilla ordered his men to gather in front of the church, where he rang the church bell. He actually urged his followers to take up arms and revolt against the dominance of the Spanish government. This officially marked the beginning of the Mexican War and ultimately resulted in Mexican independence. As many as 300 people were present during the historic speech. Hidalgo died at 58 years of age. July 30, 1811, marks the date of his death. However, his legacy continues until today, and he continues to be remembered and honored for his bravery by Mexico City, even after so many years of independence. The town of Hidalgo had been renamed Dolores Hidalgo and many murals featuring him can still be seen on the walls of Mexico City.

Although he did not win the war, because of his bravery and fearlessness, he has been given the title of the Father of the Nation. After the defeat at the Battle of Calderon Bridge, he fled north, where, unfortunately, he was captured and executed. The manner of his execution is, however, still not known, and this has led to the growth of many theories by many people. However, no clear evidence or facts have yet been discovered.

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