El Grito de Dolores (Cry of Independence) and Dia de la Independencia (Independence Day) September 15-16

At dawn on Sunday, September 16, 1810, while Napolean's troops were occupying Spain and King Ferdinand VII of Spain was still in captivity , Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, a fifty-seven-year-old priest from an old family of criollos (Mexican-born Spaniards) launched the movement that resulted in Mexico's independence. He had begun to harangue his parishioners in the small town of Dolores in the state of Guanajuato, "seducing them" (according to a chronicle of the time) to rise up in arms - even with stones, slings, sticks or spears - in order to defend their religion against the "French heretics" who had occupied Spain since 1808 and now threatened to come over to the Americas.

alerted by Josefa Ortiz de Dominquez ("La Corregidora") that his revolutionary plot had been discovered and that he would soon be arrested, he brought his plans forward and, with the Grito de Dolores delivered in religious language and from the belfry of his defence against the usurpers of authority and the enemies of Fernando VII. In doing this, Hidalgo started the great revolt of 1810. His battle cry was: "Long live the Virgin of Guadalupe, and Death to the Spaniards!"

What Hidalgo intended - and accomplished - was to launch his flock against the hated gachupines (Spaniards born in Spain and living in Mexico) "who had been exploiting the wealth of the Mexican people with the greatest injustice for three hundred years." Within a month, he had been joined by more than fifty thousand men, mainly Indians from the poorest levels of society. Attracted by his religious magnetism and by other, less noble motives, this multitude devastated the cities of San Miguel, Celaya, and Guanajuato.

In less than a year he was at the gates of Mexico City, with an army big enough to capture it. For reasons that have puzzled historians he retreated. Some analysts point out that he feared he could not control the mob once they have taken the city, which while ungarded, was to receive reinforcements soon.

He was apprehended in a battle along with other leaders of the revolution, among them Ignacio Allende, José Mariano Jiménez and Juan Aldama. Since he was a clergyman Hidalgo could not be immediately executed. A few months later, in July of 1811, he was tried by the Inquisition and excommunicated. Subsequently he was condemned to death by the civil authorities. The four leaders were executed in Chihuahua, three of them on June 26, 1811 and Miguel Hidalgo on July 30, 1811 After being decapitated their heads were put in the four corners of the Alhóndiga de Granaditas in Guanajuato as a way to scare off the revolution.

But by then the seed had begun to sprout. The Mexican War of Independence, a truly popular movement led by four hundred armed parish priests, ended with Mexico being a independent nation.

On September 15, 1910 in preparation for the 100th anniversary of Mexico's independence special envoys from Spain gathered on the illuminated balconies of the National Palace and watched the fiesta of all fiestas in preparation for the grito de independencia, the "cry of independence" that was to arrive with the coming dawn. However, at 11:00 pm on September 15, 1910, President Porfirio Diaz stood on the main balcony of the National Palace, and once again rang the same bell Hidalgo had rung in Dolores. He shouted several vivas: "Long Live the Heroes of the Nation!" "Long Live the Republic!" Below him, in the majestic zócalo that, from the days of the Aztecs had been the ceremonial heart of the Mexican Nation, a hundred thousand voices shouted in reply "¡VIVA!"

But why had the President delivered this grito at 11 p.m. on the night of the September 15th rather than at dawn on September 16th, when it all really began? A minor historical license: September 15 was the Day of Saint Porfirio (a Greek saint of the fourth century) and the birthday of President Poririo Diaz. Thus today Mexico's Independence Day celebration lasts two days.

-------------

This is taken from something I posted on another board, which was garbled during an upgrade.

Your history lessons are appreciated.

I'll add the following from memory:

I believe Mexico became independent in 1821, but that a Mexican flag was not raised in Old Town San Diego until 1822 because it took that long for the news to get here.

Who gives a "flying frisbee" about Europe and what Europeans think or teach.  They're part of the past.  Given their birth rate Europeans are on the path to extinction; it won't be long before Europe is almost totally populated by immigrants from Pakistan, India, Turkey, etc.  

The world is now lead by the United States--it's American food, movies, clothes, music, computers, etc. the world wants. Not the cheeses and wine of a "has-been" country like France or the overpriced watches the Swiss can still peddle to those who don't have something, like a Seiko, that makes economic sense.  Even with the huge gov't subsidies that are given to Airbus it's that good old American capitalistic company Boeing that is number one.  And, of course, it's American English--not some European language like French or German--that's become the world's universal second language.  (I wonder if that's because the good old US of A, not Europe, that for the past century or more has been moving the world forward with its inventions and innovations such as the train, car, airplane, pharmaceuticals, telephone, computers, Internet, etc. etc. etc.  During this time what has Europe done?  It gave the world Fascism, Nazism, and Communism.  It's started two world wars, that took the US to end and we're still feeling the effects of the damage done by Europe's colonialism--just look at Iraq invading Kuwait a few year ago because of the way Europe drew lines on a map, or the love and harmony the exist today between India and Pakistan.  Let not forget all the problems in Viet Nam that were the outgrown of France's Indo-China colonial rule.)

The reason people "retire" to places like Spain and France is because Europe provides sanctuary for criminals--just as France has done for years for that pedophile Roman Polaski.  Talk about being soft on crime, Europeans started opposing the death penalty immediately after WWII to protect Nazi's from the only just, fitting, and morally appropriate penalty for the crimes they committed.  

In time, of course, it will be China and India that will be impacting the world.  When that happens the few remaining native Europeans will find their grapes even more sour than they do today.


-- Modified on 9/22/2010 8:03:40 PM

This will come as a shock to you:  Mexicans love me.  I have a lot of friends in Mexico who welcome me into their homes.  I enjoy Mexico because of the warmth of the Mexican people and the richness of their culture.  (It's people, like Europeans, who have their nose in the air that I don't like--and who don't like me.)

One of reasons Mexicans like me is because I don't treat them like Europeans do, meaning I don't look down my nose at them.  I like their food and music. I  don't use a lemo because I think their taxis are too dirty.    Etc.

------------

BTW, name me three things of the magnitude of the airplane, telephone, and computer that Europe has given the world during the past century.  Too hard?  Then name me one.

As I predicted, you think you know more than:

--Attorneys licensed to practice law in Mexico do about the law.
--The International Organization of Migration does about immigration.
--The Rand Corporation does about birth rates.

---------------

I think it would be better to be represented in court by an attorney (one of "Burt's buddies" whose advice you consider hearsay) than it would be to tell the judge, "I read the law and ...".  

----------------

Returning to the subject that started this discussion:

For the third time:  name me three things of the magnitude of the airplane, telephone, and computer that Europe has given the world during the past century.  Too hard?  Then name me one.  (You should be able to name at least a dozen if Europe and Europeans are half of what you think they are.)

I'm still waiting for an answer.


-- Modified on 9/22/2010 9:42:47 PM

I said “gave to the world” not invented.  The reason is there are too many debates over who invented what.  The truth is when inventions are made there are usually several people who independently at approximately the same time invent something similar.  Some fade into the dust bin of history while others go on to change the world.  

Take the discovery of the Americas.  People argue if the Vikings, Phoenicians, Chinese, etc.  “discovered” the Americas.  But it was Columbus who “gave the world” the knowledge of the Americas.  It was his voyages that changed the world.

Who invented the computer depends to a large degree on the definition of what is a computer.  It’s true that some consider the Z1 invented by  Conrad Zuse (a German) to be the first computer.  It’s also true that it was destroyed  by allied bombers in WWII and did not lead to the computers in common usage today.  (It was IBM, Apple, Microsoft—take your pick—that “gave to the world” the computers we use today.)

Paul Nipkow patented the scanning disk in 1884, but his invention didn’t lead to television as the world knows it.  It was Philo Farmsworth (an American) and RCA that in 1927 “gave to the world” what we know as television.   Henry Ford didn’t invent the piston engine, but he, more than anyone else, “gave to the world” automobiles as we know them today.  He also “gave to the world” the assembly line and thus manufacturing as world knows it.  Etc. Etc. Etc.

The point I was making above is that it is America—not Europe—that for the last century or more has lead the world in innovation, science and technology. In contrast Europe “gave the world” Facism, Nazism, Communism, two world wars and a colonial legacy (because of the way they drew lines on the map and failed to educate and train those in their colonial empires) is still creating problems today.  Viet Nam, Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait, the Pakistan-India conflict, etc. are  Europe’s legacy.  As I said before, what happens in Europe today does not shape the world—the world’s “mover and shaker” for the past century has been America.  

What Europe and Europeans do and think and teach is really of little or no consequence to the modern world.  The world’s “mover and shaker” for the past century has been America. The future probably belongs to China and India, but Europe’s place is in the dust bin of history.

As I said above, America “gave to the world” airplanes, pharmaceutical, telephones, computers, the Internet, etc.  I again challenge you to name me things of this magnitude that Europe “gave to the world.”  I'm not talking about obscure acts that didn't change the course of history (such as the Z1 or the scanning disk).  I'm talking about deeds  of men such as the Wright brothers, Alexander Graham Bell, Bill Gates--men whose actions more than those of anyone else changed the world through things such as the airplane, telephone, and computer.

I repeat my challenge:  name me three things of the magnitude of the airplane, telephone, and computer that Europe "gave to the world during" the past century.  Face it, Europe is a "has been,"  not a "mover and shaker" like America.




-- Modified on 9/23/2010 10:23:49 AM

Burt: you have been here a long time and the atmosphere always seemed pleasant to me.

Why not just ignore this K-guy, who obviously has a lot of time on his hands.  Maybe if
he is ignored he'll take a long siesta.