Celebrating Mexico's Independence
Today we honor Mexico's Independence Day with Spanish quotes by the country's liberators. Shutterstock/ Julio Aldana

September 16 marks a special day in Mexican history. It was the day in which the war that led to the country’s independence began. It all started when Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, a priest, uttered the “Grito de Dolores” or “Cry of Dolores” from the small town of Dolores near Guanajuato. Although there is no scholarly consensus as to what Hidalgo said precisely, the essence of the message was to encourage Mexicans to free themselves, recover the stolen lands by the Spaniards, and defend their rights.

This happened in the early morning of September 16, 1810, when Hidalgo ordered the church bells to be rung and gathered his congregation. He addressed the people in front of his church, encouraging them to revolt. The Siege of Guanajuato, the first major engagement of the insurgency, occurred 4 days later. Mexico's independence would not be effectively declared from Spain in the Declaration of Independence of the Mexican Empire until September 28, 1821, after a decade of war.

However, since October 1825, the anniversary of the event is celebrated as Mexican Independence Day. Nowadays, the celebrations begin on the night of September 15 and carry on to the next day. Here are 11 quotes in Spanish by some of Mexico’s liberators to celebrate such an important day in the country’s history.

1) "Siendo contra los clamores de la naturaleza vender a los hombres, quedan abolidas las leyes"Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla

2) "La lengua guarda al pescuezo"Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla

3) "El indulto es para los criminales, no para los defensores de la patria"Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla

4) "¡Viva la independencia! ¡Viva la América! ¡Muera el mal gobierno!"Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla

5) "Sin importar el tamaño de la ciudad o pueblo en donde nacen los hombres o las mujeres, ellos son finalmente el tamaño de su obra, del tamaño de su voluntad de engrandecer y enriquecer a sus hermanos"Ignacio Allende

6) "Cuando el pueblo salta sus barreras, casi ningún esfuerzo es bastante poderoso para detenerlo"Guadalupe Victoria

7) "Tantos soldados para custodiar una pobre mujer, pero yo con mi sangre les formare un patrimonio a mis hijos"Josefa Ortiz de Domínguez

8) "¡Que se eduque a los hijos del labrador y del barrendero como a los del más rico hacendado!"José María Morelos y Pavón

9) "Soy siervo de la nación porque esta asume la más grande legitima e inviolable de las soberanías"José María Morelos y Pavón

10) "La soberanía dimana inmediatamente del pueblo"José María Morelos y Pavón

11) "Morir es nada cuando por la patria se muere"José María Morelos y Pavón

© 2024 Latin Times. All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.