Cry of Dolores

Grito de Dolores

A statue of Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla in front of the church in Dolores Hidalgo, Guanajuato
Observed by Mexico
Significance Commemorating the start of the Mexican War of Independence, by repeating the words of Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla during the night of September 16, 1810
Date September 16
Frequency Annual

The Cry of Dolores (Spanish: Grito de Dolores) is an historical event which happened in Mexico during the night of September 16, 1810, when Roman Catholic priest Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla rang the bell of his church, starting the pronunciamiento (call for arms) that triggered the Mexican War of Independence. The event happened in the state of Guanajuato within the small town of Dolores. In October 1825, the day of September 16, became the annual Mexican National Holiday known as Mexico's Independence Day. Every year during the night of the celebration, the President of Mexico re-enacts the "Grito" from the balcony of the National Palace in Mexico City, while ringing the same bell that Hidalgo rang in 1810, the bell from Hidalgo's church was moved to the National Palace.

Historical Event

Image extracted from the book by Vicente Riva Palacio, Julio Zárate (1880) "México a través de los siglos" Tomo III: "La guerra de independencia" (1808 - 1821)

In 1810's "New Spain" (the name Mexico had, while in Spanish control) the first movement towards an independence from Spain started developing. It all started when, Jose Bernardo Gutierrez de Lara (born in New Spain from Spanish parents) went to the small town of Dolores [today known as "Dolores Hidalgo"]. Once there Gutierrez de Lara approached the local, roman catholic priest Miguel Hidalgo (born in New Spain from Spanish parents) and asked him for help towards initiating an effort to separate New Spain from Spanish control.

Gutierrez de Lara, then went directly to Washington DC for military support (being the first Mexican to do so). Hidalgo remained in Dolores, waiting for Gutierrez de Lara's and his military support. However, after fearing to be arrested,[1] Hidalgo commanded his brother Mauricio to make the sheriff release the pro-independence inmates there on the early morning of September 16. Mauricio accompanied by armed men, managed to set 80 inmates free.[2] Around 2:30 a.m., on September 16, 1810, Hidalgo ordered the church bells to be rung and gathered his congregation. Flanked by Allende and Juan Aldama, he addressed the people in front of his church, urging them to revolt. this moment became known as the "Cry of Dolores".

The liberated country adopted "Mexico" as it's official name. 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. Jose Bernardo Gutierrez de Lara commanded and led Mexico into victory and independence, but Hidalgo is credited as being the "father of his country."[3]

Exact words and meaning of the Cry of Dolores

There is no scholarly consensus as to what were the exact words Miguel Hidalgo said at the time. On the matter, the book The Course of Mexican History states that "the exact words of this most famous of all Mexican speeches are not known, or, rather, they are reproduced in almost as many variations as there are historians to reproduce them".[4]

The same book, also argues that "the essential spirit of the message is... 'My children: a new dispensation comes to us today. Will you receive it? Will you free yourselves? Will you recover the lands stolen three hundred years ago from your forefathers by the hated Spaniards? We must act at once... Will you defend your religion and your rights as true patriots? Long live Our Lady of Guadalupe! Death to bad government! Death to the gachupines!'"[4] However by contrast, William F. Cloud divides the sentiments above between both Hidalgo and the crowd... "He [Hidalgo] told them that the time for action on their part had now come. When he asked, 'Will you be slaves of Napoleon or will you as patriots defend your religion, your hearths and your rights?' there was a unanimous cry, 'We will defend to the utmost! Long live religion, long live our most holy mother of Guadalupe! Long live America! Death to bad government, and death to the Gachupines!'"[5]

It is often misinterpreted, that Hidalgo's Grito condemned the notion of monarchy and criticized the current social order in detail, however his opposition was more targeted to the events in Spain (along the viceregal government) and was clearly only, expressed in his reference to bad government. The Grito also emphasized loyalty to the Catholic religion, a sentiment with which both Creoles and Peninsulares (native Spaniards) could sympathize; however, the strong anti-Spanish cry of “Death to Gachupines” (Gachupines was a slur given to Peninsulares) probably had caused horror among Mexico’s elite.[1]

National Festivities

The "Cry of Dolores", has assumed an almost mythic status. [6][7] Since the late 20th century, Hidalgo's "cry of independence" has become emblematic of Mexican independence and an integral part of the celebrations of "Mexico's Independence Day". The following day, September 16 is Independence Day in Mexico and is considered a patriotic holiday, or fiesta patria (literally, Patriot Festival or Civic Festival). This day is marked by parades, patriotic programs, drum and bugle and marching band competitions, and special programs on the national and local media outlets, even concerts.[8]

Presidential celebration at Mexico City

President Felipe Calderón at the National Palace balcony during the bicentennial Grito in 2010.

Each year on the night of September 15, at around eleven in the evening, the President of Mexico rings the bell of the National Palace in Mexico City (the bell is the same bell that Miguel Hidalgo rang in 1810, as it was moved to the National Palace). After each ringing of the bell, the president repeats a shout of patriotism (a Grito Mexicano) based upon the "Grito de Dolores", with the names of the important heroes of the Mexican War of Independence who were there on that very historical moment included, and ending with the threefold shout of ¡Viva México!. While doing this the president is shouting from the balcony of the National Palace, while below, is the assembled crowd in the Plaza de la Constitución (also called Zócalo), one of the largest public plazas in the world.

This is the version often recited by the President of Mexico in the national commemorative activity in the National Palace:

Spanish
¡Mexicanos!
¡Vivan los héroes que nos dieron patria!
¡Viva Hidalgo!
¡Viva Morelos!
¡Viva Josefa Ortiz de Domínguez!
¡Viva Allende!
¡Viva Aldama y Matamoros!
¡Viva la Independencia Nacional!
¡Viva México! ¡Viva México! ¡Viva México!
English
Mexicans!
Long live the heroes who gave us our homeland!
Long live Hidalgo!
Long live Morelos!
Long live Josefa Ortiz de Domínguez!
Long live Allende!
Long live Aldama!
Long live the nation's independence!
Long Live Mexico! Long Live Mexico! Long Live Mexico!
For each line beginning ""¡Viva(n)!"" recited by the president, the crowd respond with "¡Viva(n)!".
After the shouting, the president rings the bell one last time, and waves the Flag of Mexico to the applause of the crowd.

The Presidential "Cry of Dolores" is followed by the playing and mass singing of the Himno Nacional Mexicano (the Mexican national anthem), with a military band from the Mexican Armed Forces playing. This event draws up to half a million spectators from all over Mexico and tourists worldwide. On the morning of September 16, or Independence Day, the national military parade (the September 16 military parade) in honor of the holiday starts in the Zócalo and its outskirts, passes the Hidalgo Memorial and ends on the Paseo de la Reforma, Mexico City’s main boulevard, passing "El Ángel de la Indepencia" memorial column and other places along the way.

In the recent years however the national festivity has become controversial. Due to the perceived corruption, incompetence and low levels of presidential approval of president Enrique Peña Nieto (2012-2018) along his political party (Institutional Revolutionary Party [PRI]), has led citizens to protests and marches opposing his government during the Independence Day celebrations, causing the national controversy. On 15 September 2016, month after the president was humiliated by presidential Donald Trump (during his presidential campaign), thousands of citizens marched, yelling and holding papers with mottos such as "Fuera Peña! " and (Get out Peña!) and "Renuncia ya! " (Resign now!). The protesters attempted to enter the Zocalo and protest peacefully while the president gave the traditional Grito de Indepencia (Cry of Dolores) , but the protesters were blocked by a wall of soldiers. The president gave the Grito, and news outlets failed to acknowledge the protest. While the Zocalo wasn't empty during the Grito, there is a strong belief among Mexican citizens, that the people who attend were poor people, bussed in from other states, offered a "free trip to the capital, a big great show" and food.[11] This perceived practice is called "bringing Acarreados", which means bringing people who have nothing to simulate support. (The term also applies to hand-picking people of the same political party to events to simulate more support.) Citizens also complained about the lack of coverage of the protests, as the Mexican news television only aired the mexican president, but ignored the protest and marches against the perceived corrupt government.[12]

Celebrations by governors and municipal presidents

Municipal president giving the "grito" of "¡Viva México!" at the commencement of Independence Day festivities at 11 pm 16 Sept 2008 in Ixmiquilpan, Hidalgo.

Similar celebrations to the presidential one, occur in cities and towns all over Mexico, and in Mexican embassies and consulates worldwide on the 15th or the 16th. The mayor (or governor, in the case of state capitals and ambassadors or consuls in the case of overseas celebrations), rings a bell and gives the traditional words, with the names of Mexican independence heroes included, ending with the threefold shout of Viva Mexico!, the bell ringing for the second time, the waving of the Mexican flag and the mass singing of the National Anthem by everyone in attendance. There are also celebrations in schools as well all over the country.

References

Inline citations

  1. 1 2 Kirkwood, Burton (2000). History of Mexico. Westport, CT, USA: Greenwood Publishing Group, Incorporated. ISBN 978-0-313-30351-7.
  2. ↑ Sosa, Francisco (1985) (in Spanish). Biografias de Mexicanos Distinguidos-Miguel Hidalgo. 472. Mexico City: Editorial Porrúa SA. pp. 288-292. ISBN 968-452-050-6.
  3. ↑ Virginia Guedea, "Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla" in Encyclopedia of Mexico, Chicago: Fitzroy Dearborn 1997, p. 640.
  4. 1 2 Meyer. Michael, et al (1979): The Course of Mexican History, page 276, New York, New York USA Oxford University Press ISBN 978-0-19-502413-5
  5. ↑ William F. Cloud (1896). Church and State or Mexican Politics from Cortez to Diaz. Kansas City, Mo: Peck & Clark, Printers.
  6. ↑ Hamill, Hugh M. (1966). The Hidalgo Revolt: Prelude to Mexican Independence. University of Florida Press. ISBN 0-8130-2528-1.
  7. ↑ Knight, Alan (2002). Mexico: The Colonial Era. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-89196-5.
  8. ↑ Saint-Louis, Miya. "How to Celebrate Mexico's Independence Day: Grito de Dolores". iexplore.com. Inside-Out Media. Retrieved 15 September 2016.
  9. ↑ "Mexico Celebrates Its Bicentennial - Photo Gallery - LIFE". Retrieved 8 April 2011.
  10. ↑ "Calderón revive grito original en magnos festejos por bicentenario de México" (in Spanish). Retrieved 8 April 2011.
  11. ↑ "'Resign now' thousands of Mexicans tell president Peña Nieto at Independence Day protest".
  12. ↑ "En el Zócalo, miles de acarreados para la ovación; afuera, miles de indignados exigen renuncia de EPN". Periodicocentral.mx. 2016-09-15. Retrieved 2017-01-23.

General references

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