In 1808, events in Europe created a crisis for Spain and its colonies. Napoleon invaded Spain and forced King Ferdinand VII from the throne. With Spain at war and its government in turmoil, people in New Spain, the Spanish colony that included present-day Mexico, began debating who should govern while the Spanish monarchy was weakened.
On September 16, 1810, a Catholic priest named Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla called on people to rise against Spanish rule. His call became known as the Grito de Dolores, or Cry of Dolores. Hidalgo gained support from many Indigenous people, mestizos, and others who were frustrated with Spanish colonial rule and social inequality. His movement grew quickly and challenged Spanish authority in central Mexico.
Spanish forces eventually defeated Hidalgo’s army. He was captured and executed in 1811, but the independence movement did not end. Other leaders, including José María Morelos, continued the struggle. Meanwhile, Spain remained politically unstable. In 1812, Spanish leaders adopted a constitution that limited the king’s power. When Ferdinand VII returned to the throne in 1814, he rejected the constitution and restored stronger royal control. These changes created further disagreement over government in Spain and its colonies.
Fighting in Mexico continued for years. In 1820, another uprising in Spain forced Ferdinand VII to restore the constitution. This political change worried some powerful people in Mexico who feared losing their position under the new government. Former Spanish officer Agustín de Iturbide eventually joined with independence leader Vicente Guerrero. In 1821, they supported the Plan of Iguala, which called for an independent Mexico. Later that year, Spanish rule ended and Mexico became independent.
Mexican independence was the result of many factors rather than one event. Political instability in Spain weakened the government’s authority, while Hidalgo and other independence leaders challenged Spanish control within Mexico. After more than a decade of conflict, these pressures brought nearly 300 years of Spanish colonial rule in Mexico to an end.