Miguel hidalgo y costilla biography of abraham

(1753-1811)

Who Was Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla?

Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla was a Mexican Catholic priest. On September 16, 1810, Father Hidalgo rang the church bell from his parish in Dolores to announce an uprising against Spanish rule.

His makeshift army captured major cities before he suffered a major defeat outside Guadalajara. Father Hidalgo fled north but was captured and executed in 1811. The anniversary of his call is celebrated as Mexico's Independence Day, with Hidalgo remembered as the "Father of Mexican Independence."

Early Years and Education

Father Hidalgo was born on the Corralejo hacienda near Guanajuato, New Spain (Mexico), on May 8, 1753.

The second son of Cristóbal Hidalgo y Costilla, administrator of the hacienda, and Ana María Gallaga Mandarte y Villaseñor, Hidalgo enjoyed a comfortable upbringing as a creole – a citizen of Spanish descent – though he endured a major loss at age 9 with the death of his mother.

At age