I’ve considered myself a part of this land for many years, and I am proud of being a mestizo, regardless of what anyone has against me. This land I am now able to call my own belongs to those who fought for what they wanted, which includes myself. I wanted freedom. I wanted a voice of my own. I wanted to live in peace. I wanted my son and his son to continue to live here and have the same things I have this very day. I risked my life to do what I thought was right. This begins my story….
Ever since a man by the name of Ferdinand was taken from his rightful throne of Spain and replaced by Joseph Bonaparte, things have been going downhill for most of the country. With France suffering with problems of their own with Napoleon, no one played any attention to us. We were the dirt the rich walked on. We could be screaming out in pain as they stepped on us, but no one would dare to call for help. To most of the upper class, this was a great opportunity for them all to be able to promote independence in the name of the Spanish crown.
“We have the chance to do what we please now that the French are no longer in constant watch of us.”, is what many of the people thought could be done.
Peninsulares were the ruling group of men who dominated the land. They were Spanish like the rest of us, but they lived in the New World. I personally have nothing against them, but I can assure you, not everyone is like me.
They were the men that held the highest positions in the church and the local government. Others who were involved were the Creoles, who were the people actually more native to Europe, and made up a vast majority of the population. They didn’t want to deal with people like us, and they didn’t want us to have a real say in the government because we were considered lower class material. We had a mix of bloody conflicts from leaders such as Pedro Garibay and Viceroy Jose de Iturrigaray, but they didn’t do anything help us in the end…..
Everyday, I would continue to hear the cries of my own people. I wish I was able to do something….
We were suffering. We had no government. Most of us were under the authority of the Catholic church, and the rest of the upper class. We were the ones always kicked around, and no one thought any better of us, until Miguel Hidalgo y Castilla came in….
“I have gathered you all here today to help you all. The men, the woman, the children. Whoever is here, deserves to hear this. I know that nothing is going right for us, any of us. I have suffered your hardships, felt your desires, and have wanted to make a difference. Whether I die today or tomorrow, I want you all to keep this in mind. You must all at one point or another, fight for what you want. I sound very extreme, I realize this, but it is true. In order to make a difference in this place, we need to rebel. The Peninsular who are in power do not know how to run themselves, let alone an entire nation.” He paused and stared out into the room of lonely faces.The crowd was silent for awhile, until one man in tattered clothing spoke.
“How exactly do you expect us all to fight? Look at us! Look at me! There is no way we can be able to defend ourselves…. And what exactly are we fighting for? I want to be free from Spanish control, but I don’t want to risk my life doing so. If all fails on your part, we all die without having established anything.”
The man in dressed in white clothing spoke once again.“What if you were to live? What if your people were free? Then what would you say then? I want change. I want you all to have the land you rightfully deserve back, and I want the government to start acting on your behalf, not just here own! How is it that we work harder than anyone else, and we get nothing in return? I say, we die slaves, or we die saviors!“
The whole crowd cheered and a cluster of voices echoed in the halls of the church.
There were more than 80,000 followers besides myself the following week we gathered again. We did not receive much training, but we were all prepared somehow. We marched across the rocky land day in and day out. Many of us understood that we wanted change, but we were unclear at many points what it was Hidalgo actually wanted us to fight for. He was a man of the church, a man of God, so why should I worry….
Hidalgo was captured along one of our marches, as well as a few of our men.
“You may see the last of me, but not the very men who fought beside me! You have no right to do what you are doing, and you are all sadly mistaken if you think you do. I believe that
“Shut up and put your arms down!”, shouted the other dark skinned man standing beside him.
“God will guide these people to victory! No army can st-…”
The room was yet again silent, as a pool of blood lay around Hidalgo. He hit the floor with a loud bang with his eyes wide open. His body was left behind as the other men marched out of the room….
I was not as close to Hidalgo as most of the men were, but I could tell that, if he was willing to fight for us, he was a man who deserved to be honored. Jose Maria Morelos y Pavon was the next man to step into the picture. He raised and trained us all, and actually planned things out, something that Hidalgo was not able to do. With our help, he wanted to end forced labor, and sought the same land reforms Hidalgo once did. However, after all of our hard work, he was executed. We lost hope yet again....
A few weeks have passed by now, and I have nearly lost count of the days that have gone by. It was one of the hottest weeks we have ever gone through. Everyone was dripping sweat, and no one was in a pleasant mood. I came up unto a small rocky hill to stand before the crowd. I was never good at speaking to anyone, not even my own family at some points. I gripped my hands tight and shouted at the top of my lungs:
“My good people, listen to me!”
Dirty faces turned in my direction. Even the crying babies had been silenced.
“I said to myself yesterday, its time to give up. What can we do? We have lost everything we once had, and we can’t gain it back. I am one of you. I have been through the same sufferings you all have been through. All I want, is to be free, to be myself and not have anyone to tie me down”
“We all want the same brother. But there has been so much bloodshed….How can we keep this up?”
“Yes! What makes you so sure of yourself!”
“Stand back down my friend, and just forget this all. Look at us!”
Things became uneasy very fast for me…. I cleared my throat.
“There is only one other man I know that can help us right now….I say we seek the help of Augustine de Iturbide.”
Many of the men asked the same question to me. “The general? Ha! He’s a genius on his own. Why would he side with us?”
“Because he shares our same desires. He wants independence for everyone, and does not want the higher class and clergy taking control of us. I know a few of you know him personally. He is a brilliant man, and I know that we have lost many similar to him. This is our final shot at this. If we shall fail again, I say to you all, I will not live another day.”
Everyone looked around at each other, until a small fist plummeted through the air. Soon, the room was filled with cheering once again, and hands held high.
Again, we marched into Mexico City on the 21st of September I believe. This time, we had Augustine on our side.
“Were you really the man who took charge? You look nothing like someone who would.” He looked down on me with his fancy yellow and white uniform shining in the sunlight.
I spoke slowly. “Why, I never expected myself….well, to actually say anything….But I know that, if we really want something, we have to be willing to fight for it sometimes.”
I marched alongside Augustine the whole way to the city, and the true battle began once we arrived…..
The days were long, and the nights were even longer….but victory was ours! We secured our victory against the final group of Colonial Mexicans. We now both mourn for the dead, but celebrate those who are still living. A period of despair soon became a period of triumph for us. From that point on, we were able to make ourselves known. Augustine was declared emperor soon after.
Our people were finally able to bring someone into power who was going to consider everyone, not just the ones above. We are all men and women and children of this land. Whatever one gets, the other shall get as well. No one is to be left behind from this point on.
I like how problems for almost every nation starts with a really poor leader. Things were going pretty well until Joseph Bonaparte stepped in. Under his rule. the rich walked all over the poor and the poor didn't have the political or economic power to put a stop to it. Miguel Hidalgo y Castilla was an important icon because he represented the fight that was inevitable if change was to be achieved. His death mad him a martyr. Augustine de Iturbide was also a sign of hope because he was a man who could have just ignored the problems due to his high status, but he chose to join the fight for change. he was a further representation of hope for the civilians.
I agree with Alex, I find it interesting that it always tends to be the fault of some horrible leader and the Catholic church always seems to be involved as well. Nationalism seems strong for New Spain as well and your story really showed the strong sense of nationalism that these people felt for their country and the way they grouped together to fight for what they believed in.
I am definite agreement with both Avary and Alex, having a crazed ruler be brought down by those they "stepped on" . It fascinates me that the strength in numbers and the will of wanting something so badly, like freedom, can drive someone to do something great. It can take just a replacing a King to throw everything off balance and change history forever. Would Spain have still wanted to revolt and become independent if Ferdinand wasn't taken off the throne by JosephBonaparte?
The War for New Spain’s Independence
ReplyDeleteI’ve considered myself a part of this land for many years, and I am proud of being a mestizo, regardless of what anyone has against me. This land I am now able to call my own belongs to those who fought for what they wanted, which includes myself. I wanted freedom. I wanted a voice of my own. I wanted to live in peace. I wanted my son and his son to continue to live here and have the same things I have this very day. I risked my life to do what I thought was right. This begins my story….
Ever since a man by the name of Ferdinand was taken from his rightful throne of Spain and replaced by Joseph Bonaparte, things have been going downhill for most of the country. With France suffering with problems of their own with Napoleon, no one played any attention to us. We were the dirt the rich walked on. We could be screaming out in pain as they stepped on us, but no one would dare to call for help. To most of the upper class, this was a great opportunity for them all to be able to promote independence in the name of the Spanish crown.
“We have the chance to do what we please now that the French are no longer in constant watch of us.”, is what many of the people thought could be done.
Peninsulares were the ruling group of men who dominated the land. They were Spanish like the rest of us, but they lived in the New World. I personally have nothing against them, but I can assure you, not everyone is like me.
They were the men that held the highest positions in the church and the local government. Others who were involved were the Creoles, who were the people actually more native to Europe, and made up a vast majority of the population. They didn’t want to deal with people like us, and they didn’t want us to have a real say in the government because we were considered lower class material. We had a mix of bloody conflicts from leaders such as Pedro Garibay and Viceroy Jose de Iturrigaray, but they didn’t do anything help us in the end…..
Everyday, I would continue to hear the cries of my own people. I wish I was able to do something….
We were suffering. We had no government. Most of us were under the authority of the Catholic church, and the rest of the upper class. We were the ones always kicked around, and no one thought any better of us, until Miguel Hidalgo y Castilla came in….
“I have gathered you all here today to help you all. The men, the woman, the children. Whoever is here, deserves to hear this. I know that nothing is going right for us, any of us. I have suffered your hardships, felt your desires, and have wanted to make a difference. Whether I die today or tomorrow, I want you all to keep this in mind. You must all at one point or another, fight for what you want. I sound very extreme, I realize this, but it is true. In order to make a difference in this place, we need to rebel. The Peninsular who are in power do not know how to run themselves, let alone an entire nation.” He paused and stared out into the room of lonely faces.The crowd was silent for awhile, until one man in tattered clothing spoke.
“How exactly do you expect us all to fight? Look at us! Look at me! There is no way we can be able to defend ourselves…. And what exactly are we fighting for? I want to be free from Spanish control, but I don’t want to risk my life doing so. If all fails on your part, we all die without having established anything.”
The man in dressed in white clothing spoke once again.“What if you were to live? What if your people were free? Then what would you say then? I want change. I want you all to have the land you rightfully deserve back, and I want the government to start acting on your behalf, not just here own! How is it that we work harder than anyone else, and we get nothing in return? I say, we die slaves, or we die saviors!“
The whole crowd cheered and a cluster of voices echoed in the halls of the church.
There were more than 80,000 followers besides myself the following week we gathered again. We did not receive much training, but we were all prepared somehow. We marched across the rocky land day in and day out. Many of us understood that we wanted change, but we were unclear at many points what it was Hidalgo actually wanted us to fight for. He was a man of the church, a man of God, so why should I worry….
ReplyDeleteHidalgo was captured along one of our marches, as well as a few of our men.
“You may see the last of me, but not the very men who fought beside me! You have no right to do what you are doing, and you are all sadly mistaken if you think you do. I believe that
“Shut up and put your arms down!”, shouted the other dark skinned man standing beside him.
“God will guide these people to victory! No army can st-…”
The room was yet again silent, as a pool of blood lay around Hidalgo. He hit the floor with a loud bang with his eyes wide open. His body was left behind as the other men marched out of the room….
I was not as close to Hidalgo as most of the men were, but I could tell that, if he was willing to fight for us, he was a man who deserved to be honored. Jose Maria Morelos y Pavon was the next man to step into the picture. He raised and trained us all, and actually planned things out, something that Hidalgo was not able to do. With our help, he wanted to end forced labor, and sought the same land reforms Hidalgo once did. However, after all of our hard work, he was executed. We lost hope yet again....
A few weeks have passed by now, and I have nearly lost count of the days that have gone by. It was one of the hottest weeks we have ever gone through. Everyone was dripping sweat, and no one was in a pleasant mood. I came up unto a small rocky hill to stand before the crowd. I was never good at speaking to anyone, not even my own family at some points. I gripped my hands tight and shouted at the top of my lungs:
ReplyDelete“My good people, listen to me!”
Dirty faces turned in my direction. Even the crying babies had been silenced.
“I said to myself yesterday, its time to give up. What can we do? We have lost everything we once had, and we can’t gain it back. I am one of you. I have been through the same sufferings you all have been through. All I want, is to be free, to be myself and not have anyone to tie me down”
“We all want the same brother. But there has been so much bloodshed….How can we keep this up?”
“Yes! What makes you so sure of yourself!”
“Stand back down my friend, and just forget this all. Look at us!”
Things became uneasy very fast for me…. I cleared my throat.
“There is only one other man I know that can help us right now….I say we seek the help of Augustine de Iturbide.”
Many of the men asked the same question to me. “The general? Ha! He’s a genius on his own. Why would he side with us?”
“Because he shares our same desires. He wants independence for everyone, and does not want the higher class and clergy taking control of us. I know a few of you know him personally. He is a brilliant man, and I know that we have lost many similar to him. This is our final shot at this. If we shall fail again, I say to you all, I will not live another day.”
Everyone looked around at each other, until a small fist plummeted through the air. Soon, the room was filled with cheering once again, and hands held high.
Again, we marched into Mexico City on the 21st of September I believe. This time, we had Augustine on our side.
“Were you really the man who took charge? You look nothing like someone who would.” He looked down on me with his fancy yellow and white uniform shining in the sunlight.
I spoke slowly. “Why, I never expected myself….well, to actually say anything….But I know that, if we really want something, we have to be willing to fight for it sometimes.”
I marched alongside Augustine the whole way to the city, and the true battle began once we arrived…..
The days were long, and the nights were even longer….but victory was ours! We secured our victory against the final group of Colonial Mexicans. We now both mourn for the dead, but celebrate those who are still living. A period of despair soon became a period of triumph for us. From that point on, we were able to make ourselves known. Augustine was declared emperor soon after.
Our people were finally able to bring someone into power who was going to consider everyone, not just the ones above. We are all men and women and children of this land. Whatever one gets, the other shall get as well. No one is to be left behind from this point on.
I like how problems for almost every nation starts with a really poor leader. Things were going pretty well until Joseph Bonaparte stepped in. Under his rule. the rich walked all over the poor and the poor didn't have the political or economic power to put a stop to it. Miguel Hidalgo y Castilla was an important icon because he represented the fight that was inevitable if change was to be achieved. His death mad him a martyr. Augustine de Iturbide was also a sign of hope because he was a man who could have just ignored the problems due to his high status, but he chose to join the fight for change. he was a further representation of hope for the civilians.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Alex, I find it interesting that it always tends to be the fault of some horrible leader and the Catholic church always seems to be involved as well. Nationalism seems strong for New Spain as well and your story really showed the strong sense of nationalism that these people felt for their country and the way they grouped together to fight for what they believed in.
ReplyDeleteI am definite agreement with both Avary and Alex, having a crazed ruler be brought down by those they "stepped on" . It fascinates me that the strength in numbers and the will of wanting something so badly, like freedom, can drive someone to do something great. It can take just a replacing a King to throw everything off balance and change history forever. Would Spain have still wanted to revolt and become independent if Ferdinand wasn't taken off the throne by JosephBonaparte?
ReplyDelete