Key people
Key events
Dates and places
Fun Facts & Symbols
Causes of
Independence
100


Who was the priest who gave the famous Grito de Dolores speech?

Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla

100

In what year did the Mexican War of Independence begin?

1810

100

What date is Mexican Independence Day celebrated?

September 16

100

What colors are on the Mexican flag?

Green, white, and red

100

What foreign event in Europe inspired Mexican independence?

Napoleon’s invasion of Spain

200

Who continued the fight after Hidalgo’s death and led armies in southern Mexico?

José María Morelos

200

What was the name of Hidalgo’s call to arms speech?

El Grito de Dolores

200

In what town did Hidalgo ring the church bell to start the revolt?

Dolores (now Dolores Hidalgo)

200

What does the eagle on the flag hold in its beak?

A snake

200

Which social class wanted more political power and equality with Spaniards?

Creoles

300

What leader wrote the Plan de Iguala and eventually became emperor of Mexico?

Agustín de Iturbide

300

When was Mexico’s independence officially recognized by Spain?

1821

300

Which city became a major revolutionary center in southern Mexico under Morelos?

Chilpancingo

300

What type of banner did Hidalgo carry at the start of the rebellion?

An image of the Virgin of Guadalupe

300

What religion heavily influenced the independence movement?

Catholicism

400


Who was the Spanish viceroy during the early part of the independence movement?

Félix María Calleja

400

What document united Iturbide’s and Guerrero’s forces under three guarantees?

Plan de Iguala

400

What modern country ruled Mexico before independence?

Spain

400

What date marks Mexico’s actual independence from Spain?

September 27, 1821

400

What global movement encouraged ideas of liberty and rights?

The Enlightenment

500

Which woman acted as a messenger and supporter of the revolutionaries in Querétaro?

Josefa Ortiz de Domínguez

500

What battle marked an early major defeat for Hidalgo’s forces?

Battle of Calderón Bridge

500


What treaty officially ended the war in 1821?

Treaty of Córdoba

500

Which holiday is often confused with Independence Day but celebrates a later battle?

Cinco de Mayo

500

What event weakened Spain’s control and allowed revolts to begin?

Napoleon’s takeover and imprisonment of the Spanish king

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