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Secondary sourceSpeech16 September 1810

Grito de Dolores

Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla · 16 September 1810

Hidalgo's dawn call to arms on 16 September 1810 at the Dolores parish church, which began the Mexican War of Independence.

This is Hidalgo's own call to arms, the speech that began the war he led.

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Black and white photograph of a large old bronze bell mounted in a wooden and iron frame, with metal rods and a crossbeam above it, set against a stone wall with arches visible in the background.
Bell of Dolores, rung by Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla during the Grito de Dolores, 1810.

About this source

What it is

The Cry of Dolores was the speech given by the priest Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla before dawn on 16 September 1810, outside his parish church in the town of Dolores. He had the church bell rung to gather the townspeople, then urged them to rise up. The exact wording was never recorded and survives only in differing accounts by participants and later historians.

Why it matters

This speech is remembered as the spark that triggered the Mexican War of Independence from Spain. It shows Hidalgo acting not just as a priest but as a political and military leader, calling on people to fight against colonial rule while still invoking religious loyalty. Mexico's president re-enacts the cry every year, showing how central this moment became to national memory.

Look closer

  • Why might the exact words of such a famous speech be uncertain?
  • What does it mean that different accounts disagree on what was said?
  • Why would Hidalgo combine religious language with a call to fight the government?

This speech is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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Photograph of a scanned, aged Spanish colonial edict headed 'Nos los Inquisidores Apostolicos' in dense printed and handwritten text, with a seal at lower left, signatures at bottom, and an AGN archive stamp at lower right.Document

Primary source

Edicto contra Hidalgo

Apostolic Inquisitors of New Spain · 1810

Black handwritten signature on white background reading 'Mig. Hidalgo', with 'Generalísimo de America' written below in cursive, followed by a flourish.Document

Primary source

Signature of Miguel Hidalgo Y Costilla

Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla

Front facade of the Alhóndiga de Granaditas, a large stone building with rows of small barred windows, its weathered pinkish-beige walls and a wide stone staircase in the foreground. Two people walk on the plaza, and a third stands at right.Artifact

Secondary source

Alhóndiga de Granaditas

1798-1809 (built); 1810 (battle)

A dim stone-walled cell with a wooden chair with woven seat, a small table holding stacked papers, an open book, a quill pen in an inkstand, a bread roll on a metal plate, and a candle holder. A cot with striped blanket sits behind, and a glass barrier runs across the front.Artifact

Secondary source

Calabozo de Hidalgo, Chihuahua

18th century

Hand-colored lithograph of a standing man in a black cape, wide-brimmed hat with red and green plumes, red sash, blue trousers and tall boots, holding a cross raised in one hand and a walking staff in the other, with a sabre at his side.Painting

Secondary source

Miguel Hidalgo (2) by Claudio Linati 1828

Claudio Linati · 1828

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