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Secondary sourceSculpture9 February 2014 (photograph)

Statue of Miguel Hidalgo, main square, Matamoros

YukioSanjo · 9 February 2014 (photograph)

A golden statue of Miguel Hidalgo raising his arm, standing on a tall pedestal in the main square of Matamoros.

A public memorial statue of Hidalgo, showing how his image is used to represent leadership and the independence movement.

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A golden statue of a man in a long coat raising one arm and holding a hat in the other hand, standing on a tall stone pedestal in a park with trees and benches. Plaques on the pedestal read about Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla.
Statue of Miguel Hidalgo, main square, Matamoros. Photo by YukioSanjo, 2014.

About this source

What it is

This photograph shows a golden statue of a man in a long coat, raising one arm and holding a hat in the other hand, on a tall stone pedestal in a park in the main square of Matamoros. Plaques on the pedestal describe Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla. The photo was taken in 2014.

Why it matters

Statues like this one are found across Mexico and show how Hidalgo is remembered as a central figure of national independence. The gesture of raising an arm is often used in monuments to suggest a leader calling people to action, echoing his famous role in launching the independence movement.

Look closer

  • What does the raised arm and hat suggest about the moment the sculptor is depicting?
  • Why do public squares across a country often feature statues of the same person?
  • What information on the plaques might help you understand more about Hidalgo's story?

This sculpture 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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Edicto contra Hidalgo

Apostolic Inquisitors of New Spain · 1810

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Signature of Miguel Hidalgo Y Costilla

Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla

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Alhóndiga de Granaditas

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Secondary source

Calabozo de Hidalgo, Chihuahua

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