Assignment 5A

The Independence Period refers to an era in the early 19th century when much of Latin America – still dominated by European entities revolted in the name of independence and subsequently became a fractured group of nations throughout Latin America.

The reason I decided to research Miguel Hidalgo is because like most topics I’ve researched in this class – I’m familiar with the term or the name but not familiar with what that name represents. It was because of this that I looked forward to reading about this man.

First thing I thought was interesting about Hidalgo was the fact that he was a party loving priest. Aside from being a fornicator with multiple children, he was a guy who liked to have a good time and enjoyed playing practical jokes. Yes this was hypocritical behavior but some would argue that it is also consistent with church – both then and now.

The second item I found interesting is also hypocritical in that he found no shame in mixing church and state. He used his position within the church to rally his parishioners into revolting against the Spanish establishment. For better or for worse.


The final item worth noting is that Hidalgo was a great academic. Perhaps this enlightened state was what made him feel it was okay to behave outside of what was traditionally accepted behavior of a priest. At the same time it also could have contributed to his ability to ascertain the unjust going on in his community and subsequently rally his parishioners to revolt.

http://www.answers.com/topic/miguel-hidalgo

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miguel_Hidalgo#Uprising