Execution of Miguel Hidalgo: Who Ordered It?

Father of Mexican Independence

Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, the priest who ignited the Mexican War of Independence with his Grito de Dolores in 1810, met his end on July 30, 1811.

The Execution

Hidalgo was captured by royalist forces, defrocked, and tried for treason. He was executed by firing squad in Chihuahua, Mexico.

Who Gave the Order?

The execution was ordered by Royalist General Félix María Calleja del Rey, the Spanish military commander who viewed Hidalgo as a grave threat to colonial rule. Calleja later became Viceroy of New Spain.

Hidalgo's martyrdom galvanized the independence movement, which ultimately succeeded in 1821.