Mexico's War of Independence
On September 16, 1810, Father Miguel Hidalgo y Cordillo, a Catholic priest, rang the bell of his little church in the early hours of the morning, summoning his parishioners to mass before calling on them to fight for their country's independence. Later that day, he led an army of revolutionaries to fight against the Spanish at Guanajuato – the first battle in a ten-year struggle for independence.

In 1811, Hidalgo was captured by the Spanish and after facing trial and being found guilty of treason was executed by firing squad. His head was displayed in Guanajuato as a warning to rebels.

This photo shows 'Angel de la Independencia' (Angel of Independence) in Mexico City. The monument, which was built to commemorate the centenary of the beginning of the war, was later made into a mausoleum for the most important heroes of that war – Hidalgo's body is interred there.