HispanicBusiness

One hundred ninety nine years ago today, a Mexican cleric made a call to arms, urging residents of the land to fight for independence from Spain.

Near the midnight hour on Sept. 15, 1810, Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, a Roman Catholic priest, punctuated his appeal before throngs of parishioners in the small town of Dolores, near Guanajuato, with a tolling of the church bells. The legendary event, known as Grito de Dolores ("Cry from Dolores"), touched off a long revolutionary war.

It would take a decade of brutal war for the Spaniards to finally capitulate.

Victory did not come easily. The war claimed the lives of 15,000 Mexicans
-- nearly twice the amount of casaulties suffered by the Spaniards. The rebel movement faltered and nearly came undone in 1820, just a year before the Spanish crown recognized Mexico's independence. And Hidalgo himself was captured, tried by the Spanish Inquisition and killed by firing squad. To send a message to the other revolutionaries, the Spanish Army mutilated his body and displayed his head in a town square.

Events remembering Grito de Dolores are being held in several U.S. cities, such as Atlanta and Los Angeles.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton issued a statement today commemorating the struggle, which she likened to America's fight for independence from British rule.

"Our two nations share a rich and interwoven history and a future that depends on our strong partnership," she said. "On this festive occasion, I want to reaffirm the commitment of the United States to strengthen that partnership and work together with Mexico to enhance the security and prosperity of all our people. ¡Viva Mexico!"