Battle of Monte de las Cruces
Sierra de las Cruces, Ocoyoacac, State of Mexico, Mexico
What happened
The independence army of Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla and Ignacio Allende fought Spanish royalist troops under Lieutenant Colonel Torcuato Trujillo. After the priest Miguel Hidalgo called on Mexicans to rise up against Spanish rule, his huge but poorly trained army marched toward Mexico City. In the mountains between Toluca and Mexico City, a royalist force blocked the way. The insurgents attacked three times and finally won, opening the road to the capital.
Why it matters
Why it matters: It was one of the key early battles of the Mexican War of Independence. But Hidalgo then turned back instead of attacking Mexico City, a decision historians still debate.
What came next
Hidalgo's army advanced as far as Cuajimalpa, then marched away toward Guadalajara. The royalists were weakened but not destroyed.
Did you know?
The battlefield is now part of a national park named after Miguel Hidalgo, with bronze statues of Hidalgo, Allende and Mariano Jiménez on horseback, facing Mexico City.
Timeline
- 1810Hidalgo calls for revolt, starting the War of Independence.
- 30 October 1810The insurgents win at Monte de las Cruces.
- After 30 October 1810Hidalgo reaches Cuajimalpa, then turns back toward Guadalajara.