Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla

Hello. My name is Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, and I want to tell you my story. I was a priest, which is a helper at a church. I lived in a small town called Dolores in my country, Mexico. I loved all the people in my town very much. It made me happy to teach them how to do new things. I taught them how to grow yummy food like corn and beans. I also showed them how to make pretty pottery and pots from clay. We all worked together and helped one another.

I saw that many people in my country were sad. They were sad because rulers from a country far away called Spain were not being fair to them. I believed that the people of Mexico should be in charge of their own country and make their own rules. I had a very big and brave idea. On the morning of September 16th, 1810, I went to my church and rang the big bell. The sound of the bell called everyone in my town to come together. I had something very important to tell them.

My special speech was called the 'Grito de Dolores,' which means the 'Cry of Dolores.' It was a call for everyone to be brave and help make Mexico free. That speech helped start a very important journey for my country. I lived to be 58 years old. Today, people in Mexico remember me. Every year on that same day, they have big parties and parades. They shout, '¡Viva México!'. People call me the 'Father of the Nation' because I helped my country start its path to freedom. It makes me happy to know that everyone still celebrates being brave together.