Just Who Was Allende?

 
How did San Miguel get its name? Usually towns and cities are named after some famous person and San Miguel de Allende, as it turns out, is no exception. The story rivals those told by my good friend, Lisa Saunders (in the Seafarers Trail), who writes of secret plots during the American Revolution, New England's ancient mariners lost at sea and the ghosts of family members left behind. San Miguel de Allende is rich with history and the words "de Allende" (translated "of Allende") got me thinking, just who was Allende? 


Ignacio Allende - Statue in San Miguel

It turns out, as in all good revolutions, there is a traitor. For the Spain, that traitor was Ignacio Allende, who though born in Mexico, enlisted in the Spanish Army to fight against Mexican independence - that was until he began to sympathize with their cause.

Although there was evidence of an underground conspiracy, Allende continued meeting secretly with the Mexican opposition fighters - at first to gain information to relay to the Spanish Army. But as he became more sympathetic to the plight of the Mexican workers, he began plotting against the Spanish loyalists. He was a valued leader and since he was highly skilled, had lots of contacts and was charismatic, no one suspected the had "turned".  
 
It was news of Allende's betrayal, that forced the Mexican War of Independence to start ahead of schedule, with more of a poorly-armed and uncontrolled mob of thugs, than a real army. Marked by the ringing of church bells, on the early morning of September 16, 1810, the 11 year-old war for an independent Mexico began. For it was on that day, that Father Miguel Hidalgo gave his famous sermon "the Cry of Dolores", summoning hundreds of workers from the nearby fields to fight, along side he and Allende, for their freedom.  

Less than a year later, Allende and Hidalgo had been captured, after leading one of the most famous massacres of over 500 Spanish men, women and children in the nearby town of Guanajuato - many of them that burned to death. A disagreement over how to take Mexico City became their undoing - both men were eventually betrayed and captured. Allende became a prisoner of war. He, along with Hidalgo and two others insurgents, were tried for insubordination and executed by firing squad. 


The Angel of Independence

Their bodies were decapitated, their heads placed in a cage and prominently hung on the corner of a building in the center of town - no doubt to discourage others. With Allende and other opposition leaders out of the way, the Spanish were free to conduct the infamous ‘lottery of death, where the names of Guanajuato citizens were drawn at random and the ‘winners’ were tortured and hung.

Most interesting to me, is that the head of Allende hung from the Alhóndiga (a grain storage building turned fortress) for the next 10 years, until Mexico achieved its independence. He was finally laid to rest under the Angel of Independence in Mexico City. Of course this is just a very short version of the much more meaningful story of Mexican Independence - told countless times.

Funny, I now feel like I was such a tourist. I stood in front of the statue of Allende, the last time I was in San Miguel, and didn't think to learn more about his significance to this beautiful and independent city. This time, I will pause a little longer in front of Allende's statue, visit the Alhondiga (now a museum), look up at where Allende's head hung, and think about the thousands of Mexicans that fought for their freedom. When the morning church bells ring (as they do every morning in San Miguel), I will remember Father Hidalgo and wonder what he was feeling on that morning, over 200 years ago?  What was the future he envisioned for his beloved San Miguel?