Senate Resolution No. 2941

BY: Senator PERALTA

COMMEMORATING the 207th Anniversary of the Mexican
Declaration of Independence from Spain on September
16, 2017

WHEREAS, Highly developed cultures, including the Olmecs, Mayans,
Toltecs, and Aztecs, existed long before the Spanish conquest of Mexico
by Hernan Cortes in 1521; and

WHEREAS, Father Miguel Hidalgo declared the Mexican independence
from Spain September 16th, 1810, in the city of Dolores, in the central
state of Guanajuato; and

WHEREAS, Father Hidalgo's famous proclamation, "End to bad
government!", popularly known as the "Grito de Dolores" (the cry of
Dolores), was the beginning of a decade-long war of independence; and

WHEREAS, On December 6, 1810, Hidalgo decreed the abolishment of
slavery in the city of Guadalajara, for the first time in the Americas;
and

WHEREAS, In 1811, Hidalgo and his followers were captured and
executed in the state of Chihuahua; Hidalgo's leadership was then
assumed by Father Jose Maria Morelos; and

WHEREAS, In 1813, the Congress of Chilpancingo, convened by Morelos,
signed the "Solemn Act of the Declaration of Independence of Northern
America"; Father Morelos was subsequently captured and executed by the
Spanish Crown; and

WHEREAS, In 1820, with the insurgency about to collapse, Spain sent
an army led by General Agustin de Iturbide, who instead of quenching the
revolts, joined its forces; and

WHEREAS, In 1821, the formerly Spanish General Agustin de Iturbide
and representatives of the Spanish Crown, signed the Treaty of Cordoba,
recognizing Mexican Independence from Spain; and

WHEREAS, After a short period of a monarchic government, in 1824, a
republican constitution was drafted and Mexico would then be led by its
first President, Guadalupe Victoria; and

WHEREAS, Mexico's war for independence was one of the longest in all
of the Americas; and

WHEREAS, Many Mexicans have made New York their home, and this
Legislative Body is justly proud to thank the Mexican people for their
contributions to this great Empire State; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
commemorate the 207th Anniversary of the Mexican Declaration of
Independence from Spain on September 16, 2017; and be it further

RESOLVED, That copies of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to Diego Gomez Pickering, Consul General of Mexico in New
York, and the various Mexican civic organizations in the State of New
York.