Father Miguel Hidalgo kicked off Mexico's war for independence from Spain on September 16, 1810, when he issued his famous "Cry of Dolores" in which he exhorted Mexicans to rise up and throw off Spanish tyranny. For almost a year, Hidalgo led the independence movement, battling Spanish forces in and around Central Mexico. He was captured and executed in 1811, but others picked up the struggle and Hidalgo is today considered the father of the country.