Miguel Hidalgo was a Mexican priest considered the father of Mexican independence. In 1810, he issued the Grito de Dolores, calling for the end of Spanish rule in Mexico. This sparked the Mexican War of Independence. Hidalgo assembled an army of 40,000 people but was eventually defeated by royalist forces in 1811. He was captured, excommunicated from the church, and executed by firing squad for treason against the Spanish crown. Hidalgo played a pivotal role in starting the Mexican fight for independence from Spain.