Mexico Celebrates its Centennial and Bicentennial

Written By: Allan Wall  |  Posted: Monday, September 27th, 2010

This year, 2010, Mexico is celebrating both its bicentennial and its centennial. This may seem rather puzzling to those unfamiliar with Mexico's complex history. What is being celebrated? How can 2010 be both a centennial and a bicentennial? In Mexican history, the Independence struggle and the Revolution are two separate historical periods, separated by about a hundred years. So this year, the country celebrates the bicentennial of the former and the centennial of the latter. The Mexican Revolution began 100 years ago, on November 20th, 1910. Simultaneously the country is celebrating 200 years of independence. Well, sort of. Actually Mexico did not become independent until 1821. But the independence movement began in September of 1810. Well, sort of. Actually what began in 1810 was not at first an independence movement, but it became an independence movement later. The movement began as an uprising against the Spaniards.

Well, sort of. Actually, in 1810, Spain itself was not independent, as it had been conquered two years earlier by Napoleon, who put his brother on the throne. That left the Spanish Empire in a power vacuum, which began to be filled by movements in the colonies to take control. This set in motion the eventual loss of all Spain's mainland colonies in North and South America, by 1829. That also explains why Mexico is not the only Latin American country celebrating its independence in these years. In 2010, Colombia, Venezuela, Chile and Argentina also celebrate bicentennials.

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