The Conspiracy of the Machetes: A Prelude to Revolution

In the waning years of the 18th century, a quiet yet audacious plot was brewing beneath the bustling streets of New Spain. It was the year 1799, and the colonial landscape was dominated by the Spanish, who ruled with an iron fist. However, a small band of restless souls, led by Pedro de la Portilla, dared to dream of independence. This clandestine gathering, though ultimately unsuccessful, would ignite the first sparks of what would later become the Mexican War of Independence.

The Gathering of the Discontented

Pedro de la Portilla, a Criollo employee working in the New Spain tax collectors' office in the Plazuela de Santa Catarina, found himself at odds with the established order. The Criollos, those of European descent born in the Americas, were growing increasingly resentful of the Peninsulares, Europeans born in Spain, who held the reins of power. In an attempt to challenge this dynamic, Portilla convened a meeting at a modest house located at Alley of the Gachupines No. 7 in Mexico City. The date was 1799, and those gathered were mostly young men with little power or influence, friends and relatives of Portilla himself.

Among the attendees were city guards and low-ranking officials from the clock-making and silver industries. Each shared a common bond of disenchantment with the Spanish-born elite. With a shared purpose, they discussed their plight and resolved to take up arms against the Peninsulares, a derogatory term they had come to use for their oppressors.

A Plan Hatched in Secret

The conspirators’ ambitions were nothing short of revolutionary. They envisioned liberating prisoners and storming the viceroy's palace. Their goal was to seize high-ranking officials and the treasury, subsequently declaring Mexico's independence and waging war against Spain. In their audacious plan, they sought to eliminate or expel all Peninsulares from the land.

The resources at their disposal were meager: a mere 1,000 pesos of silver, two pistols, and a collection of around 50 cutlasses and machetes. Despite this, they were determined to incite a popular uprising under the auspices of the revered Virgin of Guadalupe. This modest arsenal gave rise to the name by which their endeavor became known—The Conspiracy of the Machetes.

The ultimate aspiration of the plotters was to establish a new form of governance inspired by the burgeoning United States Congress. They sought to lay the foundations of a democratic society, but first, they needed to rid their homeland of foreign rule.

Betrayal and Arrest

As the conspiracy took shape, tensions mounted. At a subsequent meeting, Isidoro Francisco de Aguirre, a cousin of Portilla, became unnerved by the dangerous path they were treading. With a heavy heart, he went to the authorities on November 10, 1799, betraying the trust of his fellow conspirators.

Viceroy Miguel José de Azanza acted swiftly. He ordered the arrest of the conspirators, instructing his forces to keep the motivations of the conspiracy under wraps to avoid stirring unrest among the populace. The authorities apprehended all involved, and what followed was a drawn-out trial that never reached a definitive verdict. Many of the conspirators languished in prison for years, and some met their end behind bars. Yet, Pedro de la Portilla survived to witness the dawn of Mexican independence.

Epilogue

Though the Conspiracy of the Machetes failed to achieve its lofty goals, it remains a significant precursor to the Mexican War of Independence. This early attempt to challenge Spanish rule is remembered as a testament to the Criollos' growing desire for self-determination and freedom.

Sources

To learn more about this intriguing chapter in history, visit the original Wikipedia article.