Sonnet

1821 · ABC_48761 — Mexico 1821. Ca. 21.5 x 15.5 cm. The text is set within a decorative woodcut border together with a woodcut illustration of the Virgin of Guadalupe. 1 leaf. Beautifully printed broadside sonnet thanking the Virgin of Guadalupe for Mexico's victory over Spain after the Mexican War of Independence 1810-1821. Because the Virgin's image was used from the very start of the war she became a central symbol in Mexico's fight for independence. The present broadside reflects her significance. Broadsides like this were publicly distributed and quickly discarded thus making surviving examples quite scarce. Only a few copies have been recorded in libraries exclusively in the United States.The Mexican War of Independence was a series of local and regional armed struggles that resulted in Mexico's independence from the Spanish Empire. Spain's grip on its overseas possessions began to falter when Napoleon Bonaparte 1769-1821 invaded Spain in 1808 and forced King Charles IV 1748-1819 to abdicate. The instability of the colonial government allowed resentment towards the old regime to grow in Mexico. The first to issue a call to arms to denounce the bad government was Miguel Hidalgo y Castillo 1753-1811 a Catholic priest who led the first uprising of the war. He used the image of the Virgin of Guadalupe on his banner and most likely mentioned her name in his famous battle cry the grito de Dolores of which the exact words are unknown. Although his uprising did not last long due to tactical errors on his side the image of the Virgin stuck and she became the symbol for Mexico's rebellion.The Virgin of Guadalupe also known as the vírgen morena dark virgin already had a following in Mexico before the war. According to the tradition she appeared four times to Juan Diego a Chichimec peasant in December 1531. She asked him to build a church in her honour on the Hill of Tepeyac the place where she appeared. The bishop demanded proof when Diego relayed the message to him so the Virgin gave him roses which do not grow in December and placed them in Diego's cloak. When Diego unfolded his cloak for the bishop the roses were miraculously arranged in a perfect image of the Virgin of Guadalupe. The chapel was built and the Virgin was revered throughout the country. She became especially popular during and after the war however. The present broadside acknowledges the Virgin’s role in the independence movement illustrating her impact on Mexico's national identity and revolutionary spirit.In very good condition.l WorldCat 818219426 62559914 9 copies. unknown