The Grito de Dolores, a call for independence, was led by which priest?

• A. Miguel Hidalgo
• B. Jose Maria Morelos
• C. Agustin Iturbide
• D. Fray Damian Massanet

Answer: (A)

The main idea being tested is recognizing who sparked the Mexican War of Independence by issuing the Grito de Dolores. Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, a Catholic priest in the town of Dolores, rang the church bell and called for rebellion against Spanish rule on September 16, 1810. This act galvanized many Mexicans—peasants and townspeople alike—and is considered the starting point of the independence movement, turning reform talk into armed resistance.

The other figures mentioned did not initiate the Grito. Jose Maria Morelos led the insurgency after Hidalgo’s capture and continued the fight, Agustin Iturbide later helped secure independence but through a different path, and Fray Damian Massanet was a missionary involved in early Texas missions, not Mexican independence.