At 11 o’clock on the night of September 15 in Mexico City, the president appears on the balcony of the National Palace and proclaims the famous Grito de Dolores (“cry of Dolores”)—the “call to freedom” that the priest Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla used to rouse the peasant population to fight for their independence in 1810. The people respond by cheering Viva México! and shooting off fireworks. The following day is Independence Day, which is celebrated with fireworks, the ringing of cathedral bells, and a huge military parade. Discuss