During the Age of Enlightenment of the 1700s, political philosophers in Europe and the United States began to claim people should have the right to choose their own type of government. With the invasion of Spain by Napoleon, the political space was created in Latin America to implement these new ideas. The result was a wave of independence movements across the Americas.

Review the images and descriptions in this Media Gallery on the transformation from colony to independent nation in Mexico. Pay attention to how these images reflect different features of the Mexican Independence struggle. Be sure to read the background essay and complete the worksheet in the Support Materials.