The parish priests of Valladolid de Michoacán before the war of independence, 1810-1821

Abstract

Official historiography has affirmed that a large part of the parish clergy of the New Spain supported the insurgent cause, but more recent studies of a revisionist nature have indicated that this was not the case and that the lower clergy maintained more diverse positions during that process and did not limit themselves to maintaining total loyalty to one of the two opposing sides (insurgents and realists). This research analyzes the positioning taken by the parish priests of the municipality of Valladolid, Michoacán, during the process that began in 1810 and culminated in 1821. This analysis is based on specific cases of parish priests who were involved in this historical process. It can be anticipated that the positions of the parish priests in this process were diverse, from those who agreed with the official position assumed by the Church, to those who supported the insurgency, but without forgetting those who remained on the sidelines of the conflict by fleeing their parishes or those who adopted an ambiguous position by supporting both sides, due to the particular demands of their contexts.