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Battle of Calderón Bridge
Part of theMexican War of Independence
Plan of the Battle of Calderón Bridge NOTE: The south is at the top, indicated by the arrow
Date 17 January 1811 Location Calderón Bridge,Zapotlanejo,Jalisco,Mexico 20°37′22″N103°04′08″W / 20.62278°N 103.06889°W /20.62278; -103.06889 Result Spanish victory Insurgent army is diminished and flees north Ignacio Allende assumes control of the remaining forces End of the first phase of the Mexican War of Independence
Belligerents
Mexican Insurgents	Kingdom of Spain Viceroyalty of New Spain
Commanders and leaders
Miguel Hidalgo (POW)  Ignacio Allende Juan Aldama Mariano Abasolo Jose Antonio Torres	Félix María Calleja del Rey, 1st Count of Calderón Manuel de Flon † Jose de la Cruz
Strength
90,000[1] – 100,000[2]irregulars (20,000 light cavalry) (3,000 armed with muskets) (60,000 armed with primitive weapons) 95 cannons[3]	5,000[4][5] – 8,000[6]regulars 10 cannons[7]
Casualties and losses
13,000[8]	1,000[9]
class=notpageimage| Location within Jalisco Show map of Jalisco Battle of Calderón Bridge (Mexico) Show map of Mexico

TheBattle of Calderón Bridge (Spanish:Batalla del Puente de Calderón) was a decisive battle in theMexican War of Independence. It was fought in January 1811 on the banks of theCalderón River 60 km (37 mi) east ofGuadalajara in present-dayZapotlanejo,Jalisco.

Almost 100,000 Mexican revolutionaries contributed to the attack, commanded byMiguel Hidalgo,Ignacio Allende,Juan Aldama andMariano Abasolo. The Royalist forces ofNew Spain, made up of between 5,000 and 8,000 professional soldiers fighting for the King of Spain, were led byFélix María Calleja del Rey, a Spanish military officer and (later)viceroy of New Spain. He was also later given the title ofconde de Calderón for the Spanish victory.^[10]

The battle owes its name to the adjoining bridge, and the combattants' objective. The Battle of Calderón Bridge was the last militant episode of the first stage of the War of Independence.

Following Hidalgo's failed attempt to takeMexico City in October 1810, insurgent troops retreated towardGuanajuato, pursued by Royalist forces led by GeneralFélix María Calleja. Unable to defend positions atAculco, where Calleja's army intercepted the insurgents, Hidalgo decided to continue his army's retreat towardsGuadalajara.^[11]

The insurgent army, numbering approximately 100,000,^[12] took up a defensive position at the Bridge of Calderón, where the road from Guanajuato to Guadalajara crossed theCalderón River. Ignacio Allende commanded the troops at this position.

Among the insurgent forces were 20,000 light cavalry, 3,000 armed with muskets, 60,000 armed with spears, slings, and arrows. Calleja's forces, which numbered between 5,000 and 8,000 but were better equipped than the insurgent forces, arrived at the Bridge on 16 January.

As the battle ensued, Royalist artillery struck an insurgent ammunitions wagon, which caused it to explode. The explosion dispersed much of the insurgent force, giving victory to the much smaller but better disciplined and equipped Royalist forces. Insurgent forces fled northwards after losing the battle with Royalist troops following them.

The insurgents' defeat in this battle effectively was a turning point in the War of Independence and resulted in a ten-year delay before insurgent victory and independence could be achieved.

The battle marked the end of the first stage of the war and was noted for the fact that the insurgents fought with more passion than strategy. The insurgent forces were devastated and the events that followed would lead up to the capture and ultimately the executions of Hidalgo, Allende, Aldama and Jiménez.

The insurgents fled north where, inPabellón de Hidalgo, Hidalgo was divested of his military command in favour of Allende.^[13] In March they received an invitation by theNew Leonese generalIgnacio Elizondo to meet at the Wells of Baján (Norias de Baján) inCoahuila, hoping they would be able to buy weapons in theUnited States. The first contingent arrived on 21 March with Allende, Aldama, Jiménez and Indalecio, son of Allende. They were welcomed and ambushed, and immediately taken prisoner. When the second contingent arrived with Abasolo, they were also captured and taken prisoner. Hidalgo ultimately arrived on horse and was personally apprehended by Elizondo.

The prisoners were taken toChihuahua where they were tried. Allende, Aldama and Jiménez were shot on 26 June, Hidalgo on 30 July and Abasolo was sentenced to life in prison inCádiz, Spain, where he died in 1816.

Calderón Bridge was declared a Mexican historical monument in 1932.

• Velázquez, Rogelio (2000).Historia de México (in Spanish).Mexico City: Editorial Castillo.ISBN 970-20-0019-X.
• Nieto López, José de Jesús (1998).Historia 3 (in Spanish).Mexico City: Editorial Castillo.ISBN 970-642-214-5.
• Fuentes Mares, José (1984).Historia Ilustrada de México (in Spanish).Mexico City: Editorial Océano.ISBN 968-491-045-2.
• Zárate, Julio (1889).Mécico a Través de Los Siglos (in Spanish).Mexico City: Editorial Cumbre.
• Villalpando, José Manuel (2002).Miguel Hidalgo (in Spanish).Mexico City: Editorial Planeta D'Agostini.ISBN 970-726-050-5.
• Hernández, Maite (2003).Miguel Hidalgo (in Spanish).Madrid: Editorial Dastin.ISBN 978-84-492-0327-5.
• Meyer, Jean (1996).Hidalgo (in Spanish).Mexico: Editorial Clío.
• Young, Philip (1850).History of Mexico, Her Civil Wars, and Colonial and Revolutionary Annals. J.A. & U.P. James.
• Bancroft, Hubert Hugh.History of Mexico, Vol. 4.

• (in Spanish) –Official site of theBatalla del Puente de Calderón
• (in Spanish) –Inep.org: La Batalla del Puente de Calderón –(registration required)
• (in Spanish) –Redescolar.ilce.edu.mx: En Red Escolar
• (in Spanish) –Monografias.com: En Monografías

• Battles of the Mexican War of Independence
• Conflicts in 1811
• 1811 in New Spain
• Battles involving Mexico
• Battles involving Spain
• History of Jalisco
• January 1811

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