Answer :
Insurgents are people that join together to rebel from the current authority in order to defend a more just society, normally by violent acts. Insurgencies can be also known as rebellions, uprisings or revolts. There have been insurgencies along the history of humanity in most of the countries.
Nevertheless, in Mexico the name "insurgents" is the one that refers directly to the people that were part of the army that fought for Mexican independence (which is why one of the most important streets and one of the Metro Stations in Mexico City has the name "Insurgentes" [insurgents]). This is why the correct answer must be linked with Mexico.
Some of the social aspects that insurgents had were:
- La Nueva España" as people used to refer to the now Mexico, had different kinds of people, each with different rights: the ones that were from "La Nueva España" ("natives"), the ones that both parents from Spain and "La Nueva España" ("mestizos"), the ones that were born in "La Nueva España" but had Spanish origins ("criollos"), and the ones that were born in Spain ("Spanish").
- Spanish people were the ones with more rights and privileges in "La Nueva España", for example they were the only ones that could have a politic charge, they payed less taxes, and they had more opportunities to do what they wanted. Not even the "criollos" had so much privilege as Spanish themselves, but they had more than the "mestizos". Native people were the ones with less rights. Most of the insurgents were people that wanted to stop this differential treatment.
- Also, an agricultural crisis that had been there for years but that intensified in the beginning of the Century (1800s) led to hunger and unemployment mostly for the lower clases (native, "mestizos" and "criollos"). To the insurgents army joined some of the discontent people about this crisis.
Some of the cultural aspects that insurgents had were:
- Before the insurgency, "La Nueva España" had viceroys who obeyed directly the authority of Spain's Crown.
- But, Napoleón Bonaparte invaded Spain in 1808 and named his brother Joseph the new King. Spain along with Portugal and with the help of Britain fought for its autonomy for over six years.
- Some people in "La Nueva España" reacted to this, claiming that the legitimate king was Ferdinand VII of Spain and not the French one (which was known as "the intruder").
- But, also the idea of independence from Spain was on the table. Some groups started to gather to think about the ways to achieve it, but the army tried to stopped this by arresting them.
- Until Querétaro conspirators went ahead of their own capture (as they knew the army was going to come for them) and started the insurgency before was planned in 1810.
- They attracted people that wanted independence and also people that wanted to restore Spain's Monarchy from the French one. But all of them were fighting for a more just society in "La Nueva España".