Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla , was a Mexican priest and member of a group of educated Criollos in QuerÃ taro . They met in tertulias ( salons ) , and decided in 1810 that a revolt against the colonial government was needed . Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla , was a Mexican priest and member of a group of educated Criollos in QuerÃ taro who met in tertulias ( salons ) and who in 1810 arrived at the conclusion that a revolt against the colonial government was needed because of the events of the Peninsular War .