The independence of Mexico, contrary to what people think about independence movements, was not accomplished by a group of patriots trying to free a country from an imperial power. The people that freed Mexico from Spain were the criollos (individuals of Spaniards ancentry but born in Mexico) and the mestizo elite. Because in the colonial system only the peninsulares (spainards born in spain) could hold the high positions of power, the criollos felt the need to secure their status, more so with the French invasion to Spain, and the removal of kings Charles and Ferdinand. Because of abdications, the elites in Mexico saw the viceroyalty as lacking credentials to rule over New Spain, which in turn aggravated already boiling discrepancies. For example, two years prior to the Grito de Dolores, there was an attempt at taking the City Council of Mexico and claim sovereignty from Spain, but the movement was poorly receive by others who stopped it. The reasons behind the failure of this early attempt at stark independence was that the elites did not truly wanted to modify the monarchist system but grant equal rights to peninsulares, criollos, and wealthy Mestizos. This is no to say, however, that there were no true sentiments of social discomfort and a sense of justice, for example, Hidalgo did perceived himself as trying to help the indigenous and poor mestizos, but even him did not wanted the end of the monarchy.