"La conquista la hicieron los indios y la independencia los españoles" ("The Indians did the conquest and the Spaniards the independence") is a popular idiom of the modern Spanish-speaking world, of discussed authorship, about the history of Hispanic America. Its meaning reflects how the Spanish conquest of America was largely carried out by Indian auxiliaries at the service of the Spanish Empire, rather than by Spaniards themselves. On the other hand, in the Spanish American wars of independence, the "patriota" or rebel side was mainly driven and composed by Criollo people, Spaniards born in America, often at the expense of the native or mestizo populations.
History.
The idea expressed is not modern, and was acknowledged since the conquest's own times, in the 16th century. Jesuit and writer José de Acosta codified it in 1590 in his work "Historia natural y moral de las Indias":
In 1963, Cristóbal L. Mendoza, grandson of the first Venezuelan president Cristóbal Mendoza, mentions the quote «la conquista la hicieron los indios y la independencia los españoles» as belonging to Mexican writer Carlos Pereyra (1871–1942). For historians José Luis Martínez and Jaime Montell, it is a quote of Mexican historian Arturo Arnaiz y Freg (1915–1980). Esteban Mira Caballos gives it to Mexican historian José Vasconcelos (1882–1959), although he believes its popularization came from Pereyra. Marcelo Gullo also attributes it to Vasconcelos.