Simplify the following text for a Grade 7 native English-speaking person.
Original: The Mexican War of Independence ( 1810 -- 1821 ) was an armed conflict between the people of Mexico and the Spanish colonial authorities which started on 16 September 1810 .
Simplified: The Mexican War of Independence ( 1810 -- 1821 ) was a war between the people of Mexico and the Spanish colonial government . It started on 16 September 1810 .