We explain what the Iturbide Empire was, how it originated and its political and economic measures. Also, its extension and its end.
The Iturbide Empire was the first independent government of Mexico.
What was the Iturbide Empire?
Iturbide’s empire, also called the First Empire of Mexico, was a monarchical government led by the military leader Agustín de Iturbide, which lasted a few months: between July 21, 1822 and March 19, 1823. Despite its short duration, this government was of great importance in the history of Mexico because it was the first independent and sovereign government of the country.
Agustín de Iturbide was a prominent military man and a central character in Mexican politics during the War of Independence. He first served in the royalist army (in defense of the Spanish monarchy) and then joined the insurgents and favored Mexican independence.
Although he was elected by a Congress, during his short government, Iturbide He gained many enemies due to his misguided economic measures and the dissolution of Congress. His government was overthrown by a rebellion that reinstated Congress, dissolved the empire, and declared Mexico a republic.
History of the Iturbide Empire
The Mexican War of Independence
The Mexican War of Independence was a long political and military process that began in 1810 and ended in September 1821. This conflict originated in the Viceroyalty of New Spainwhich was part of the Spanish colonies in America and made up the current Mexican territory and other regions in the south and north.
When French troops invaded Spain in 1808 and deposed King Ferdinand VII, the Creoles of New Spain refused to recognize French authority, so at first the movements that claimed popular sovereignty did so as an act of loyalty to the legitimate king of Spain. However, throughout the eleven years that the war lasted, the interests of various groups came together and guided the fight towards the objective of declaring Mexico as an independent State.
Following the union of the insurgents (independentists led by Vicente Guerrero) with the conservative groups (former royalists led by Agustín de Iturbide, who decided to support independence because they rejected the liberal Constitution of Cádiz), The Plan of Iguala was proclaimed, which declared the independence of Mexico.
Origin of the Iturbide Empire
The Plan of Iguala, also called the Plan of the Three Guarantees, was proclaimed by Agustín de Iturbide on February 24, 1821, and It contained three principles: the independence of Mexico, the union of all Creoles and Spaniards of New Spain, and the supremacy of the Catholic religion. These three ideas were represented in the colors of the flag: green, red and white.
The Plan of Iguala established Mexico as an independent country and, more specifically, as a constitutional or moderate monarchy that offered the crown to King Ferdinand VII or one of his relatives. However, the Spanish crown did not recognize Mexican independence until 1836.
Iturbide commanded the Trigarante Army to expand the principles of the Plan of Iguala throughout the territory of New Spain. On August 24, 1821, he signed, together with the senior political leader of New Spain, Juan O’Donojú, the Treaties of Córdoba that agreed to the withdrawal of Spanish troops, although the crown later rejected the independence agreement.
The Trigarante Army entered Mexico City on September 27, 1821 The next day, the Act of Independence of the Mexican Empire was signed, drafted by a Provisional Governing Board. A Congress was then formed which elected Iturbide as Emperor of Mexico. On July 21, 1822, he was crowned with the name of Agustín I.
Who was Agustín de Iturbide?
During the war, Iturbide stood out militarily and led the Trigarante Army.
Agustín de Iturbide (1783-1824) was a Mexican military man and politician who served as emperor of Mexico between July 21, 1822 and March 19, 1823At the beginning of the War of Independence, Iturbide fought alongside the royalist forces that were fighting against the insurgents seeking the independence of Mexico.
However, in 1820 the political situation in Spain changed due to the triumph of a liberal revolution that reestablished the Constitution of Cádiz and threatened to harm the interests of the clergy and aristocracy of Mexico. For this reason, in the last years of the war the conservatives (including Iturbide) changed their position and supported the goal of independence.
Mexico’s independence was achieved in 1821 after the following events in which Iturbide was the protagonist:
- The union of the insurgents and the conservatives, which was consummated in the Embrace of Acatempan between Vicente Guerrero and Iturbide.
- The proclamation of the Plan of Iguala, which established the independence of Mexico although it proposed a Spanish king as monarch.
- The Treaties of Córdoba, in which it was agreed, together with the viceregal authority, the withdrawal of Spanish troops.
- The entry of the Trigarante Army commanded by Iturbide into Mexico City.
- The drafting of the Act of Independence of the Mexican Empire by a Provisional Governing Board.
Since during the war Iturbide stood out as a military leader, His disagreements with insurgent sectors and representatives of Congress favored a mutiny of soldiers and other popular sectors took his side and asked that he be named emperor. The majority of the deputies agreed to the demand and Agustín de Iturbide was crowned emperor.
Geographical extent of the Iturbide Empire
The borders of the First Mexican Empire included California, New Mexico, and Texas.
During the Iturbide Empire, Mexico had its greatest geographical extensionThis was because the provinces that had simultaneously declared independence from Spain were annexed, especially those that formed part of the Kingdom of Guatemala, which made up practically all of Central America.
In this way, in addition to Mexico, California, New Mexico and Texas, to the north, and the entire Central American territory to Costa Rica, to the south, were included within the borders of the empire. Its total area reached 4.5 million square kilometers., although its population did not exceed 7 million inhabitants. Although it contained around 30 cities, for the most part the population was rural and was made up of Creoles, Spaniards, indigenous people and mestizos.
The territorial organization was based on a provincial administrative division, and when the Iturbide Empire fell, a good part of the territories to the south and north were separated or became independent throughout various stages that caused a significant reduction in the territory of Mexico.
Economic difficulties of the Iturbide Empire
The demand for forced loans increased social unrest.
After independence, Mexico was going through a severe economic crisis resulting from eleven years of wars and revolts.. Its economic situation included a shortage of resources, debts derived from forced loans, a poorly integrated internal market, Spaniards who had taken their wealth with them, a poor connection between the different territories of the empire and little labor as a result of war casualties. . The economic activities in which Mexico had excelled in colonial times (agriculture and mining) were in crisis.
The Iturbide government tried to carry out measures to counteract this situation and calm social unrest, such as reducing some taxes, but to do so it contracted more debts and resorted to issuing excess paper money which, as a consequence, lost value. Furthermore, to cover military and bureaucratic expenses he continued to demand forced loans that increased the discontent of large sectors of the Mexican population.
The economic policies carried out by Iturbide and the disillusionment after the initial optimism were some of the reasons that widened the opposition that sought to depose the emperor.
Political conflicts in the Iturbide Empire
Agustín de Iturbide was crowned Emperor of the Mexican Empire in July 1822, after being elected by Congress, but a few months later he dissolved this body due to lack of support. In its place he established a National Instituting Board. This allowed him to govern without mediation or parliamentary control, but it earned him a large number of enemies.
To prevent discontent from being expressed, Iturbide eliminated freedom of the press and maintained tight control over publications. Those who continued to express their political opposition were arrested.
Some of Iturbide’s opponents were his enemies from the years of the War of Independence. Among them were Nicolás Bravo, Vicente Guerrero and Guadalupe Victoria, who had been insurgents who fought against the royalist army. The defenders of the Spanish crown demonstrated against Iturbide, who wanted a Bourbon representative to govern, and the Republicans (some of them former insurgents), who wanted to establish a republic in Mexico.
Iturbide too He made enemies among those who had been his comrades in armslike Antonio López de Santa Anna, dissatisfied with Iturbide’s failed economic decisions and his policy against political participation and parliamentary functioning.
Plan of Casa Mata and end of the Iturbide Empire
The Iturbide Empire was overthrown by a rebellion that led to his abdication.
Since the beginning of the Iturbide government There were revolts and conspiracies determined to overthrow the emperor. Many of these movements aimed to establish a republic in Mexico and reestablish Congress.
On December 2, 1822, the Mexican politician and military man Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna spoke out against Iturbide in Veracruz and in favor of the proclamation of the republic. The emperor sent his military forces and began a period of confrontations that culminated when the generals of his own troops, influenced by Masonic lodges, joined the Casa Mata Plan proclaimed by Santa Anna on February 1, 1823.
This document established that Congress should be restored and laid the foundations for the project of a Mexican State that would cease to be a monarchy and become a republic.
Iturbide reestablished Congress and on March 19, 1823 he abdicated. He then went into exile along with his family, first to Italy and then to England. Meanwhile, the Central American territories became independent from Mexico. In 1824, a General Constituent Congress drafted the Federal Constitution of the United Mexican States, which officially replaced the monarchy with a representative and federal republic.
In April 1824 Iturbide He was declared a traitor and enemy…