TRIGARANTE ARMY: BACKGROUND, DEVELOPMENT - HISTORY - 2025

The Trigarante Army, also known as the Army of the Three Guarantees, was a Mexican military body that participated in the War of Independence against Spanish troops. The Army was formed by a decree promulgated on February 24, 1821, within the so-called Plan of Iguala.

The independence movement in Mexico had started a few years earlier, but some events in Spain accelerated events. The Riego uprising in Andalusia and the expansion of his liberal ideas, caused concern in the American country.

The Trigarante Army, by the painter Ramón Sagredo

The promoters of this military force were Agustín de Iturbide, Vicente Guerrero and Pedro Ascencio. The first had been an officer of the Spanish army in charge, precisely, of putting an end to the revolts. The other two were insurgent leaders seeking the country's independence.

The original components were soon joined by other important independence leaders, such as Antonio López de Santa Anna and Guadalupe Victoria. The original plan was to tour the country trying to expand support for the Iguala Plan.

From the moment of its creation, the Trigarante also faced the Spanish royalists on several occasions. Finally, on September 27, 1821, with Iturbide at the head, the independentistas entered the capital after having signed the Treaties of Córdoba.

Background

Traditionally, the Grito de Dolores, an act carried out by Miguel Hidalgo on September 16, 1810, is considered as the beginning of the Mexican War of Independence.

From that moment until 1821, the country lived in continuous confrontations between troops loyal to the Spanish and supporters of independence.

After Hidalgo, the next leader of the rebels was José María Morelos. After his execution, the conflict turned into a kind of guerilla warfare scattered throughout part of the territory.

Thus, in Veracruz were the men led by Guadalupe Victoria, while Vicente Guerrero fought in the Sierra Madre del Sur.

The rulers of the Viceroyalty of New Spain were also experiencing a time of change. Félix María Calleja, Viceroy at that time, left his post to Juan Ruiz de Apodaca, Captain General of Cuba, in September 1816.

This, in the face of the strict policy of his predecessor, offered the insurgent leaders a pardon if they laid down their arms. Many of them, like Nicolás Bravo, accepted it.

Others, like Guerrero and Victoria themselves, continued with the fight. Despite this, until the end of 1819 the situation in Mexico was relatively calm.

Irrigation Survey in Spain

The event that changed that tranquility did not take place in Mexico, but in Spain. On January 1, 1820, Rafael de Riego rose up against King Fernando VII.

This had tried to finish off the Liberals, but the uprising forced him to swear in the Cadiz Constitution of 1812, markedly liberal.

The repercussions in New Spain were immediate. On May 26, José Dávila, mayor of Veracruz, swore in the same Constitution. The Viceroy did the same days later. The reaction of the most conservative sectors of the viceroyalty was to organize several riots and protests.

Supporters of the absolutist regime not only staged these protests. Fearful that the privileges of the clergy and the army would disappear, they began to conspire to change the situation and make the viceroyalty not fall under the laws of the liberal Constitution.

After proposing several possible strategies, the conservatives decided to install a monarchy in an independent Mexico, whose throne would be occupied by an infant of Spain.

To achieve that goal, they commissioned Agustín de Iturbide to command a military force. His first mission was to finish off the troops of Vicente Guerrero, who was still fighting in the south.

The Embrace of Acatempan

There is much controversy among historians about Iturbide's role in subsequent events. It is known that he corresponded with Guerrero before attempting to confront him on the battlefield, but there is no consensus on the content of the letters.

Some experts point out that he offered the insurgent a pardon, in addition to certain privileges, in exchange for his surrender. Others say that, from very early on, he had planned the step he would take later. The truth is that, after some defeats by Iturbide's troops, both leaders agreed to meet in Acatempan.

Although there is no agreement among scholars about what happened at that meeting, the most popular account indicates that the two spoke to bring positions closer together. After that, Iturbide and Guerrero sealed an alliance by embracing, a moment known as the Abrazo de Acatempan,

Iguala Plan

That hug marked a turning point in the struggle for independence. The alliance between the two sides greatly strengthened the cause and gave it guarantees of success.

Iturbide was the one who took the initiative proclaiming the Plan of Iguala. In this, he pointed to independence as the ultimate objective of the rebellion, in addition to establishing three fundamental guarantees: the factions into which the Mexicans had divided should unite; they were going to fight for independence; the Catholic religion would be the official one in the new country.

To put these plans into practice, the Plan established the creation of a military body. Thus, the Trigarante Army or of the Three Guarantees was born. His first function, in addition to having to face the Spanish, was to expand the Plan of Iguala throughout New Spain.

Who formed it?

At first, the Trigarante Army was nourished by the men of Iturbide and those of Guerrero. The first provided some troops from the Southern Command, while the second was in charge of the guerrillas who had been fighting for some time. They were joined from the beginning by Pedro Ascencio, another of the insurgent leaders.

In a short time the Trigarante forces were growing in number. Many soldiers deserted the army of the Viceroyalty, reinforcing Iturbide's troops. In addition, other independence leaders, such as Santa Anna or Guadalupe Victoria, also contributed their troops.

Its growth during the struggle for independence was enormous. When he finally entered Mexico City, they did so with 16,134 men, apart from those found in other parts of the country.

Agustín de Iturbide

He was the driving force behind the Trigarante Army and commanded it during the rest of the war. This Spanish officer had previously fought against the independentistas and his role, even since the time of Hidalgo and Morelos, has generated different interpretations among historians.

After the signing of the Treaties of Córdoba, Iturbide proclaimed himself Emperor of Independent Mexico, although his reign did not last long. His old allies in the Trigarante ended up causing his abdication and exile.

He died after returning to Mexico and was captured by government troops. He was shot on July 19, 1824.

Vicente Guerrero

He joined the independence cause in 1810 and his value as a military man made him rise to one of the leading positions among the insurgents.

After the death of Morelos, Guerrero was one of the leaders who did not want to avail himself of the amnesty offered by Viceroy Apodaca. Instead, he continued fighting in the south of the country until he reached an agreement with Agustín de Iturbide, embodied in the Plan of Iguala.

Once independence was declared, Guerrero recognized his ally as Emperor. However, when it dissolved in Congress, Guerrero again took up arms to try to overthrow him.

Among the positions he held are having been a member of the Supreme Executive Power (1823-1824), Minister of War and Navy (1828) and, finally, President of Mexico from April 1 to December 17, 1829.

Guadalupe Victoria

His real name was José Fernández Félix, but he decided to change it to Guadalupe Victoria. He was one of the main allies of Morelos and, later, of Nicolás Bravos, standing out in several important battles against the Spanish.

Victoria rejected the pardon offered by Apodaca and began a guerrilla war in Veracruz. With the proclamation of the Plan of Iguala he joined the Trigarante, although he was not in favor of the monarchical form of government.

Along with other former insurgents, he was one of the leaders of the opposition to the Iturbide empire. He joined the Casemate Plan, which ended up getting the Emperor to abdicate.

Victoria was part of the provisional government and, after the first elections held in August 1824, he became the first president of the United Mexican States.

Antonio López de Santa Anna

Although he was not part of the initial nucleus of the Trigarante Army, his role in it and in the history of the first years of independent Mexico, made him a very important character.

After joining the fight for independence, and once this was achieved, Santa Anna showed his initial support for the Emperor. This offered him an important military position, already when the Trigarante had changed its name to the Imperial Army.

Over time, as happened with other former insurgents, Santa Anna ended up rising up against Iturbide, being the architect of the Casemate Plan.

Santa Anna was president of Mexico on several occasions, the first of them in 1833.

Development from its foundation to the end

Iturbide's first gesture was to order the reproduction of the Iguala Plan in order to distribute it throughout the territory of New Spain. Thus he was trying to get more supporters for the fight. Soon, the Viceroy and Archbishop of Mexico learned of the Plan and organized a campaign against it.

However, the ideas contained in the Plan were expanding throughout the Viceroyalty, without being able to be stopped.

Iturbide himself traveled through the Bajío in order for the movement to expand. During that journey, he obtained the support of important insurgent leaders, such as Guadalupe Victoria and Nicolás Bravo.

Taking of Valladolid

May 1821 was one of the months in which the Trigarante achieved the most success, especially in terms of expanding its ideals.

On the one hand, the future Emperor managed to convince the Commander of Nueva Galicia not to oppose the fight. On the other, in the military sphere, the rebels took Valladolid (now Morelia).

This city, part of its symbolic content, was important for the Army's plans. Its conquest did not need major confrontations, since it was besieged until the rulers surrendered it to the men of Iturbide.

In other parts of the country the conquests were not so bloodless. Ascencio died in Tetecala at the hands of the Spanish, while the Trigarante suffered significant losses in Córdoba.

Expansion

In June, the successes of the trigarancia had put the colonial authorities in serious trouble. Viceroy Apodaca had to request reinforcements from Cuba and Spain and was forced to carry out forced levies to reinforce his forces.

However, throughout New Spain there were rebel outbreaks and multitudes of volunteers joined the independentistas.

The pronouncement of the Plan of Iguala was imitated in many places. The rebels swore on that document, imitating the ritual with which it was promulgated. Between the accessions and the armed uprisings, between June and July 1821, the rebellion had reached almost the entire territory of New Spain.

End of the Viceroyalty

Faced with his inability to end the rebellion, Apodaca was relieved of his position. In his place Viceroy Francisco Novella was appointed. This, who did not have the authorization of the government of the metropolis, did not last long in office.

His replacement, Juan O'Donojú, became the last colonial authority in Mexico. Iturbide had a meeting with him in Córdoba on August 24. During the meeting, O'Donojú realized that his cause was lost and had no choice but to negotiate with the independentistas.

Thus, through the Treaties of Córdoba, the War of Independence came to an end and Mexico declared its national sovereignty.

Entry into Mexico City

A month later, on September 27, 1821, the Trigarante Army entered Mexico City. At the head of the troops was Agustín de Iturbide, dressed in civilian clothes.

According to the chronicles, they were received with great celebrations, with the people wearing the declared national colors: green, white and red.

Fate of the Trigarante Army

Despite the different positions within the independentistas, Iturbide maintained the initial plan to shape the country. Since he could not get Spain to accept that any member of his Royal House occupies the throne, he proclaimed himself Emperor, with the name of Agustín I.

The Trigarante Army was the germ that gave rise to the Armed Forces of the country. During the monarchical period it received the name of the Imperial Mexican Army. Later, it changed its name depending on political circumstances.

References

1. Moreno Gutiérrez, Rodrigo. The war of the Trigarante Army. Obtained from relatosehistorias.mx
2. Secretary of National Defense. Trigarante Army. Obtained from gob.mx
3. Fonseca, Francisco. September 1821: The Trigarante Army, Obtained from elsoldemexico.com.mx
4. David Stephen Heidler, Jeanne T. Heidler. The Mexican War. Recovered from books.google.es
5. Revolvy. Army of the Three Guarantees. Retrieved from revolvy.com
6. Michael C. Meyer, Marvin David Bernstein. Mexico. Retrieved from britannica.com
7. Encyclopedia of Latin American History and Culture. Three Guarantees, Army Of The. Retrieved from encyclopedia.com
8. US Library of Congress. Iturbide and the Plan of Iguala. Retrieved from countrystudies.us