FIRST MEXICAN EMPIRE: HISTORY, TERRITORY, FLAG AND SHIELD - HISTORY - 2025

The First Mexican Empire or Empire of Iturbide was an independent state created after the victory of the movement that sought the independence of New Spain. It was ephemeral, in force only since 1821, when signing the Treaties of Córdoba; until 1823, with the declaration of the Casa Mata Plan and the creation of the Federal Republic.

The territory of the Mexican monarchical state was the same that included the viceroyalty of New Spain, without the general captaincies of Santo Domingo, Cuba and the Philippine islands. Later, the provinces of the Kingdom of Guatemala, which were militarily ruled by the Captaincy General of Guatemala, were annexed to the new Empire.

Agustín de Iturbide, monarch of the First Mexican Empire

Its only ruler was Agustín de Iturbide, proclaimed as Agustín I of Mexico, who ruled for only 9 months. This nation was the only one in America that adopted a monarchical regime after its independence from Spain.

Iturbide was a royalist general in the service of the Spanish Crown during the War of Independence who fought and defeated the insurgent forces of José María Morelos y Pavón.

Background and history

As with the wars of independence in other American countries colonized by Spain, Mexico initially fought for the restitution of the rights of the Spanish monarch Fernando VII, who had been replaced by Napoleon Bonaparte.

The Mexican War of Independence lasted eleven years and brought together different political sectors with different ideologies. It was not a homogeneous emancipatory movement.

On one side were the monarchists, and on the other were the insurgents led by José María Morelos y Pavón, who advocated independence from the Spanish Empire.

The Spanish Crown managed to quell the patriotic and independence struggle for some years. The priest Morelos was executed and his insurgent movement was withdrawn into small territories.

Threatened interests

But the white Creole and peninsular elite represented by General Agustín de Iturbide realized that their interests in the economic and class spheres were threatened by the Constitution of Cádiz of 1812. This first Spanish Constitution of a liberal court established, among other things, the abolition of the manors.

So they decide to make a pact with the Mexican insurgent movement and support the independence of the viceroyalty of New Spain.

Independence of New Spain

On August 24, 1821, General Agustín Iturbide, commander of the Trigarante army, met in the Mexican city of Córdoba; and Juan O'Donojú, the last Spanish viceroy.

There the Treaties of Córdoba were signed, which recognize the independence and sovereignty of the territories belonging to New Spain. These documents ratify the declaration of independence made on February 24, 1821 by Iturbide, through the Plan of the Three Guarantees.

New Spain declared itself a sovereign country, whose agreed form of government would be the constitutional monarchy. Then the First Mexican Empire was created, led by Agustín de Iturbide.

Iturbide was unanimously elected as president of the junta and, later, president of the regency of the Empire. However, due to the fact that this last position was incompatible with the military leadership, he is named Generalissimo of the arms of the Empire of sea and land. In this way he could keep both positions

The government of the viceroyalty was dissolved after the entry of the Trigarante army and the surrender of the fortresses of Perote and Acapulco.

Iguala Plan

The Plan of the Three Guarantees (Plan de Iguala) guaranteed three things: the independence of Mexico, the preservation of the Catholic religion and the bond of those who lived in New Spain (Spanish and Mexican). Only later did the Indians join in.

This plan was only of a political nature; hence its failure, since it did not contemplate a strategy to improve the social situation of the nation. The only beneficiaries were the Creoles and the Mexicans.

Since no monarch accepted the invitation of the nascent state to lead the Mexican Empire, Agustín de Iturbide was proclaimed emperor. No king wanted to make trouble with Spain, which was unaware of the independence of all its former American colonies.

Movement for the Empire

In September 1821, with Iturbide as president of the regency, the throne of Mexico was still vacant. The Plan of Iguala established the constitutional monarchy as a form of government, having a Congress as moderator.

It was decided to fill the emperor's vacancy with a provisional governing board. By letter, the King of Spain Fernando VII, or any of his family members, was invited to accept the throne of Mexico.

Ideological differences

Differences in terms of the ideological scope and the interests of the sectors that had agreed to the independence of the Mexican territory from the Spanish Empire, exploded shortly after. The newly formed Congress was made up of monarchists, Bourbonists, and Republicans.

The monarchists were supporters of the constitutional or moderate monarchy that had been embodied in the Plan of Iguala and the Treaties of Córdoba. They even supported the initiative for Iturbide to be crowned Emperor of Mexico.

The Republicans, most of whom came from the insurgent ranks that fought alongside Morelos between 1811 and 1812, did not want the new empire to turn into an absolutist regime led by Iturbide. Instead, they proposed a model of government similar to that of the United States.

The Bourbonists, who supported the restitution of monarchical rights to Fernando VII de Borbón, were divided and undecided. They supported either of the two forms of government, depending on who was the monarch or president.

They considered that if the monarch of the Mexican Empire did not come from the Bourbon house, it was preferable that a republican government be adopted.

Answer from Fernando VII

King Fernando VII gave his answer and the situation got worse. The Spanish monarch did not recognize the independence of New Spain, and neither he nor any of his family members would agree to govern it as an independent state.

The nascent Mexican government did not expect such a response, which ruined all government plans. However, Iturbide's followers were comfortable with this answer, because they wanted to see him as emperor of Mexico.

Proclamation of Iturbide as emperor

On the night of May 18, 1822, a crowd marched to Mexico City and arrived at Iturbide's residence. The demonstration was made up mainly of army troops led by Sergeant Pío Marcha. This concentration proclaimed him emperor to the shout of "Viva Agustín I, emperor of Mexico."

But Agustín de Iturbide did not accept the offer and asked the crowd to respect the law and leave the decision in the hands of Congress, which met the next day.

On May 19, the massive demonstrations in favor of proclaiming Iturbide emperor continued, while Congress deliberated. There were only two options: ask the provinces or proclaim Iturbide that same day. This was in favor of making the query.

However, after the secret vote of the deputies, with 67 votes in his favor to 15, he won the option of immediately proclaiming him Emperor of Mexico.

Territory

The territory of the nascent Mexican Empire was the same that corresponded to the dissolved viceroyalty of New Spain, except for the captaincy generals of Cuba, Santo Domingo and the Philippines.

That is, it ranged from the limits of the state of Oregon in the United States to the current territory of Costa Rica, plus the overseas territories, the Philippines, Ghana and Hawaii.

Annex of the Central American provinces

The provinces of Central America that belonged to the old Kingdom of Guatemala and that were militarily reunited under the control of the Captaincy General of Guatemala, were later annexed to the Mexican Empire.

The argument was that these lawless territories, with little population and scarce military resources, could not survive as independent nations. On the contrary, they were threatened to be colonized again by the Spanish Empire.

By that time, the Mexican territory reaches its largest geographic dimensions and, together with the United States, Brazil and Greater Colombia, is one of the largest.

This first Mexican imperial experience was short-lived. On March 19, 1823, the empire was dissolved and the republic was proclaimed. Months later, the Central American provinces again obtained their independence.

Governors

First regency

The first regency that took place between September 28, 1821 and April 11, 1822, was made up of the following characters:

- Agustín de Iturbide (president).

- Juan O'Donojú.

- Manuel de la Bárcena.

- José Isidro Yañez.

- Manuel Velázquez de León y Pérez.

- Antonio Pérez Martínez y Robles, replacing Juan O'Donojú, who died on October 8, 1821.

Second regency

The members of the second regency, which ruled the Mexican Empire between April 11, 1822 and May 18, 1822, were:

- Agustín Iturbide (president).

- José Isidro Yañez.

- Miguel Valentín and Tamayo.

- Manuel de Heras Soto.

- Nicolás Bravo.

Economy

The lack of an economic plan to deal with the problems of the nascent Mexican Empire was one of the reasons for its failure, as it left the colonialist structures intact.

The War of Independence left the country in a critical economic state, with a substantial decline in the workforce and bankrupt finances.

Indebtedness

The successive governments that the country had from the First Mexican Empire -monarchical, republican, federalist, centralist and the dictatorship- could not face the fiscal problem either.

The government deficit reached 300 thousand pesos, since it spent more money than it received. In addition, the nascent Empire had to borrow from England for about 30 million pesos to pay the foreign debt to Spain in exchange for its recognition.

Semi-feudal economy

By the time of independence, land ownership was largely in the hands of clergy and landowning families. It was an extensive semi-feudal or precapitalist economy.

Forgotten mining

The mining activity was abandoned after the War of Independence. Copper was one of the most affected. Economic activity was mainly concentrated in the commercial sector.

flag

After the coronation of Iturbide as emperor and of his wife Ana María Huarte as empress, on July 21, 1822, the symbols of Mexico changed.

Iturbide himself was in charge of modifying the flag of the Trigarante army. The three stripes were arranged vertically (like the current one) with the colors distributed in the following order: green, white and red.

White signifies religion, green signifies independence, and red signifies the union of the Mexican people.

He introduced the symbol of the crowned golden eagle in the central strip, standing with the left paw and the right claw on guard over the nopal, which sprouts on the islet of a lagoon. This in allusion to the Nahuatl legend.

On November 2 of that year, by order of the Sovereign Provisional Governing Board, this flag was adopted. The shield of this flag does not contain the serpent or a crown of olive branches or laurels.

Shield

The coat of arms of the First Mexican Empire presents the necklace of the Imperial Order of Our Lady of Guadalupe, in addition to the following elements and blazoning:

Silver field outlined in gold

The Mexican crowned eagle stands on its left talon. It rests on a nopal in sinople (green) and flowered in gules (gold), which is born in a rock that springs from a lagoon.

Sovereign Helm

With lambrequins inside in silver. On the outside sinople and gules alternate.

Gules Imperial Mantle

It is stamped with the imperial crown and with the legend: "Independence, Religion and Union."

Small shield of the Mexican Empire

By decree of the Sovereign Government Board of the Empire, dated January 7, 1822, it is established that the coat of arms of the Empire for all the stamps in its different classes is only "the nopal born from a rock that comes out of the lagoon" and the eagle with the imperial crown.

Articles of interest

Second Mexican Empire.

Conservatism in Mexico.

National symbols of Mexico.

References

1. First Mexican Empire. Consulted of es.wikipedia.org
2. Bautista, Oscar Diego (2003): External debt in the history of Mexico (PDF). Recovered from ri.uaemex.mx
3. "Agustín de Iturbide". Consulted of bicentenario.gob.mx.
4. Spanish Constitution of 1812. Consulted of es.wikipedia.org
5. Iturbidista Uprising of Pío Marcha. Consulted of es.wikipedia.org
6. Arcila Farías, Eduardo. The enlightened century in America. Economic reforms of the 18th century in New Spain. Consulted from catalog.nla.gov.au