TREATIES OF CORDOBA: ANTECEDENTS, OBJECTIVES AND CONSEQUENCES - HISTORY - 2025

The Treaties of Córdoba were signed on August 24, 1821 in the Mexican city that gives them their name. Through this document, the Independence of Mexico was agreed after eleven years of war to achieve it. The signatories were Agustín de Iturbide and Juan de O'Donojú.

These Treaties ratified for the most part what was already promulgated in the Iguala Plan, proclaimed by Iturbide himself and by Vicente Guerrero. In its content, Mexico declared itself independent from Spain, in the form of a constitutional monarchy.

Cordobas Treaties - Source: Jaontiveros under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License

Likewise, it included the obligation to maintain the so-called Three Guarantees: Catholicism as a religion; unit; and independence itself. At first, the crown was destined to the King of Spain, Fernando VII or to some other member of the Royal House. The non-recognition of the metropolis caused Agustín de Iturbide to be proclaimed Emperor.

The Mexican Empire lasted only a few months. In the country, as was the case before independence, there were different ideological currents. Among them, monarchists and republicans or federalists and centralists. This caused a great political instability during the following years, with continuous confrontations between them.

Background

The Independence of Mexico was a long process that took place over 11 years. At times, it seemed that the rebels against Spanish rule could achieve their objectives, but the royalists always managed to prevent it.

It was not until the 20s of the 19th century that the situation turned towards the independentists. In part, events in Spain, such as the Riego uprising or the coming to power of the Liberals, influenced.

War of independence

The first stage of the war of independence began in 1810, when Miguel Hidalgo launched the Grito de Dolores. At that time, the rebels only asked to create their own governing bodies, even under the Spanish crown.

Despite popular support and achieving some quick victories, the lack of military and political organization did not allow the rebels to face the royalist troops. Finally, Hidalgo and other leaders were captured and executed.

During the next stage, the rebels organized themselves much better, in addition to defining their objectives more clearly. José Antonio Morelos was the author of Sentimientos de una Nación, a document in which he motivated the uprising against the Spanish crown and encouraged the construction of a new nation.

Finally, after the defeat of Morelos, a new stage began. At first, the rebels could only resist realistic attempts to put down the movement. However, events in Spain turned the situation around.

Vicente Guerrero, one of the independence leaders who resisted leading a kind of guerilla, and Agustín de Iturbide, a conservative royalist military man, reached an agreement to fight for an independent Mexico.

Embrace of Acatempan

Agustín de Iturbide had been commissioned by the Viceroy to put an end to Vicente Guerrero's hosts, which were operating in the south of the country. However, the conservative sectors of the colony were fearful that the liberal ideas, which ruled Spain at the time, would move to New Spain.

Iturbide was part of the latter sector. Thus, after some defeats against Guerrero, he preferred to reach an agreement with the insurgent to fight for an independent Mexico of a monarchical and Catholic character.

The symbol of that agreement was the embrace of Acatempan. This took place on February 10, 1821 and marked the alliance between Agustín de Iturbide and Vicente Guerrero to end the Viceroyalty.

Iguala Plan

On February 24, 1821, Iturbide and Guerrero presented the Plan of Iguala. This document was the immediate precursor to the Treaties of Córdoba, as well as the basis for their content.

This plan consisted of four fundamental points, the first being that Mexico should be an independent nation. The next, established the form of government, a monarchy headed by King Fernando VII of Spain.

Another of the points of the Plan indicated that the Catholic religion should be the only one tolerated in the territory of the new country. Finally, he winked at the liberals stating that the union of social classes had to be promoted, eliminating castes.

Trigarante Army

The first aspect included in the Plan of Iguala that was put into practice was the creation of an army that would allow it to carry out its proposals.

Thus, the Trigarante Army or of the Three Guarantees was born. In addition to facing the royalist troops, his first function was to expand the Plan throughout New Spain, seeking new support.

Objectives and

Iturbide began to negotiate with the new political leader of New Spain, Juan O'Donojú. In a short time, the talks led to the approval of the Treaties of Córdoba. In general terms, it consisted of the ratification of what was agreed in the Iguala Plan.

The document signed by Agustín de Iturbide and Juan O'Donojú, the last Superior Chief of New Spain, consisted of 17 articles.

Confirmation of the Iguala Plan

The main objective of the Treaties of Córdoba was to create a legal document that would establish the independence of Mexico, as well as to record the organization of the new government. Its content, in reality, only completed the Plan of Iguala, with very few novelties

Mexico's independence

The first point, and the most important of all, established the recognition of Mexico as a sovereign state. The Treaties of Córdoba named the country as the "Mexican Empire."

Establishment of a monarchy

The Mexican Empire would have a moderate and constitutional monarchical system. The crown, according to the Treaties, had to be offered in the first place to the Spanish king, Fernando VII de Borbón.

If, due to the circumstances, he did not accept the offer, he should pass it on to his brothers, his cousin or another member of the ruling house determined by Congress. In the event that none of them agreed to occupy the throne, the imperial courts would appoint a new monarch.

In this matter, the Treaties of Córdoba modified the Plan of Iguala, since they established that the monarch appointed by the courts would not necessarily have to be a member of any Royal House.

According to experts, this modification was Iturbide's idea to leave open the opportunity for him to occupy the throne.

P Apel of O'Donojú

O'Donojú was appointed by the Treaties as commissioner. His role was to deliver the document to the Spanish authorities and act as a mediator between the two nations. Likewise, it should be in charge of enforcing the rights contemplated in the Treaties.

Provisional Governmental Board

As it appeared in the Plan of Iguala, the Treaties included the formation of a Provisional Government Board, with O'Donojú as one of its members.

The Board would have the mission of appointing a Regency composed of three members who would exercise the Executive Power. Similarly, he had to fulfill the role of the king "until he wields the scepter of the Empire."

With this, power was divided between the Cortes and the Regency, although the latter would be the one to make the most important decisions.

As the last point related to the Board, the Treaties required that all plans and changes it approved be made public.

Governing board

The president of the Governing Board would be elected through electoral elections open to both those who were part of the Board and those who were not.

Legislative power

The Regency also had the power to appoint the Cortes, which would exercise the Legislative Power. So that the Executive and the Legislative would not fall upon the same body until said Courts were created, the Treaties reflected that the Legislative Power, in its beginnings, would be executed by the Board.

Laws that respect the Plan of Iguala

According to the content of the Treaties, the government had to abide by the laws in force, as long as they did not conflict with those established in the Plan of Iguala. Thus, it had to respect the three guarantees that the Plan established: Catholic religion, independence and unity.

Consequences

The first consequence of the signing of the Treaties of Córdoba was to strengthen the positions of the independentistas in front of the Spanish authorities that still remained in the colony.

This allowed that, shortly after the signing, Iturbide entered Mexico City under the command of the Trigarante Army. The royalist forces that still remained in Mexico did not put up any resistance.

Non-recognition of Spain

In legal terms, O'Donojú had no authority to recognize the Spanish renunciation of the Mexican territories. This caused the captain general of New Spain to convene a Board of War, which was attended by the military commanders, the provincial deputies and representatives of the clergy.

Those present at that meeting agreed that it was necessary for the government of Spain to ratify the Treaties. Similarly, O'Donojú was appointed the new superior political leader of New Spain.

Although in Mexico the Treaty entered into force just the day after its signing, that is, on August 25, 1821, the kings of Spain rejected its content and did not recognize independence.

Declaration of Independence

The fact that the Spanish did not recognize the agreement did not prevent events in Mexico from taking their course. Thus, on September 28, 1821, the day after the Trigarante Army entered the capital, the Act of Mexican Independence was proclaimed.

Augustine I

Agustín de Iturbide

The Gaceta de Madrid published on February 13 and 14, 1822, the announcement of the rejection of the Spanish Cortes to the Independence of Mexico. Obviously, this also meant that the Spanish king was not going to appear for his coronation as monarch of the Mexican Empire.

Given this, the constituent Congress of the new country proclaimed Agustín de Iturbide as Mexican emperor on May 18 of that same year.

However, the political situation was far from stabilizing. The country was soon divided between monarchists, who supported Iturbide, and republicans, who preferred a system of government and territory similar to that of the United States. The confrontations were continuous, to the point that the Emperor dissolved the congress.

Just eleven months after his coronation, Iturbide is forced to abdicate after several uprisings against him. The last was the Revolution of the Plan of Casa Mata, led by Santa Anna. The new Congress declared the Equal Plan and the Córdoba Treaties invalid.

Political instability

The following years were filled with uprisings, revolutions, counterrevolutions, and the like. Each sector of Mexican society had its own ideas about what the new independent nation should be like and tried to make it a reality.

During the next 30 years, Mexico had almost 50 rulers, the result of these military coups.

References

1. Know Learn. Treaties of Córdoba. Obtained from independencedemexico.com.mx
2. Mexico history. Consummation of the Independence of Mexico 1821. Obtained from historiademexico.info
3. Secretary of National Defense. August 24, 1821, the Treaties of Córdoba were signed. Obtained from gob.mx
4. Howard F. Cline, Michael C. Meyer and Others. Mexico. Retrieved from britannica.com
5. Encyclopedia of Latin American History and Culture. Córdoba, Treaty Of (1821). Retrieved from encyclopedia.com
6. Revolvy. Treaty of Córdoba. Retrieved from revolvy.com
7. The History of Us. Treaty of Córdoba is Signed, Establishing Mexico's Independence from Spain. Retrieved from worldhistoryproject.org
8. Heritage History. The "Plan De Iguala," the Treaty of Cordoba, and the First Mexican Empire. Retrieved from heritage-history.com