Iturbide and the Plan de Iguala

REVOLUTIONS IN LATIN AMERICA HIST 1301 | History Iturbide and the Plan de Iguala Liberals in Spain were able to get Fernando VII to reestablish the liberal Cádiz Constitution of 1812 in 1820. Liberal creoles in New Spain were happy that this constitution was put into effect since it gave them new opportunities to participate in politics. The Catholic Church and the military, both of which employed members of the conservative creole elite, were targets of policies that they could not support. A second independence movement was sparked by the Spanish king's continued incompetence in leading the Spanish colonies. The creoles in charge of this one wanted to rise in rank and authority. The creole elite's only desire was to dominate Mexico for themselves, as opposed to Hidalgo and Morelos's objective of establishing equality in colonial society. The large landowners, military commanders, and church officials who made up the creole elite made the decision to proclaim independence from Spain and formed a very practical alliance with Vicente Guerrero's mestizo and Indigenous adherents. The winning approach was nationalism expressed as a fierce sense of pride in one's Mexican (as opposed to Spanish) birthplace, which creoles shared with Native Americans, persons of mixed blood, and the offspring of African slaves. The socioeconomic order was largely preserved while creoles were able to struggle for independence because to their mostly anti-Spanish nationalism. One such tactic was provided by Agustín de Iturbide, a royalist creole commander who had made a name for himself in the battles against Morelos and Hidalgo. He made a deal with Guerrero, the man whose revolutionary movement he had been tasked with putting an end to. While Guerrero had the backing of the majority of Mexicans who are Indigenous and of mixed racial backgrounds, Iturbide possessed the military might required to secure independence. The desire to be independent of Spain was shared by both. Iturbide first unveiled the Plan de Iguala on February 24, 1821. This proposal, which was founded on the ideas of independence, equality, and religion—known as the Three Guarantees—combined conservative and radical viewpoints. Mexico was to be free of Spanish rule. The state religion was Roman Catholicism. All citizens of Mexico, regardless of whether they were born in Spain or the Americas, were to have social equality and protection. In addition, a new imperial Mexican Crown was to be presented to a willing European monarch, and a regency was to be established in the interim until the new royal head was announced. Under Iturbide's leadership, a new Army of the Three Guarantees (Ejército de las trois garantías) was established to defend the movement's guiding ideals. Iturbide triumphantly entered Mexico City on September 27, 1821, the day of the three-hundredth anniversary of the collapse of the Aztec Empire and the conclusion of an eleven-year era of rebellion. He declared Mexican independence with the backing of the conservative elite of Creoles and two influential liberal rebel leaders, Vicente Guerrero and Guadalupe Victoria. The Plan de Iguala stated that when Mexico became a constitutional monarchy, the church and Peninsulares of Spanish descent would both have their rights safeguarded. With one exception, Viceroy Juan de O'Donojú y O'Ryan, Iturbide's Spanish envoy, and he signed a contract at Córdoba that accepted the conditions of the Plan de Iguala. A new section said that if there was no European king, a local emperor may be appointed. As per the agreement, Iturbide was proclaimed as Agustín I, the constitutional emperor of Mexico, by the recently elected assembly eight months later in 1822. But Iturbide's rule was short-lived. The people did not accept his monarchy, and the new country's budgetary constraints conflicted with the demands of the royals. Iturbide's dissolution of the congress in 1822 set to a series of uprisings. He abdicated in 1823 and went into exile in England due to mounting opposition. Following Mexico's republican transition, a new constitution was written. The 1824 Constitution was a balance between conservative and liberal concerns, with conservatives worried about preserving the status quo of the church and elites and liberals supporting social changes like those supported by Hidalgo and Morelos. With the exception of the military and the clergy receiving particular judicial rights, social equality was guaranteed under the constitution. The governments of the Mexican states were granted the authority to enact laws and levy taxes. The first president of Mexico was the liberal general Guadalupe Victoria, who took office when the new constitution was ratified. Iturbide was shot by the newly formed republican army when he chose to change his mind and return from exile. He was apprehended immediately upon reaching the harbour. For the remainder of the nineteenth century, Mexican politics were dominated by the stark contrast between liberals and conservatives.