Mexican Independence

Towards the year 1820, desire for independence within Mexico decreased, as there was an inner conflict between the peninsulares, creoles, and the lower classes, as the aspirations of the lower castes would reduce the political and economic power of those classes (Keen 169; Huck 51). But then there was a new leader of the independence movement: Agustin de Iturbide. Instead of continuing the legacies of Morelos and Hidalgo, he changed sides, fighting only for the independence of Spain (Huck 53-54) His conservative plan, the Plan of Iguala, consisted of creating a constitutional monarchy, establishing Roman Catholicism as the official religion of Mexico, and giving equality to only peninsulares and creoles (Kirkwood). Despite establishing independence, the Plan of Iguala created a long line of dictators, only to make

From this time to around 1813, the Chileans who supported this idea of independence from Spain began to peacefully change their government. However, there was a controversy amongst some Chileans on how far the

Hidalgo’s following grew from 300 to over ½ million people and in not time Hidalgo’s enraged revolutionaries tore through Mexico. After moderate success Hidalgo was defeated by a band of Royalists and while fleeing the country for the US he was disowned by one of his fellow companions and killed. Another priest named Jose Morelos from then on would lead the fighting. He would finally accomplish what Hidalgo had set out to do, lead Mexico to independence, from Spain in 1821.

Those creoles pushing towards revolution to free themselves from Spanish rule felt that the Spanish crown was only abusing, discriminating and holding them back form growing economically. The elite felt they were not part of a revolution seeing themselves only as people who were All those part of the social context of Latin America, felt differently within Indians, on side of the Spanish King, though great abuse fell through. "Nonetheless, the Indians of New Spain (and elsewhere) enjoyed a set of legal privileges, exemptions, and protection which significantly interferes with their complete integration into colonial society, and kept them in a legal bubble of tutelage ruptured only with the advent of independent Mexican nationhood in the third decade of the nineteenth century (Van Young, 154). The point here is that where these and other legal and administrative remedies were applied in favor of the Indians of colonial New Spain, they were applied in the kings' name. Furthermore, religious and civic ritual of all kinds constantly stressed the centrality of the Spanish king to the colonial commonwealth, and his benevolence and fatherly concern with the welfare of his weakest subjects (Van Young 155). "Situated as they were between the Spaniards and the masses. The creoles wanted more than equality for themselves and less than equality for their inferiors" (Lynch, 44). The creoles discriminated against those in lower classes than themselves.

Subsequently, the creoles were growing their economic and social influence but on the other hand, the peninsulares still held the administrative positions. Only 12 out of 99 judgeships in Latin America were held by creoles, unlike the rest that were peninsulares. This resulted In the first thoughts of independence from Spain for the creoles. The creoles additionally thought the peninsulares were distressing leaders. Spain completely restricted Latin America from the rest of the world limiting the Latin Americans basic personal and property rights. “Americanos, being those most concerned by the affairs of America, logically ought to fill the

All of the aforementioned factors contributed to the independence movement of Mexico. However, the main steps towards independence came because of Napoleon’s invasion of Spain in 1808. The monarchy was greatly weakened when Napoleon gave the crown to his brother causing the people of Madrid to revolt. With Spain’s back turned, the leaders of New Spain began to argue amongst themselves. The viceroy was forced to allow the Criollos to participate in administration. Then, a group of Peninsulares, those who had been placed in many of the administrative positions, did not like that the Criollos were gaining any influence in the government. They staged a coup d’etat and overthrew the viceregal government.

The Mexican Revolution began as a movement of the middle class protesting against the long-standing dictatorship of Porfirio Diaz. Diaz was an army officer who had came to power after a coup against former president Benito Juárez. Unlike Juárez, Diaz established a stable political system, in which the Constitution of 1857 was bypassed, local political bosses (caciques) controlled elections, political opposition, and public order, while a handful of powerful families and their clients monopolized economic and political power in the provinces.

After the victory there was a split between the two revolution leaders due to differences in direction for Mexico. The Constitutionalist

Comprised of landowners, lawyers, judges, priests, military officers and public officials, the creole and mazomba leaders of Latin American society found insatiable inspiration from the American and French Revolutions of the eighteenth century, and flooded Latin America with a liberal movement for independent nations. Conservatives, in contrast, sought to preserve the traditions of the colonial period, and the Orthodox rule of both the church and foreign-born royal authorities. Yet Old World flavor soured bitterly in a New World teeming with liberal thinkers and daring rebels. Desiring to surpass Old World peninsular and reinós rulers, creole and mazomba won control over local resources and economic development.

In processes of Independence in South American and Brazil happened very differently. In the Spanish American process of revolution there were lots of movements for rebellion (Chasteen:93). Many of the movements were set in motion when the king of Spain, Carlos IV, and Prince Fernando, were captured by Neapolitan (Chasteen:92). The colonies questioned the leadership of the Spanish crown. In Mexico, two priests sparked different rebellions. Father Miguel Hidalgo gained support from indigenous and mestizo people with the phrase “Americans versus Europeans” (Chasteen:96). This turned into rebellion against the Peninsulars and, unintentionally, creole since it was difficult for the fighters to tell them apart (Chasteen:96). Father José María Morelos

Though the colony was returned to Spain in 1809, weak support led to a decay in colonial infrastructure, leading to a revolt, led by José Núñez de Cáceres and Don Manuel Carvajal, which declared “Spanish Haiti” independent. However, the new nation was vulnerable, and Boyer immediately seized on the opportunity to unite the island for security purposes, seeking to impose “Haitianization” on Santo Domingo economically and politically. Such aspects of “Haitianization” included abolition of slavery, land redistribution, settlement of Haitians, and forced cultivation of crops in a region dominated by cattle ranchers. (Moya Pons 123, 133) An insurrection group named los trinitarios seized on the discontent of the Dominican people in the 1830s and 1840s, leading to independence in 1844. (Black 19)

Throughout its history Mexico has had many revolutions. The most famous perhaps is the Mexican Revolution from 1910-1920. The people of Mexico were getting tired of the dictator rule of President Porfino Diaz. People of all classes were fighting in the revolution. The middle and upper classes were dissatisfied with the President’s ways. The lower and working class people had many factors such as poor working conditions, inflation, inferior housing, low wages, and deficient social services. Within the classes everyone was fighting; men, women, and children all contributed to the fight for freedom from Diaz (Baxman 2). This revolution proved to be the rise and fall of many leaders.

The Mexican Revolution was one of the great revolutionary upheavals of the twentieth century and had a profound impact on the development of Mexico well into the modern day. The revolutionary period itself can be split into three distinct stages: First, several factions united behind Francisco Madero in order to overthrow the dictatorial government of Porfirio Diaz. When Madero’s government appeared to maintain the status quo set forth during the Porfiriato period, however, the same forces that brought Madero to power rose up once again to remove him. Finally, the remaining factions, no longer possessing a common goal to unite them, turned on one another in a fight to establish dominance. At the end of this bloody period emerged a new triumvirate:

Many buildings and streets were constructed, and it served as cultural and social center of North and South America. When 1810 came, however, a Mexican Independence movement, started by Miguel Hidalgo, caused Mexican peasants to fight against the Spanish government. After 11 years, the fight was successful, and Mexico declared its independence.

The book is a non-fiction book written by, Alan Knight and was Published on May 5, 1980.The Mexican Revolution began in 1910, it began as a movement of a middle-class protest against the long standing dictatorship of Porfirio DIaz. In 1876, Diaz, an Indian general in the Mexican Army, took control of the nation and continued to be elected until 1910, he also had held power in 1876-1911. From 1884 to 1911, he was an unofficial ruler from 1880 to 1884, he was a respected political leader. In 1908, DIaz had an interview with an United States journalist James Creelman, and Diaz told James that would be ready for free elections in 1910, so in 1910, Diaz promised the people that he was going to let there be free elections. Porfirio Diaz was born