The historical context in which Mexico declared itself as an independent country occurs after having fought for 11 years in the war of independence against the Spanish authorities in the colonies.
The war began on September 16, 1810 and was led by Mexicans born of Spaniards, with the participation of mestizos, Zambians and Aborigines.
The illustration promoted the ideals of equality and freedom, which they triggered in the independence movements in the colonies.
On August 24, 1821, after the Mexican forces defeated the Spanish army, the representatives of the Spanish Crown and the representatives of Mexico signed the Treaty of Cordoba, through which the Independence of the Mexican nation .
After three centuries under Spanish rule, Mexico finally began its history as an independent country. However, Mexico was not the only country that reached its independence in this period; In the rest of the Spanish colonies, a similar process happened.
This stage is known as the decolonization of America, which began in the seventeenth century and culminated in the twentieth century. This is the historical context in which Mexico emerges as an independent country.
General situation of America and Europe during the seventeenth and nineteenth centuries
The independence of Mexico and the other American nations did not occur in isolation, but was a series of events that logically triggered the wars of independence.
Illustration
To begin with, discontent and abhorrence toward imperialist forces was a common feature among the shallow people of the colonies.
Added to this, in 1760, the ideals of the Illustration , From authors such as Montesquieu, Rousseau, Voltaire, Locke and Diderot.
These authors denounced the actions of absolutist regimes, emphasized the fact that all human beings should enjoy the same rights before the law and affirmed that sovereignty, source of authority, lay in the people and not in the person who had been Designated as governor.
The ideology of the illustration, added to the reality lived in the colonies, caused that the towns began to organize movements of resistance against the imperialist authorities.
First independence movements
The process of independence in the American colonies began in the seventeenth century, with the United States being the first country to declare independence in 1776.
However, its independence was not recognized by the United Kingdom of Great Britain until 1783, when the Treaty of Paris was signed.
After the French Revolution (1789), many of the ideals of emancipation (freedom, equality and fraternity) promoted by France, encouraging the other colonies to achieve their independence.
Shortly afterwards, in Haiti, there were pro-independence movements led by the slaves. These movements resulted in Haiti declaring itself a free nation, being the second American colony to obtain its independence.
The French Revolution and the Invasion of Spain
The ideals promoted by the French revolution were not accepted by the Spaniards, so that the circulation of the works of the Enlightenment and of any other material that could be subversive was prohibited.
However, this did not prevent printed materials from continuing to be published clandestinely.
Similarly, the situation in Europe was not favorable to Spain. In 1808, the French army, led by Napoleon Bonaparte, broke into Spanish territory.
Before the threat of a possible invasion, the king of Spain, Carlos IV decided to transfer the government to New Spain, the American colony. However, this decision did not please the people, so he had to abdicate in favor of his son Fernando VII.
But Charles IV ignored the authority of his son and appealed to Napoleon Bonaparte to regain power. Ferdinand VII did the same, so Bonaparte became a mediator between the two monarchs.
The French leader took advantage of the situation and forced and made abdicate the two kings, giving power to his brother Joseph Bonaparte.
This generated uncontrolled colonies because the representatives of the Spanish Crown in America refused to recognize the authority of Joseph Bonaparte, whom they considered a usurper. However, they did not dare to act against this.
For the revolutionary people of the colonies, the news of the French invasion was taken as the opportunity they had been waiting for to be independent of Spain.
It began to proliferate propaganda against the Crown, defying the little authority that still had to this one, promoting the revolution.
Independence movements in the Spanish colonies
Most of the Spanish colonies reached their independence between 1810 and 1825, being Paraguay the first country to be freed of the Spanish dominion.
From 1810, important figures emerged that developed organized independence movements, such as Miguel Hidalgo (Mexican), Simón Bolívar (Venezuelan) and Jose de San Martín (Argentine).
San Martin not only participated in the independence of Argentina (which was proclaimed independent on July 9, 1816), but also crossed the Andes mountains To intervene in the war for the independence of Chile and in the independence of Peru.
Also, Bolivar participated in the war of independence of Peru, that freed of the Spanish yoke in 1821.
In addition to the presence of leaders who guaranteed victory, the colonies also had the support of the British Empire, which would be favored financially if the colonies reached the independence of the Spanish Crown.
For its part, Mexico was aided by Britain, Germany, Japan, even the United States, nations that provided the necessary elements to initiate and win the war of independence (armament, monetary support).
Once Mexico reached its independence, many Catholic nations broke any relationship they had with this country as a sign of solidarity towards Spain.
Years later, the head of state of Mexico decided to strengthen relations with the Vatican and that was how Pope Leo XII recognized the independence of the Mexican nation and relations with other Catholic nations were restored.
References
1. Mexican War of Independence. Retrieved on June 21, 2017, from en.wikipedia.org
2. Mexican War of Independence beginsd - Sep 16, 1810. Retrieved on June 21, 2017, from history.com
3. Struggle for Mexican Independence. Retrieved on June 21, 2017, of history, with
4. Mexican War of Independence. Retrieved on June 21, 2017, from newworldencyclopedia.org
5. Mexican independence. Retrieved on June 21, 2017, from tamu.edu
6. Mexican War of Independence. Retrieved on June 21, 2017, from tshaonline.org
7. History of Mexican Independence. Retrieved on June 21, 2017, from mexonline.com.