"The Mexican Independence War"

The History of the Americas in the 19th Century, By Carlos Vera, Published in Mexico City, Mexico

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(The flag of the Republic of Mexico, established on July 1st of 1824. Mexico adopted a flag that took some inspiration from the American flag)

On July 1st of 1824, the Spanish Empire grew much smaller as New Spain declared its independence from its European master and proclaimed a republic in Mexico City. The new nation was called the Republic of Mexico, a nation founded on similar values to its northern neighbor (the United States of America) and a "fresh start for the formerly oppressed colony." Indeed, it was unsurprising why the Republic of Mexico rushed its process to become an independent nation, as it immediately established relations with the United States upon its independence. Since the United States refused to negotiate and aid with revolutionaries and rebels directly, an established and independent government was necessary to open diplomatic channels with the North American giant. The Mexican Constitution was still in development, while the Mexican government was still being formed (under the aegis of President Vincente Guerrero, one of the most prominent Mexican revolutionaries and a friend of the United States) when the first Mexican envoy arrived in Columbia. Still, it was enough to convince President Joseph Crockett to cooperate with Mexico. This action proved that many in Mexico believed that America's support was critical for the success and future of the Mexican Republic, as Spanish armies still threatened southern Mexico (based around Vera Cruz) and the republic was teetering on the verge of ruins due to the extensive damage the nation received during the Mexican Independence War.

The background of the Mexican Independence War begins with King Ferdinand VII of Spain and the rejection of liberalism within his government. King Ferdinand VII, unlike many governments and monarchs around him, rejected all forms of liberalism. This extended to any political and economic reforms that would have transitioned the struggling Spanish Empire into a stable entity. This was enabled due to King Ferdinand's desire to hold absolute control over the government and a reaction to the rise of revolutionaries and republicanism across Europe and the Americas. His father, King Charles IV, was also an absolutist that saw his powers cemented during the First Coalition War against France. Due to his victory over the French in the war (through the Treaty of Andorra), his popularity rose, and his rule remained unopposed. However, with slave rebellions in the former French Hispaniola and France's shocking victory over the Coalition during the Second Coalition War, cracks began to appear in the Spanish government and weakened King Charles' hold over the Spanish Empire. The independence of the Kingdom of Navarre and France's acquisition of Genova under the Treaty of Bern in 1808 resulted in King Charles' abdication. The humiliation from the defeat was more than enough for his reign to end, and his son, King Ferdinand VIII, seized power. While many ministers and government officials sought reforms and compromises, King Ferdinand VII thought otherwise and ignored the perilous domestic situation (which included domestic unrest and a struggling economy). Believing that he would succeed where his father failed, King Ferdinand ruled Spain with an iron fist and quashed liberal revolutionaries with brute force (especially in the Catalan region after the French forces conveniently left weapons behind for liberal rebels to use before their withdrawal). This also applied to New Spain and other Spanish colonies, as King Ferdinand attempted to remove criollos from all administrative positions and place 'good and loyal' peninsulares to fill the colonial governments' entirety. In addition to heightened taxes and the deployment of Spanish soldiers to the Americas, the inhabitants of the Spanish American colonies were enraged by King Ferdinand's heavy-handed tactics and directly led to various independence wars across the Americas...

The United States of America was an anomaly and inspiration for many Mexicans. It was a very progressive republic in an era of conservatism and monarchies. The fact that the United States allowed women to vote and hold political office while drawing a distinct line between the Church and the State were puzzling, if not offensive, to many Mexicans. Unlike the Fifteen Colonies and Territories, New Spain was heavily tied to the Catholic Church economically and socially and was very conservative. Indeed, supporters of American liberalism, such as Vincente Guerrero, were in the firm minority at the beginning of the Mexican Independence War (which began in the summer of 1817). Even so, America's history of defeating its colonial master and creating a healthy and prosperous republic was an inspiration that numerous Mexican leaders sought to emulate. The inhabitants of New Spain were very aware of America's growing might and prosperity. Even if many disapproved of the American republic's political aspects, they believed that a republic was an important necessity to earn the United States' recognition and create stability. The fact that the United States managed to tie dozens of different regions and cultures together to form one nation was noteworthy to many Mexican leaders. America's benevolence to fellow republics (such as the Republic of Haiti, which was established on September 9th of 1797) meant that a Mexican Republic would likely receive economic and political aid from the United States.

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This eventually led to Guerrero's rise as a popular leader with the people's support, especially in northern Mexico around Monterrey. While Guerrero's urgings to create a republic similar to that of the American republic fell on deaf ears within Mexico, his words moved many Americans aware of New Spain's struggle for independence. As the Age of Romanticism swept the United States, many American citizens felt inspired, if not obligated, to assist the Mexican revolutionaries fighting against Spain. Many of them supported a revolutionary that held similar ideals to the American republic, and that revolutionary happened to be Vincente Guerrero. With Guerrero promising economic and political reforms, he earned support from numerous American 'investors' and, over time, the support of the people (as the war ruined entire regions in Mexico and created further economic instability). With the backing of many Americans (including Stephen F. Austin, a businessman who operated several mines across the American South) and a steady flow of supplies, Guerrero became the figurehead of the Mexican Revolution and led the most powerful faction in the multi-sided Mexican Independence War. It is important to note that the United States did not actively support Guerrero and his followers. Indeed, President Andrew Jackson (followed by President Crockett) passed explicit orders to prevent the American government from assisting or participating in the Mexican Independence War. In fact, President Jackson purchased a huge chunk of northern New Spain through the Louisiana Purchase, denying the Mexican revolutionaries territory in the north. Even so, private American citizens gladly supported Guerrero and his men, while in the United States itself, the government 'looked the other way.' Guerrero himself was not enraged by America's Louisiana Purchase, as he believed that the territories America acquired from New Spain were 'worthless' and the cessation was a debt payment to his American supporters (later on, Guerrero would mention his regret over the loss of California and the other New Spain territories, but held his belief that he would've been unable to contest America's claim to the region).

As Spanish troops were pushed out of the north, other Mexican leaders rallied around Guerrero (such as Guadalupe Victoria, a brilliant general who would also become the first Minister of Foreign Affairs for Mexico), and the fight slowly pushed towards Mexico City. King Ferdinand was unwilling to lose another American colony after losing Venezuela and other South American colonies to Miranda, Bolivar, and other revolutionaries. As a result, he sent thousands of more soldiers into New Spain to combat Guerrero and the other Mexican War leaders. The war dragged on for seven years in total, ruining much of New Spain and resulting in the death of nearly one hundred thousand individuals. However, on May 29th of 1824, Guerrero's forces (armed with American rifles and artillery) broke the Spanish defenses in Mexico City and shattered the biggest concentration of Spanish troops in New Spain. Just over a month later, Guerrero and other leaders declared the Republic of Mexico, opening up direct American aid, which would result in the final battle against Spain at Vera Cruz on August 22nd of 1824.

Now the Mexican revolutionaries finally had their nation after a long and ruinous struggle. However, much of the nation was in chaos and ruins due to the long war for independence. Despite the war, the Catholic Church still maintained a huge influence within the new nation economically and politically. Numerous peninsulares and criollos controlled over 90% of the land within Mexico, with most Mexican citizens being subsistence farmers. Even though much of the nation was rural and agricultural, Mexico's agricultural sector had been in a state of decline for decades, especially due to America's emergence in the world market and the lack of innovative tools and techniques in Mexico itself. Mexico had no industry to speak of, and the lack of infrastructure and local corporations remained as hurdles to industrialization. The few merchant families within Mexico (controlled by the consulado, an organization of elite merchants) placed their own interests above the new nation. There was no unified national market, and the few regional markets within the nation were small and disorganized. And with Central America and Yucatan clamoring for independence, it seemed certain that the Republic of Mexico would collapse with one wrong move from the new government...