Constitution of Yucatán facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Political Constitution of the State of Yucatán
Original front of the 1905 Constitution
Created	1904–1918
Ratified	January 14, 1918
Location	Archivo General del Estado de Yucatán
Authors	XXXIV Constituent Congress of the State of Yucatán
Signers	XXXIV Constituent Congress of the State of Yucatán
Purpose	State constitution to replace the 1862 Constitution

The Political Constitution of the State of Yucatán (Spanish: Constitución Politica del Estado de Yucatán) is the main law for the free state of Yucatán. Yucatán is one of the 32 parts that make up the United Mexican States. This important document was written by a special group called the Constituent Congress of the State in 1918. Héctor Victoria Aguilar led this group.

General Salvador Alvarado, who was the governor of Yucatán at the time, officially announced the new Constitution. Over the years, this Constitution has been updated many times. The biggest changes happened in 1938.

The Constitution we have today is the fifth one in Yucatán's history. It includes ideas from the first version in 1905, the official one in 1918, and the big changes from 1938.

Yucatán's Constitutions: A Look Back

For almost 200 years, Yucatán has had five different constitutions. Each one was created to fit the needs of the time. Together, they have shaped the Constitution we use today.

First Constitution (1825): Yucatán's Start

After Mexico became independent, Yucatán also gained its freedom. It briefly joined the First Mexican Empire. When the Empire ended in 1823, Yucatán, along with other states, declared itself free and independent.

Yucatán formed its first Congress on August 20, 1823. While they worked on a new constitution, they temporarily used the Spanish Constitution of 1812. On April 6, 1825, Yucatán's first Constitution was officially announced. It said that Yucatán would be a republic, meaning people would elect their leaders. It also said Yucatán would be part of the Mexican federation.

Key Ideas of the 1825 Constitution

This Constitution started by mentioning "Almighty God". It gave more power to the lawmakers (Legislative) than to the governor (Executive) or the courts (Judiciary). It also talked about human rights, which are basic rights for all people. These rights were later included in Mexico's national constitutions.

Some important points were:

• Article 1: Yucatán is made up of all the people living in the peninsula and nearby islands.
• Article 4: The State must protect everyone's equality, freedom, property, and safety. It also banned bringing new slaves into Yucatán and declared existing slaves free.
• Article 5: Yucatán's territory was the same as before, except for the area of Tabasco.
• Article 11: The official religion was Roman Catholic.
• Article 12: No one should be treated badly because of their religious beliefs, as long as they respect the state's rules.
• Article 13: Yucatán's government would be a republic, with a federal system where people elect their leaders.

This Constitution faced challenges. The Mexican government tried to make states less powerful. This led to Yucatán declaring its independence later on.

Second Constitution (1841): A Step Towards Freedom

This Constitution was announced on May 16, 1841. This was shortly after the Flag of the Republic of Yucatán was raised. It was also before Yucatán officially declared its independence on October 1, 1841. Many believe Manuel Crescencio Rejón, a legal expert, was the main writer. He later helped create the "Amparo Law" for Mexico, which protects people's rights.

The 1841 Constitution had 80 articles. It brought back direct elections, meaning people voted directly for their leaders. It also created a two-house legislature (like the U.S. Congress) with a Chamber of Deputies and a Chamber of Senators. A very important change was allowing Freedom of religion, meaning people could practice any religion they chose.

Key Ideas of the 1841 Constitution

This Constitution started by saying the people of Yucatán recognized God's goodness in allowing them to create a government that met their needs.

Some important points were:

• Article 1: Who was considered Yucatecan. This included people born in Yucatán, those with Yucatecan parents, and foreigners who became citizens.
• Article 7: This article had 12 parts that talked about individual rights and protections.
• Article 8: This introduced the "Amparo Law." It meant judges had to protect people's rights mentioned in the previous article.
• Article 10: The government's power was split into three parts: Legislative (making laws), Executive (carrying out laws), and Judicial (interpreting laws). No two powers could be held by the same person or group.
• Article 11: The power to make laws was given to two groups: a Chamber of Deputies and a Chamber of Senators.
• Article 79: No one could be bothered about their religious views. People who moved to Yucatán and their families would be guaranteed the right to practice their religions, both privately and publicly.

Third Constitution (1850): Rejoining Mexico

Yucatán was going through a tough time. It had just rejoined Mexico in 1848, mainly because of the Caste War of Yucatán, a big conflict within the state. Mexico itself was struggling after a war with the United States, losing a lot of its land.

Because of these challenges, a new State Constitution was created on September 16, 1850. It was mostly based on the 1825 Constitution but also used some ideas from the 1841 one. This Constitution had 59 articles. The first article stated that Yucatán was part of the "Mexican Nation" under the federal agreement.

The "Amparo Law" was removed, and indirect elections were brought back. However, the separation of government powers and the two-house legislature remained.

Key Ideas of the 1850 Constitution

Many believed this Constitution took a step backward for the individual and political rights of Yucatecan citizens.

Some important points were:

• Article 1: Yucatán is a part of the Mexican Nation, following the rules of the federal agreement.
• Article 2: The official religion was Roman Catholic.
• Article 9: This article listed individual rights, like freedom of speech.
• Article 10: All Yucatecans had to follow laws, defend the country when needed, and pay taxes.
• Article 59: This Constitution could be changed or added to after one year.

Fourth Constitution (1862): Modernizing Yucatán

The fourth Constitution for Yucatán was announced on April 21, 1862. It was much longer, with 114 articles. It was mainly influenced by Mexico's Federal Constitution of the United Mexican States of 1857. It also took some ideas from Yucatán's 1850 Constitution.

In this new Constitution, the Catholic Church was no longer the official religion. Also, Campeche was no longer part of Yucatán. The two-house legislature was replaced with a single-house legislature. Direct elections were brought back, and the governor's term was shortened from four to two years. Governors could not be re-elected right away.

This Constitution was put on hold when the Second Mexican Empire was established, but it was brought back when the Empire fell. It was in use for almost 50 years, and many changes were made to it during that time.

Key Ideas of the 1862 Constitution

This Constitution began by stating that the representatives of Yucatán, gathered in Congress, were creating this Political Constitution under the federal agreement of the United Mexican States.

Some important points were:

• Article 1: Yucatán is part of the Mexican Republic. It is free, independent, and only gives certain powers to the national government for the good of the country.
• Article 3: Yucatán's government is a republic where people elect their leaders. Its rules are based on the human rights protected in Mexico's 1857 federal constitution.
• Article 4: The state does not specifically protect any single religion.
• Article 17: The power of Yucatán comes from its people.

Fifth Constitution (1918): The Current Law

The 1918 Constitution is the one Yucatán uses today. Since it has been in use for over 100 years, many changes have been made to its original text. It was announced on January 14, 1918. It was written by the XXV Legislature of the State Congress. They used Mexico's Political Constitution of the United Mexican States of 1917 as a guide. That national constitution was created after the Mexican Revolution.

Important people who helped write the 1918 Yucatecan Constitution included Héctor Victoria Aguilar, Felipe Carrillo Puerto, Santiago Burgos Brito, Manuel Berzunza, and Pedro Solís Cámara. Héctor Victoria Aguilar is known as the "father of Mexican social rights" for his work on Article 123 of the national constitution. The Enciclopedia Yucatán en el Tiempo described the original 1918 Yucatecan Constitution as

"...considered at that time as the most liberal and the most advanced of modern Mexico"

.

Key Ideas of the Current Constitution

The current Constitution still has the same 109 articles and 11 titles as the original 1918 text. However, it has been changed more than 750 times over the years.

Some of its main articles include:

• Article 1: All people in Yucatán have the rights given by Mexico's Constitution, international agreements, and this State Constitution. Yucatán also protects the right to life from the moment of conception.
• Article 2: This article talks about individual rights, banning discrimination, recognizing the many cultures in Yucatán, and protecting migrants. It also mentions the Mayan identity and special rights for the Mayan people.
• Article 5: Who is considered Yucatecan. This includes people born in Yucatán (or whose parents are Yucatecan), Mexicans from other states who have lived in Yucatán for six months, and foreigners who become citizens and have lived in Yucatán for six months.
• Article 7 Bis: This article recognizes the right of the Mayan people to make their own decisions within the state.
• Article 12: Yucatán is part of the United Mexican States. It is free and independent in how it governs itself, following the rules of the national Constitution.
• Article 14: This describes the territory and borders of the State of Yucatán.
• Article 90: People in Yucatán have the right to education and culture.
• Article 90, Paragraph A, Fraction II: The state will pay special attention to the education of the Mayan people. It will ensure they have access to programs that help their development.
• Article 95 Bis: The State must ensure, protect, and promote the social, economic, political, and cultural development of the Mayan people.

See also

In Spanish: Constituciones de Yucatán para niños

• Constitutions of Mexico
• Yucatán
• Constitution of the State of Mexico
• Republic of Yucatán