First Mexican Empire facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mexican Empire
Imperio Mexicano (Spanish)
|
|||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1821–1823 | |||||||||||||||
|
Motto: Religión, Independencia, Unión
"Religion, Independence, Union" |
|||||||||||||||
.svg) |
|||||||||||||||
| Capital | Mexico City | ||||||||||||||
| Common languages | Spanish | ||||||||||||||
| Religion | Roman Catholicism | ||||||||||||||
| Government | Constitutional Monarchy | ||||||||||||||
| Emperor | |||||||||||||||
|
• 1822–1823
|
Agustín I | ||||||||||||||
| Regent | |||||||||||||||
|
• 1821–1822
|
Agustín de Iturbide | ||||||||||||||
|
• 1822
|
Nicolás Bravo Rueda | ||||||||||||||
| Legislature | Congress | ||||||||||||||
| Senate | |||||||||||||||
| Chamber of Deputies | |||||||||||||||
| History | |||||||||||||||
| September 27, 1821 | |||||||||||||||
|
• Coronation of Agustín I of Mexico
|
July 21 1821 | ||||||||||||||
|
• Monarchy overthrown
|
March 19 1823 | ||||||||||||||
| Currency | Mexican real | ||||||||||||||
| ISO 3166 code | MX | ||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||
The Mexican Empire (called Imperio Mexicano in Spanish) was the first official name for independent Mexico. It was a monarchy, which means it was ruled by an emperor, from 1821 to 1823. This short-lived empire covered a huge area, including what was once New Spain and the lands of the former Captaincy General of Guatemala. After just two years, the empire ended, and Mexico became a republic, where people vote for their leaders.
Contents
Mexico's Independence
Mexico had been a colony of Spain for many years, known as New Spain. The people of Mexico fought a long war for their freedom, called the Mexican War of Independence. This war lasted from 1810 to 1821.
The Plan of Iguala
A key moment in gaining independence was the Plan of Iguala. This plan was created by Agustín de Iturbide, a military leader. It set out three main goals for a new, independent Mexico:
- Mexico would be an independent country.
- It would be a monarchy, ruled by a European prince or a Mexican leader.
- The Roman Catholic religion would be the only official religion.
- All people in Mexico, no matter their background, would be equal.
This plan was very popular. It helped bring different groups together to finally achieve independence.
Treaty of Córdoba
On August 24, 1821, the Treaty of Córdoba was signed. This treaty officially recognized Mexico's independence from Spain. It confirmed the ideas from the Plan of Iguala, including that Mexico would be an independent empire.
The First Mexican Empire
After independence, there was a lot of discussion about who should rule Mexico. Many people wanted Agustín de Iturbide to be the emperor. He was a hero of the independence movement.
Agustín I Becomes Emperor
On May 19, 1822, Agustín de Iturbide was declared Emperor of Mexico. He was crowned as Agustín I on July 21, 1822. His rule marked the start of the First Mexican Empire.
The empire was very large. It included not only Mexico but also parts of Central America, like what is now Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica.
Challenges and Conflicts
Emperor Agustín I faced many challenges. The new country had financial problems and political disagreements. Agustín I often clashed with the Congress, which was the group of elected representatives.
He believed Congress was trying to limit his power too much. In October 1822, he decided to dissolve Congress. This made many people, especially military leaders and politicians, very unhappy.
The Empire Ends
Several important figures, including Antonio López de Santa Anna, rose up against the emperor. They wanted Mexico to become a republic. This uprising is known as the Plan of Casa Mata.
Facing strong opposition, Emperor Agustín I gave up his throne on March 19, 1823. He went into exile. After his departure, Mexico officially became a republic. This ended the First Mexican Empire after only two years.
After the Empire
After the First Mexican Empire, Mexico became a republic. However, the idea of a monarchy returned later.
The Second Mexican Empire
Much later, from 1864 to 1867, Mexico had another period as a monarchy. This was called the Second Mexican Empire. During this time, Maximilian I of Mexico ruled as emperor. But this empire also ended, and Mexico has been a republic ever since.
Images for kids
-
Coat of arms of the First Mexican Empire.
See also
In Spanish: Primer Imperio mexicano para niños
