New Virginia Colony facts for kids

Richard Launcelot Maury, a Confederate Colonel who moved to Mexico after the American Civil War; he was the son of Matthew Fontaine Maury who developed the idea for the New Virginia Colony.

The New Virginia Colony was a special plan to create new settlements in central Mexico. This plan aimed to help former soldiers and supporters of the Confederacy move there after the American Civil War.

The main settlement was Carlota, located between Mexico City and Veracruz. Other settlements were also planned in different parts of Mexico.

The New Virginia Colony

The idea for the New Virginia Colony came from a man named Commodore Matthew Fontaine Maury. He was a famous oceanographer and navy officer. Because of his work for the Confederacy during the Civil War, he could not safely go back to his home in Virginia.

Maury was a long-time friend of Emperor Maximilian of Mexico. Before the war, Maximilian had even given Maury a special medal for his important work in oceanography. Maximilian had also been in charge of the Austrian Navy.

Why Confederates Moved to Mexico

Emperor Maximilian liked Maury's idea of inviting Confederates to move to Mexico. He offered them land if they would come and stay. However, there was one important rule: settlers could not bring enslaved people with them, because slavery was against Mexican law.

Maximilian was also hoping to attract settlers from Germany, Austria, and France. He wanted these new people to help him rebuild and develop Mexico.

Planning the Settlements

Maury explained his plan for a network of settlements to Emperor Maximilian. The Emperor liked what he heard. Most of these settlements were planned for farming areas around Mexico City. Some were also planned for northern areas like Monterrey and Chihuahua.

Special "colonization agents" were chosen for different areas. Maury started to prepare surveys to map out where the new colonies would be. Some of Maury's helpers had worked with him before at the U.S. Naval Observatory. His oldest son, Colonel Richard Launcelot Maury, also moved to Mexico. Matthew Maury hoped his whole family would eventually join him there. He felt that Virginia was too damaged by the war to return to.

Many Confederate generals, such as Jo Shelby, Edmund Kirby Smith, John B. Magruder, Sterling Price, Thomas C. Hindman, and Alexander W. Terrell, also went to Mexico after the war ended.

The End of the Colony

During this time, Emperor Maximilian's government was facing attacks from Mexican Republican leaders, Benito Juárez and Porfirio Díaz. The United States Army secretly helped Juárez and Díaz by supplying them.

In 1866, Napoleon III of France decided to pull his French troops out of Mexico. These troops had been helping Maximilian stay in power.

When the French soldiers left Carlota in March 1867, Juárez's forces quickly took over the area. The remaining New Virginia colonists had to leave. As the anti-Maximilian forces moved through Mexico, the New Virginia settlements were abandoned. Most of the people who survived moved towards the coast to leave Mexico. Maximilian's government fell apart in May 1867, and most of the settlers left Mexico for good.

See also

In Spanish: Colonia de Nueva Virginia para niños