First Mexican Empire: Map & History
The Mexican Empire was a constitutional monarchy and the first independent government of Mexico.
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Historiographical synthesis & structured realm registry
The Mexican Empire was a constitutional monarchy and the first independent government of Mexico. It was also the only former viceroyalty of the Spanish Empire to establish a monarchy after gaining independence. The empire existed from 1821 to 1823, making it one of the few modern-era independent monarchies in the Americas. To distinguish it from the later Second Mexican Empire (1864–1867) under Emperor Maximilian, this historical period is commonly referred to as the First Mexican Empire. The empire was led by former Royal Spanish military officer Agustín de Iturbide, who ruled as Agustín I.
Modern Countries Once Part of First Mexican Empire
At its mapped extent, First Mexican Empire covered territory in 7 present-day countries. The period shown is when the mapped borders include that country, and the note says how much of it.
- Guatemala1822–1823 CE · nearly all
- Nicaragua1822–1823 CE · nearly all
- El Salvador1822–1823 CE · nearly all
- Mexico1822–1823 CE · nearly all
- Honduras1822–1823 CE · nearly all
- Costa Rica1822–1823 CE · most
- United States1822–1823 CE · a small part
States and Provinces
- Texas, United States
- California, United States
- New Mexico, United States
- Sonora, Mexico
- Veracruz, Mexico
- Chihuahua, Mexico
- Oaxaca, Mexico
- Tamaulipas, Mexico
- Yucatán, Mexico
- Coahuila, Mexico
- Guerrero, Mexico
- Sinaloa, Mexico
- Arizona, United States
- Baja California, Mexico
- Colorado, United States
- Michoacán, Mexico
- San Luis Potosí, Mexico
- Jalisco, Mexico
- Baja California Sur, Mexico
- Chiapas, Mexico
- Durango, Mexico
- Guanajuato, Mexico
- Nayarit, Mexico
- Puebla, Mexico
Largest Present-Day Cities in Its Territory
Each opens on the live map inside First Mexican Empire's borders of that time.
Derived by testing mapped cities against this polity's dated territorial polygons, so the list is indicative and follows the borders in the source dataset.
First Mexican Empire in Depth
Government
Congress and the Emperor immediately began to clash, in large part because their respective legal powers had not at this point been clearly delineated. By mid 1822 the three major issues were whether Iturbide had a right to appoint members to a Supreme Court, whether he had the right to veto legislation as the Spanish King had under the Spanish Constitution of 1812, and his wish to establish rural military tribunals. The latter measure was in response to the lapse in law and order that was spreading throughout the country. Iturbide wished to establish in provincial capitals special courts made up of two military officers assisted by a lawyer.
Background
The Spanish Empire disintegrated in the wake of Napoleon's invasion of Spain and the overthrow of the Spanish Bourbons in 1808. Throughout Spain and its viceroyalties there was a widespread refusal to recognize Napoleon's brother Joseph I as the new French-backed king of Spain. In New Spain cleric Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, who had long been part of a circle of intellectuals who sought to reform the colonial system, triggered the Mexican War of Independence in 1810, a decade of warfare between insurgents for independence from Spain and royalists seeking to maintain the existing colonial order. The insurgency was initially led by Hidalgo, who was captured and executed in 1811, then succeeded by Father José María Morelos, who was likewise captured and executed in 1815.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: First Mexican Empire (CC BY-SA 4.0).
First Mexican Empire: Key Facts
| Capital | Mexico City |
|---|---|
| Official language | Spanish |
| Religion | Catholic Church |
| Form of government | constitutional monarchy |
| Currency | Mexican real |
| Founded | 19 May 1822 |
| Dissolved | 19 March 1823 |
Preceded by
- New Spain
Facts from Wikidata Q285658 (CC0).
First Mexican Empire: Frequently Asked Questions
When did the First Mexican Empire exist?
The First Mexican Empire is dated to 1822 CE – 1823 CE, in the Industrial era.
What was the capital of the First Mexican Empire?
The capital of the First Mexican Empire was Mexico City.
How large was the First Mexican Empire at its peak?
At its peak in 1822 the First Mexican Empire covered about 3,628,049 km².
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