How to become emperor of Mexico — the story of Agustín de Iturbide

Agustín de Iturbide was calved successful Valladolid (now Morelia) successful 1783, the 5th kid of the marriage, but the archetypal lad to survive. His father, Joaquín de Iturbide, had travel from a household of Basque gentry, but arsenic a 2nd lad had not been successful enactment to inherit the household lands. He followed the way of galore young Spanish boys of the clip and sailed to question his luck successful New Spain. Here, helium joined María Josefa Arambúru Carrillo de Figueroa, Mexican-born but of axenic Spanish blood, a criolla arsenic this taste radical was known astatine the time. In Spanish assemblage society, your bloodline was captious for advancement, and acknowledgment to this Spanish pedigree, their children would beryllium escaped to question careers successful authorities oregon the military.

Early historians tended to contiguous affirmative views of Agustín de Iturbide and were overgenerous successful their praise. The communicative that the commencement near María Josefa Arambúru Carrillo de Figueroa and her newborn lad connected the verge of death, and they were saved by a clergyman moving to the section religion to bring the cloak of a saint to propulsion implicit them, is worthy repeating, but lone if we bash truthful with a grade of scepticism.

Agustín de Iturbide successful Spain

Agustín de Iturbide fought connected the losing broadside of the Spanish successful the Mexican War of Independence, but managed to go emperor of Mexico nonetheless. (Public Domain)

As a youth, Agustín de Iturbide was astir noted for his fantabulous horsemanship, and fixed this background, it was hardly astonishing that helium entered the royal army. He besides joined well. Doña Ana María Josefa Ramona de Huarte y Muñiz was beauteous and well-connected; her begetter was a territory governor. Her dowry paid for the hacienda of San José de Apeo that became their home. When not riding astir his lands, Agustín de Iturbide was disconnected warring the rebellions that seemed arsenic regular arsenic the seasonal rains. 

It was a clip of turmoil successful Spain, which had go a battleground successful the Napoleonic Wars, and for 5 years Napoleon’s member Joseph sat connected the Spanish throne. By 1813, Napoleon had been defeated, and Ferdinand VII  returned to the Spanish throne, but he was forced to judge wide concessions. This had an interaction connected Mexican politics, which were already divided on the responsibility enactment of whether to stay a colony of Spain oregon to question independence. 

Independence, of course, meant Mexico nether the regularisation of the Spanish-born families present surviving successful the colony. There mightiness beryllium immoderate dialog connected the presumption of radical of mixed mestizo heritage, but the Indigenous colonisation was not included. It was a fluid and divisive issue, and Agustín de Iturbide was courted by the autarkic movement. However, helium believed successful monarchy and remained a loyal servant of Spain, the King and the Royal Army. 

The combat for independency successful Mexico

In 1810, the priest, Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, raised a large mob and attacked the cities of Guanajuato and Valladolid. As they marched done the mountains towards Mexico City, they were halted by a royal service nether the bid of General Trujillo. The young Iturbide had travel distant from the conflict with his subject estimation greatly enhanced and by 1813 had been promoted to the fertile of colonel with bid of his ain regiment based successful Celaya. In 1814, helium fought nether General Llano, a antheral past has judged arsenic rather incompetent, arsenic authorities forces defeated the rebels astatine Puruarán. With this victory, the top play of information had passed, but tiny rebel groups fought connected arsenic troublesome bandits, and it was 1816 earlier the important state of Guanajuato, with its affluent farmland and mines, was wholly secure.

Agustín de Iturbide had made enemies on the mode and, with the warfare fading into the background, his rivals struck retired astatine him. He was criticized for his harshness, having enactment the wives and children of the rebels into prison. There seems to beryllium small defence for this behavior, beyond the information that it had been, successful his opinion, a necessity astatine the time. Further claims of corruption were ne'er proven, but these accusations stuck with him, and helium resigned his committee and settled successful Mexico City. Young, handsome and present a warfare hero, astatine slightest successful the eyes of the Spanish, these years were not wasted but saw him physique up contacts and a sizeable idiosyncratic fortune. As helium approached his 40th birthday, Agustín de Iturbide had done good successful life. 

The warfare concludes

By 1820, the Mexican War for Independence was flaring up again successful the south, this clip nether a caller and susceptible leader, Vicente Guerrero. Short of competent officers, the  Spanish viceroy recalled Agustín de Iturbide to the army. This twelvemonth of 1820 besides brought the menace of gyration successful Spain, and though Ferdinand stayed connected the throne, helium had to hold to accepting reforms.

The Embrace of Acatempan betwixt Agustín de Iturbide and Mexican patriot and aboriginal president Vicente Guerrero. (Public Domain)

For Agustín de Iturbide, this was a turning point. Liberal reforms successful Spain endangered the wealthiness of the landed gentry, and helium was adamant that nary specified happening should beryllium allowed successful Mexico. In February 1821, Agustín de Iturbide met with the rebel Guerrero and presented his Plan of Iguala. The imaginativeness was an autarkic Mexico nether the rubric of Imperio Mexicano. Catholicism would beryllium the lone religion, and each radical of Spanish humor would beryllium welcomed arsenic citizens of the caller country. This authorities would beryllium a monarchy, and if Ferdinand VII would not forsake troublesome Spain and instrumentality the throne for himself, helium should nominate different European prince. 

The rebel Guerrero joined him, but the archetypal enthusiasm faded amongst de Iturbide’s ain officers, and galore marched backmost to Mexico City. When the Spanish Viceroy, Ruiz de Apodaca, rejected the proposal, Iturbide started for Mexico City with immoderate men remained loyal to him. Valladolid was besieged, but determination was nary fighting, lone a bid of meetings aft which the metropolis elders joined the rebellion. Pueblo was taken and Mexico City was surrounded. Viceroy Ruiz de Apodaca had been removed from bureau by frustrated service officers and erstwhile the recently appointed viceroy, O’Donojú, arrived successful Mexico, Iturbide near the siege to conscionable with him.

The Treaty of Córdoba

On Aug. 24, 1821, O’Donojú and Agustín de Iturbide signed the Treaty of Córdoba, declaring Mexican independence. Whether the 2 men had the authorization to marque specified a determination was debatable, but by this point, Iturbide commanded the lone effectual subject unit successful the country.  On Sept. 27, 1821, helium marched into Mexico City with the Army of the Three Guarantees, leaving what remained of the royalist forces to fly to Veracruz. 

Iturbide was present the antheral of the moment, and his years of courting important radical successful the clergy and amongst the landowners paid off. He became President of the Provisional Governing Junta, a assemblage tasked with selecting the five-person Regency that would temporarily govern recently autarkic Mexico. Iturbide made definite the Regency consisted of his allies, who duly elected him arsenic President of the Regency. This governmental appointment, combined with bid of the army, near him arsenic the large governmental unit successful the state arsenic they waited connected quality from Spain.

Emperor of Mexico

Their privation was inactive for the beleaguered Ferdinand VII to sail to Mexico and instrumentality the throne himself. However, backmost successful Spain, Ferdinand was gaining the precocious manus against the wide question and felt helium could rein successful the troublesome colonies. He denounced the Treaty of Córdoba and forbade immoderate of his household from accepting the Mexican throne. If Spain could not supply an emperor, Mexico would find 1 for itself. Agustín de Iturbide was virtually doing the occupation anyway, and successful May, a crowd, encouraged by men of his ain regiment,  gathered extracurricular his home, insisting helium instrumentality the throne with cries of  “Viva Iturbide!”

After immoderate governmental manoeuvring and behind-the-scenes deals, a tame Mexican Congress declared him emperor. On July 21, 1822, with the superior decked retired successful flowers, banners, streamers and flags, Agustín de Iturbide entered Mexico City’s large cathedral for an elaborate coronation ceremony.

The proclamation of Agustín de Iturbide arsenic emperor of Mexico successful Mexico City, (Public Domain)

He inherited a astir bankrupt Mexico and the disbursal of the coronation, arsenic good arsenic the lavish tribunal helium established, upset galore people. His reign would past little than a year, but it has near 1 important legacy: the red, white, and greenish of the Mexican emblem were primitively chosen to correspond the 3 guarantees of the Plan of Iguala: freedom, religion and union.

Bob Pateman lived successful Mexico for six years. He is simply a librarian and teacher with a Master’s Degree successful History.