Mexico's Conservative Independence: Iturbide's Turn

Mexico finally won independence in 1821 through an alliance that reversed the logic of Hidalgo's revolt. In 1820 a liberal revolution in Spain restored the Cádiz Constitution of 1812, threatening the privileges of the Mexican Church and army. Agustín de Iturbide, a royalist officer who had fought against the insurgents, joined with rebel leader Vicente Guerrero. Their Plan of Iguala (1821) promised independence, Catholicism as the official religion, and equality between Spaniards and Americans.

Spain's representative signed the Treaty of Córdoba, and Iturbide entered Mexico City in September 1821; in 1822 he made himself emperor, but he was overthrown in 1823. Compared with Haiti, where the enslaved won independence, Mexico's independence was secured by conservatives seeking to protect existing institutions from Spanish liberalism. It shows that independence and social revolution do not always travel together.