I’ve been reading in my Encyclopaedia Britannica about Mexico’s decade-long struggle for independence, and have learned some surprising things. The original revolutionaries, led by parish priests Miguel Hidalgo y Castilla and José María Morelos y Pavón, called for reforms like social equality and land redistribution, as you might expect. They came to a sticky end, alas, but in Spain similar reforms were getting a foothold. With the king in exile and Napoleon Bonaparte failing to install his brother as king, the Spanish brought back a traditional form of civil government and in 1812 proclaimed a new constitution with universal suffrage and representative government. This alarmed the social and clerical elites in Mexico, who didn’t want that sort of thing to catch on in New Spain and rob them of their power and wealth. Things seemed to return to “normal” in 1814 when King Ferdinand returned to Spain and abolished the constitution, but you can’t get that kind of toothpaste back in the tube, and in 1820 Spanish rebels forced the king to reinstate the constitution and its reforms. This caused panic stations back in Mexico City, and in a dramatic turn of events, the supposedly loyalist troops, instead of fighting the republican rebels, joined forces with them and forced the king’s representative to sign a treaty granting Mexico independence but preserving the privileges of the elites and the church. Mexican conservatives had succeeded in avoiding Spanish liberal reforms and maintained their exclusive position in Mexican society. How often have you heard of a colony fighting for freedom from equality, democracy, and justice?
I haven’t gotten much further in the story, but I gather that after the dust settled the conservatives and republicans got back to fighting each other and had their final showdown in the revolution of 1910. Stay tuned...
For those who are interested in watching the grand celebration of Mexico’s independence on Wednesday night, it will be webcast live on the Mexico 2010 website. I saw some video on the preparations and it looks like it will be quite spectacular, with a massive parade, dancing, music, light shows, and fireworks (it’s not a fiesta without fireworks!). I’m especially looking forward to the field of dancing cactus… Don’t miss it!
