This week, Mexican citizens celebrated the 217th anniversary of the nation’s independence with jubilant patriotic spirits. Did you ever wonder what happened in the early decades following the 11-year struggle against Spanish rule?
The independence movement culminated on August 24, 1821, when Spain signed the Treaty of Córdoba, formally recognizing Mexico’s sovereignty after the collapse of royal government and the triumph of insurgent forces. Four days later, the Declaration of Independence of the Mexican Empire was issued in Mexico City.
Turncoat royalist colonel Agustín de Iturbide, who switched sides to command the conservative Army of the Three Guarantees, was first named president of the Regency and later proclaimed Emperor Agustín I on May 19, 1822. He abdicated the throne and was exiled the following year.
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