ABSTRACT
World events outside of Latin America dictated the terms of Latin America’s independence struggles. The Haitian Revolution of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth century was significant in shaping the Latin American independence movements, as was the Napoleonic invasion of Iberia in 1807–1808. A “liberal” revolution in Spain, which cut into the power of the Roman Catholic Church, created a situation in Mexico whereby Mexican conservatives favored “independence” from Spain rather than acceptance of the 1812 liberal Spanish constitution. In Mexico, Agustín de Iturbide managed to negotiate a truce with the rebels and establish an agreement known as the Plan de Iguala of 1821. Mexico had gained independence from Spain, but in 1822 Iturbide was crowned Iturbide I, emperor of Mexico. The kingdom of Guatemala annexed itself to Mexico in 1822, but Iturbide’s abdication in March 1823 resulted in Central American independence.
