ABSTRACT

The process of Mexico's emancipation began, as in other parts of Spanish America, with the imperial crisis of 1808. The armed struggle, which began in 1810, opened the door to a process of militarization that did not end after independence had been achieved. This chapter is concerned with the political tranformations than with the accompanying war, however, because warfare did not envelop the entire Viceroyalty of New Spain, whereas the political changes did. Given New Spain's colonial status, its independence movement ended, as it began, with events that occurred in the metropolis, where constitutionalists managed to restore the constitution in March 1820. The Declaration of Independence of the Mexican Empire is interesting not only because of its text but also because of its signatories. It was signed by the members of the Provisional Governing Junta, which included the most distinguished members of the capital's elite, former autonomists and malcontents as well as the leading royalist commanders.