Republic of Yucatán (1821)
Today, few speak or know of a republic of Yucatan, apart from the state of Mexico, they are only snippets of history that serve to understand a little the development of the state or republic of Mexico, its customs and fights to establish its freedoms.
How did the Republic of Yucatán come into existence ? Who fostered this separation and very importantly, how was this separatist state managed to unite again? On what dates did these events occur and why did it disappear? Let’s continue with this summary and see the answers.
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When and why did the Republic of Yucatan emerge?
The story of why the Yucatan Peninsula came to proclaim its independence as an independent region of the Republic of Mexico is interesting, since colonial times the peninsula had been separated from the Mexican Empire, since it functioned as a captaincy. When the independence of Mexico was declared in 1821, of course Yucatán became one of the federated states of the new republic of Mexico , and everything was going well, as each federated state exercised its own decentralized government.
By blowing winds of change in international politics due to the failure of federalism, Mexico was moving from a federal government to a centralist one , which gave the president of the republic power over the states and limited their autonomy, even at the national level. Military, this produced the rebellion of several states, among them the separatist process of Yucatán, which declared its independence for October 1848 .
The chamber of deputies acting as congress, approves the Act of Independence of the peninsula, under the direction of one of its leaders, Miguel Barbachano, the Yucatan constitution is drafted, the flag of the Republic of Yucatan and its brand new National Emblem.
Who participated in the creation
We would say that there were people that history recognizes as those who had to do directly or indirectly with the creation of the new Republic of Yucatan, one of the characters who influenced was Antonio López de Santa Anna , as he was the head of the new government current centralist that deprived the confederate states of autonomy both militarily and economically, in such a way that the Yucatecans, who had always advocated for their autonomy, did not want to submit to the central government of Mexico.
It is also worth mentioning another caudillo who had a lot to do with said declaration of independence of the Republic of Yucatan, namely Miguel Barbachano , a man highly esteemed and respected in the peninsula who served as governor and of an iron policy in defense of the interests of the Yucatecans.
The third element to take into account is the courageous Chamber of Deputies , which supports the proposal and proclaims the independence of the peninsula, promulgating and approving the Act of Independence.
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Causes of the declaration of the Republic of Yucatán
The causes or reasons for the formation or declaration of the Republic of Yucatán rest on two key points. The first, and most relevant, is the declaration imposed by the Mexican government of being centralist , since a leader who craved power had arrived in Mexico, and who advocated the centralist model, namely López de Santa Anna, against what had been a federalist government, where the states had autonomy and there was a division of powers. This generated much discontent and rebellions in various parts of Mexico .
The other cause worthy of mention is the circumstance presented precisely at that moment in Mexican history in 1841, where the central government of Mexico was immersed in a series of warlike conflicts that occupied its resources and its military forces , which facilitated the Yucatecans declared their separation and there would not be a force large enough to subdue them, as happened with the state of Zacatecas. There was war with the state of Texas, with the Yaquis, with the state of Zacatecas, with the Comanches, and even with the expanding United States.
It must also be taken into account that the Yucatan peninsula had always remained somewhat distant from the Mexican central power , always advocating its autonomy, so that it was easy to start a rebellion in this separatist breeding ground.
Duration and reasons for the disappearance of the Republic of Yucatán
It is good to mention that Yucatán declared its independence on two occasions : the first in 1841 because a centralist government had been imposed on them that refused to maintain the federal rights that had prevailed up to that moment, and that circumstances facilitated Yucatán’s separation from the Mexican state. .
The other occasion of the declaration of independence occurred in 1846 , where the first separation occurred before, Andrés Quintana Roo managed to convince the Yucatecans to rejoin the Republic of Mexico with the promise of conserving their autonomy, signing an agreement with Antonio López de Santa Anna who considered Yucatán a special state, granting them full autonomy. Sure, he had already tried unsuccessfully to subdue them militarily. This second attempt to become independent is caused because at the end of the year 1845, the special agreements for the state of Yucatán were eliminated, and again the Legislative Assembly of Yucatán declares the independence of this state.This second republic lasted only until 1848, when the state of Yucatán was finally integrated into the Mexican republic and now permanently .
The reason now was the war against the Mayans , which the Republic of Yucatan began to wage, known as the War of the Castes . The Mayans achieved such success and control of the peninsula that Miguel Barbachano was forced to negotiate with the Mexican government for military and economic support in order to defeat the Mayans.
Consequences of the creation
A consequence of the declaration of the Republic of Yucatán was the dismemberment of the peninsula into three states, namely Campeche, Quintana Roo and, of course, Yucatán . Perhaps this limited the power of a conglomerate as large as the former state of Yucatán, which encompassed almost the entire peninsula.
Another consequence was reflected in some legislative achievements that are still part of the state of Yucatán , and that the flag of Yucatán and its national shield still remain.