Plan of Iguala

Plan of Iguala
rm porrua · Public domain · source
Name	Plan of Iguala
Native name	Plan de Iguala
Caption	Flag of the Army of the Three Guarantees
Date	February 24, 1821
Location	Iguala, Guerrero, New Spain
Authors	Agustín de Iturbide, Vicente Guerrero (proclaimed)
Outcome	Agreement creating the Army of the Three Guarantees; pathway to Mexican independence

Plan of Iguala The Plan of Iguala was a foundational proclamation that articulated the conditions for Mexican independence from Spanish rule and established the ideological basis for the emergent Mexican state. Drafted in the context of the Napoleonic aftermath in Spain, the proclamation brought together figures from the Bourbon military, insurgent movements, and Creole elites to form the Army of the Three Guarantees and to negotiate a constitutional framework for sovereignty.

Background

In the aftermath of the Spanish American wars of independence and the Peninsular War, political turmoil in Madrid and the restoration of Ferdinand VII of Spain influenced events in New Spain. Revolutionary leaders such as Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, José María Morelos, and later guerrilla commanders like Vicente Guerrero waged prolonged conflict against royalist forces commanded by officers including Agustín de Iturbide and Félix María Calleja. The collapse of the Bourbon Reforms and crises surrounding the Constitution of Cádiz created alignments among Creole elites, clergy figures like Juan de la Fuente, and conservative military officers. Diplomatic shifts following the Congress of Vienna and the return of absolutism under Isabella II—as well as commercial pressures involving Great Britain, France, and the United States—shaped elite calculations. Iturbide, after negotiating the Abrazo de Acatempan with insurgent leaders, promulgated a plan in Iguala, Guerrero to reconcile royalists and insurgents by guaranteeing religion, independence, and unity.

Provisions of the Plan

The proclamation established three central guarantees—hence the symbolic Flag of the Army of the Three Guarantees—that were promulgated as a basis for order: protection of the Roman Catholic Church in Mexico, preservation of social equality between peninsulares and criollos, and consolidation of Mexican independence under a constitutional monarchy. The document proposed that the crown of the new monarchy be offered to Ferdinand VII of Spain or another member of the House of Bourbon; failing that, a European prince acceptable to Mexico and to powers such as Great Britain would be invited. It guaranteed civil rights for those who adhered to the plan, integration of former insurgent forces into a united army, and the maintenance of existing property rights belonging to institutions like the Church of Mexico and landed families. The plan also called for respect for local constitutions and municipal institutions such as the Ayuntamientos, and set out procedures for establishing a Regency and a constituent assembly modeled in part on continental constitutional practice influenced by the Constitution of Cádiz.

Political and Military Implementation

Following promulgation, Iturbide organized the Army of the Three Guarantees combining elements of royalist and insurgent forces under a unified command. Key figures who joined or negotiated with the movement included Vicente Guerrero, Nicolás Bravo, Pedro Celestino Negrete, and regional commanders in provinces such as Oaxaca, Puebla, and Veracruz. The plan catalyzed a series of military surrenders and defections from royalist garrisons in places like Chihuahua and Querétaro, while Iturbide’s forces advanced on Mexico City. Negotiations with royal authorities culminated in agreements such as the Treaty of Córdoba, which formalized terms for the transfer of power and the creation of a regency pending the monarchic decision. The new regime faced challenges from military actors including hardline Spanish loyalists and rival caudillos who contested command and territorial control.

Domestic Reception and Opposition

The proclamation received mixed reactions among social groups and political factions. Conservative clergy and large landowners generally welcomed the guarantee of the Roman Catholic Church in Mexico and protections for property, while liberal Creole elites debated the merits of a foreign monarch versus republican forms advocated by republican proponents tied to the legacy of José María Morelos. Indigenous communities and provincial elites in regions such as Yucatán and Nuevo León reacted variably, with some regional elites seeking greater autonomy. Opposition coalesced in the form of royalist resistance in isolated garrisons and republican agitation led by figures inspired by Simón Bolívar and José de San Martín in the broader Latin American independence context. Political crises emerged over the legitimacy of the proposed monarchy, the composition of a constituent body, and the distribution of military patronage.

International Response and Recognition

European powers monitored the Mexican settlement closely. Great Britain—interested in trade opportunities—engaged diplomatically and viewed a stable Mexico as a counterweight to Spanish influence, while France and the restored Bourbon court in Madrid were more hesitant to recognize independence immediately. The United States followed with strategic interest in the Gulf of Mexico and western frontiers, balancing non-recognition with commercial pragmatism. The diplomatic sequence of recognitions involved commercial envoys, provisional treaties, and eventual formal acknowledgment by select capitals, influenced by pressures from colonial settlements in Cuba and Puerto Rico and by the balance of power in the Atlantic system.

Legacy and Historical Significance

The proclamation shaped Mexico’s transition from colonial viceroyalty to independent statehood by establishing core principles—religious primacy, social guarantees, and monarchical succession—that influenced subsequent constitutional arrangements and the rise of figures such as Agustín de Iturbide (later Emperor), Antonio López de Santa Anna, and republican leaders including Guadalupe Victoria. The plan’s synthesis of conservative and insurgent aims left enduring debates over church-state relations, landholding patterns involving hacendados, and the role of the military in politics throughout the 19th century. Historians analyze the plan alongside events such as the Mexican War of Independence, the Treaty of Córdoba, and the later Mexican-American War to trace continuities in political culture, elite compromise, and state formation in postcolonial Latin America.

Category:Mexican War of Independence Category:1821 in Mexico Category:19th-century proclamations