Iturbide, Agustín de
by Kari Raggett
Don Agustín de Iturbide was an ambitious leader whose life ended abruptly when he was
executed upon returning to Mexico in 1824. His background and rise to power offer insight into
a man whot switched sides until he found a cause worth fighting for. Once in power, Iturbide
implemented several acts that changed the face of the War for Independence. He left an
enduring impact on Mexican history that continues today.
The rise to power and background of Agustín de Iturbide explains his actions while in power.
He was born Don Agustín in Valliodad, Mexico in 1783 to a noble family. In order to be
accepted in a racially discriminate society Iturbide claimed to be a creole, or a full-blooded
Spaniard born in Mexico. His father was nobility; however, it was said that his mother was
really a mestizo, and contained some Indian blood. Church and the governmental institutions
educated Iturbide. By claiming to be a creole, Iturbide was commissioned to the army in his
teens. At this point he was loyal to the Spanish crown. He distinguished himself by putting
down uprisings of rebels who called for the independence of Mexico. For a period of time he
sided with the forces of Father Miguel
Hidalgo and Allende; however, when they were captured he
turned his support back to the crown. By suppressing these rebellions he was named supreme
commander of the armies of the north. Then Spain turned liberal and decided to accept the
democratic constitution, which made the conservative creoles angry, including Iturbide.
The rich remained in power and the rebellion came alive again under the leadership of
Vicente Guerrero.
Iturbide, now a brigadier general, was sent on an expedition to suppress the rebels
under Guerrero. By now he had become increasingly sympathetic to the cause of independence
for Mexico and entered into negotiations with Guerrero. Iturbide offered Guerrero the idea of
the "Three Guarantees"' and if Guerrero accepted them, Iturbide would then give his support to
Guerrero's forces. They jointly formed the Army of "Three Guarantees,", and thus began the end
of the War for Independence. Iturbide manipulated and deceived groups, the loyal Spaniards
and the rebels, in order to plant himself in a position to use his military power as a political
weapon.
With the offer of the three guarantees, Iturbide found himself with the ability to control the
masses with his new military consisting of those loyal to him as well as those loyal to
Guerrero's cause. The three guarantees turned into the
Plan of Iguala. It suggested three
guarantees: independence, union, and religion. Independence entailed that Mexico would have
to be declared a sovereign state. Union comprised the fact that there would no longer be a
distinction between Americans and Europeans. Religion stated that Catholicism would be
named the official religion. Another achievement was the Treaty of Córdoba. This treaty was an
agreement on the independent kingdom of Mexico. The Treaty was between Don Juan
O'Donoju, Lieutenant-General of the Armies of Spain, and Don Agustín de Iturbide, First Chief
of the Imperial Mexican Army of the "Three Guarantees." It provided the guidelines for choosing
the emperor of the newly created sovereign state of Mexico. Ferdinand VII,
King of Spain, had first bid to the throne. If he chose not to accept, it also laid out the actions
to be taken from then on. Since Ferdinand VII rejected the offer and forbade any of his family
from accepting the position, Iturbide had himself called to the throne. Iturbide had the support of the
highest commanders in the army and the many Mexico City people. He became
Emperor Agustín I of Mexico on July 22, 1822. His reign of power was short-lived because the
political and financial instability continued to plague the newly independent Mexico. Iturbide
offered to abdicate to alleviate some of the problems. His abdication was an attempt to help
Mexico. In March of 1823, his offer for abdication was accepted.
After his departure the situation in Mexico continued to worsen and Iturbide then realized that
his sacrifice was for nothing. Iturbide continued to receive reports from Mexico from some
advisors that if he returned he would be hailed as a liberator and a potential leader against the
Spanish invasion. So because of ill-advised ambition, he returned to Mexico where he was
seized as soon as he landed. Local officials executed him that same day. Iturbide strived to be a
hero for the Mexico that he loved and so desperately wanted to succeed as a new independent
state.
The impact of the contributions of Iturbide is apparent in the War for Independence. First, is
the Plan of Iguala. This plan made a consensus possible amongst the majority. By proposing
the "Three Guarantees" of independence, union, and religion, he offered an alternative solution
to the main issues of the day. The Plan of Iguala was good in theory; however, it lacked
feasibility. Once someone is placed in power who did not fear the Army of the Three
Guarantees, they would return to whatever they saw fit.
This causes an analysis of the Treaty of Cordóba, which chose who would be placed in power.
This Treaty also had little possibility of being successful. It was later declared by King Ferdinand
VII that O'Donoju had no authority to sign the Treaty. O'Donoju had been reporting to the
King that there was no hope for Spain in Mexico due to the peoples support of Iturbide. Later
the Congress annulled both the Plan of Iguala and the Treaty of Cordova. They stated that the
Mexican nation was bound not by its own consent, or that of its representatives appointed
according to the public right of free nations.
On the same day that these acts were annulled the Congress also chose to exile Emperor
Iturbide to Italy. They stated that he seized the crown through power and all claims to the
crown were stricken from anyone in his family. The Congress was under a new influence at this
point, Santa Anna and Guerrero, the true users of force and violence. Iturbide left without
putting up any fight; however after settling in London, he encountered unrest about the state
of Mexico. He saw things slipping back into the times prior to the liberation he had conceived.
Although Mexico had been declared a sovereign state, the instability of everything caused
powerful military leaders to seek out the all-powerful position. Iturbide returned to Mexico in an
attempt to help. After his execution, it took over ten years for the Mexican government to
realize their mistake. At that time his remains were transported to a place of honor in the great
cathedral of Mexico City. Iturbide laid the ground for future revolutionaries to follow with his
radical ideas of the "Three Guarantees" and the Treaty of Cordova.
Agustín de Iturbide was an ambitious man whose love for Mexico left him constantly looking for
a way to improve it. By implementing the Plan of Iguala and the Treaty of Córdoba, an idea
began to spread about the possibility of success for the common man. These acts offered the
ideas of independence, union under one name, Mexican, and religious unity. Upon his
execution in 1824, he cried: "Mexicans!...tell your children...to think with kindness of the first
Chief of the Army of the Three Guarantees...if my children should stand in need of your
protection, remember that their father spent the best season of his life laboring for your
welfare!" Iturbide was the father of Mexicans and the stepfather to foreigners unlike some of
the leaders that followed him.
Bibliography
Anna, Timothy, E.. The Mexican Empire of Iturbide. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press,
1990.
Robertson, William Spence. Iturbide of Mexico. New York: Greenwood Press, 1968.
