Republic of Yucatán
The Republic of Yucatán was a state that existed on the peninsula of the same name in 1823, 1841–1843 and 1846–1848 .
history
During the Spanish colonial period, Yucatán was an autonomous captain general within the viceroyalty of New Spain . It included the areas of the present-day states of Yucatán , Campeche and Quintana Roo . When Mexico gained independence from Spain in 1821, Yucatán became part of independent Mexico on November 2 of the same year as the "State of Yucatán". After the end of the First Empire of Mexico , Yucatán was independent for a few months in 1823, but then joined the Republic of Mexico.
In 1835, a centralized government was installed in Mexico. Yucatán was downgraded to a province. All government business was carried out from Mexico City .
In May 1838 the first revolts against the central government broke out in the Yucatán ( Tizimín ). The first calls for independence were also made. When the local congress assembly in Merida passed a declaration of independence in 1840, the Mexican governor of the Yucatán, Santiago Méndez, blocked it initially, but on condition that the Mexican government restored the constitution of 1824. The Mexican President Santa Anna then delegated the emissary Andrés Quintana Roo to Mérida, who managed to resolve the differences and to conclude a peace treaty with the local government of Yucatán.
As early as March 1841, President Santa Anna no longer showed any particular interest in observing the agreements that had been concluded. During a council meeting in Mérida, it was stormed by the crowd on March 16, 1841.
A historical source (Juan Francisco Soles) states:
“On the evening of March 16, 1841 - during a constituent assembly - the main hall was stormed by an unarmed crowd, led by Barbachano, Francisco Martin Peraza, and a few others who were demanding full independence of the Yucatan. Under pressure from the crowd, the MPs agreed to reconsider their constitutional proposals, (...) some of the angry crowd managed to climb onto the roof, take off the Mexican flag and hoist the Yucatan national flag. "
independence
A few months later, on October 20, 1841, Governor Méndez had all Mexican flags removed and the new national flag hoisted everywhere. At the same time, the independent Republic of Yucatán was declared. The national flag was described as follows: “The flag of Yucatan is divided into two fields: one on the left in green and one on the right - again divided into 3 stripes: red-white-red. The green field contains five wonderful stars that stand for the five departments into which Yucatan is divided according to the decree of November 30, 1840: Mérida , Izamal , Valladolid , Tekax and Campeche . "
The new constitution of Yucatán built on the previous one of 1825 and the Mexican one of 1824.
The Mexican President Santa Anna refused to recognize Yucatán's independence. He ordered all Yucatan ships and all trade to be blocked. He also sent an army in 1843 to end the separation. The invading army, however, was defeated by the Yucatan. Because Yucatán could not survive economically without the Mexican state, Yucatán's governor Miguel Barbachano decided to negotiate with Santa Anna from the position of retained strength. It was agreed to reintegrate Yucatán into the Mexican state association, provided the return to the constitution of 1825 and extensive rights of self-government would be granted. On December 15, 1843, the corresponding treaty was ratified. In Article 15 it was stated that a .: "Yucatán should not fly any flag other than the flag of the nation" (ie the Mexican flag).
As early as 1845, the agreements were again ignored by the Mexican government, whereupon the Yucatán declared its independence again on January 1, 1846. When the Mexican-American War broke out during the same period, the Yucatán declared its neutrality.
The situation was further complicated by the outbreak of the so-called " Caste War " (Guerra de Castas) in 1847. The indigenous Maya population rose against the political and economic control of the Spanish population, which in 1848 led to the Creole population in Yucatán was largely displaced or killed. Only the fortified cities of Mérida and Campeche were spared .
The Yucatan government in Mérida then turned to other countries with a request for support in the fight against the rebellious Mayas. The governor sent identical notes to the governments of Great Britain, Spain and the USA. In these he offered full sovereignty over the territory of the Yucatán to the nation that first sent aid against the Maya rebellion. US President James K. Polk received the ambassador from Yucatán in Washington, and the matter was subsequently debated in the US Congress. According to the " Monroe Doctrine ", however, it was only decided to issue a warning to European powers not to interfere in the internal affairs of the Yucatán. Military aid was not sent.
After the end of the Mexican-American War, Governor Barbachano sent his request for help to the Mexican President José Joaquín de Herrera . In return, the Yucatan government agreed to recognition by the Mexican central government. On August 17, 1848, there was reunification with Mexico.
After reunification
In the years that followed, there were repeated minor and major military clashes between the Yucatan government and the rebellious Mayans. It was not until 1901 that the Mexican army captured the main Maya base at Chan Santa Cruz . However, individual Mayan groups continued the fight into the 1930s.
In 1857 the western part of the state of Yucatán was separated and organized as a separate state of Campeche . In 1902, in connection with the fight against the insurgent Maya, Quintana Roo was separated as centrally administered territory; it was only raised to the rank of state in 1974.