8.2 Spanish North America

By the end of this section, you will be able to:

• Identify events and factors leading to the Mexican War of Independence
• Describe Agustín de Iturbide’s Plan de Iguala and the achievement of Mexican independence

The struggle for liberty in Spanish America started in North America and rippled throughout the administrative divisions of the Spanish Empire. It began in Mexico with demonstrations of discontent with the colonial regime. This first wave was socially revolutionary in nature and mobilized the Indigenous and mestizo masses by emphasizing land reform and the abolition of tributary labor. Later, this movement evolved into a provisional creole government and a plan for Mexico’s first constitutional monarchy.