First Mexican Empire

Mexican Empire Imperio Mexicano (Spanish) Imperium Mexicanum (Latin)
1821–1823
Top: Flag of the Three Guarantees Bottom: State Flag Imperial coat of arms
Motto: Independencia, Unión, Religión "Independence, Union, Religion"
Capital	Mexico City
Common languages	Spanish
Religion	Roman Catholicism (official)
Government	Provisional government (1821–1822) Unitary constitutional monarchy (1822–1823)
President of the Regency
• 1821–1822	Agustín de Iturbide
Emperor
• 1822–1823	Agustín I
Legislature	Provisional Government Junta (1821–1822) Constituent Congress (1822) National Institutional Junta (1822-1823)
History
• Plan of Iguala	24 February 1821
• Independence of Mexico	28 September 1821
• Abdication of Agustín I	19 March 1823
Area
1821[1]	4,429,000 km2 (1,710,000 sq mi)
Population
• 1821[2]	6,500,000
Currency	Mexican real
Preceded by Succeeded by New Spain Provisional Government of Mexico United Provinces of Central America British Honduras Mosquito Coast

The Mexican Empire (Spanish: Imperio Mexicano, pronounced [imˈpeɾjo mexiˈkano] ^ⓘ) was a constitutional monarchy and the first independent government of Mexico. It was also the only former viceroyalty of the Spanish Empire to establish a monarchy after gaining independence. The empire existed from 1821 to 1823, making it one of the few modern-era independent monarchies in the Americas. To distinguish it from the later Second Mexican Empire (1864–1867) under Emperor Maximilian, this historical period is commonly referred to as the First Mexican Empire. The empire was led by former Royal Spanish military officer Agustín de Iturbide, who ruled as Agustín I.

The establishment of a monarchy was the initial goal for an independent Mexico,^[3] as outlined in the Plan of Iguala, a political document drafted by Iturbide that unified the forces fighting for independence from Spain. Following the signing of the Treaty of Córdoba by the last Spanish viceroy in September 1821, the plan for a Mexican monarchy advanced. Iturbide's popularity reached its peak on May 18, 1822, when public demonstrations called for him to become emperor in the absence of a European royal willing to assume the throne. The Mexican Congress approved the proposal, and Iturbide was crowned in July 1822.

The empire's brief existence was marked by challenges, including disputes over its legitimacy, conflicts between the Congress and the emperor, and a bankrupt national treasury. In October 1822, Iturbide dissolved Congress and replaced it with the National Institutional Junta, composed of his supporters. However, by December of the same year, he began to lose the support of the Mexican Army, which rebelled in favor of restoring the Congress and its democratic powers. Unable to suppress the revolt, Iturbide reconvened the Congress in March 1823 and offered his abdication. Power was then transferred to a republican provisional government of 1823-1824, which abolished the monarchy and established the First Mexican Republic.